Prep Tools

Hotel Pan (Gastronorm)

Standardized rectangular pan for holding, cooking, and storing food in pro kitchens.

A hotel pan, or gastronorm pan, is a standardized rectangular stainless-steel container sized to a common system (full, half, third) so pans and lids interchange across equipment. It is used to hold, transport, marinate, steam, and serve food, and fits steam tables, combi ovens, and refrigeration. Perforated versions allow steaming and draining, while lids keep food covered for storage.

The hotel pan — known as a gastronorm (GN) pan almost everywhere outside the United States — is the rectangular stainless or plastic container that runs through every professional kitchen. It is a true modular system: a GN 1/1 pan measures 530 × 325 mm, and every other size (1/2, 1/3, 1/6, 1/9, and so on) divides cleanly from that base, so one 1/1, two 1/2s, three 1/3s, or six 1/6s all fit the same slot in a steam table, combi oven, reach-in, or lowboy. That interchangeability is the whole point. The same pan that holds mise en place in a walk-in can cook in a combi, hold sauce on the line, ride out a banquet in a chafing dish, and chill brine in a refrigerator — and the lids, adapter bars, and false bottoms all follow the same modular logic.

The system was formalized in Germany in the 1960s (most often credited to the Rieber company) and codified as European Norm EN 631, which is why a pan from any compliant maker drops cleanly into a well from any other. Depth runs from a shallow 20 mm up to 200 mm, with 65 mm as the steam-table workhorse. Material matters as much as size: stainless steel carries the hot work (ovens, steam, bains-marie, sous-vide), polycarbonate and polypropylene dominate cold storage and prep, and aluminum — usually non-stick coated — is what you reach for when you actually want the pan to cook, not just hold. For a working cook, a matched set in two or three sizes and a few depths is less a piece of equipment than an organizing principle, and it solves most holding, cooking, and storage problems a kitchen throws at you.

Alternatives

Deep Baking TrayStackable Food Storage ContainersSheet Pan

Types & varieties

GN 1/1 (Full)

530 × 325 mm — the base module; fits full-size steam tables and combi ovens.

GN 2/3

354 × 325 mm — common in combi ovens and prep lines where 1/1 is wasteful.

GN 1/2

325 × 265 mm — very common steam-table and buffet pan.

GN 1/3

325 × 176 mm — the workhorse for sauces, sides, and active prep.

GN 1/4

265 × 162 mm — sauces, condiments, smaller portions.

GN 1/6

176 × 162 mm — condiments, butter, garnishes, and small prep.

GN 1/9

176 × 108 mm — the smallest standard size; portion cups, garnishes, inserts.

Stainless steel (18/10 or 18/8)

The default for hot and cold service; oven- and freezer-safe; workhorse material.

Polycarbonate (PC)

Clear and lightweight for cold storage and display; do not use above ~90 °C.

Polypropylene (PP)

Microwave- and dishwasher-safe; cheaper and lighter than PC; lower heat tolerance.

Aluminum

Excellent heat conduction for baking and cooking; often non-stick coated; reacts with acidic foods unless coated.

Non-stick coated

For eggs, delicate sauces, and baking; not for use with metal utensils.

Perforated

Holes for blanching, draining pasta or vegetables, and steaming.

Anti-jam (stacking) rim

Reinforced edge with a small lip so stacked pans release cleanly — preferred for prep.

Sizing and Modularity

The GN fractions are not arbitrary; they are designed so that smaller pans subdivide a larger one exactly. A 1/1 pan takes two 1/2s, three 1/3s, six 1/6s, or nine 1/9s. A 1/2 takes two 1/4s or three 1/6s. This is why a single prep station can be reconfigured with adapter bars — a slotted bar dropped across a 1/1 well can hold two 1/3 pans and a 1/6, for example — and why buying lids and covers is straightforward: lid size depends only on the pan's length and width, never on its depth.

Mind the US/Europe naming clash: the American 'half-size steam-table pan' is 12 × 10 in, which is not a GN 1/2 (325 × 265 mm). The two systems are not interchangeable.
Sheet pans (full 18 × 26 in, half 18 × 13 in) are an entirely different standard and will not fit GN wells or combi-oven racks designed for GN.
Depths stack within a size, but the rim height grows with depth — measure well openings in steam tables and combi ovens before ordering deep pans.

Choosing the Right Material

Match the material to the job, not the other way around. Stainless steel for anything that goes in an oven, over heat, or into a bain-marie. Polycarbonate for cold storage, line prep, and display where you want to see what is inside. Polypropylene for cheap, light, microwave-safe containers and low-risk transport. Aluminum — almost always non-stick coated — when the pan is doing real cooking (sheet-pan dinners, roasted vegetables, baked goods) and you want responsive heat.

Heavy-gauge stainless (≥0.8 mm) resists denting and warping far better than the thin economy pans that flex visibly when lifted full.
Polycarbonate and polypropylene will warp or melt in combi ovens, salamanders, or over direct flame — never put them in hot service.
Aluminum reacts with acidic foods (tomato, citrus, wine) unless coated; even coated versions eventually wear and should be retired from acid-heavy work.
Rounded corners clean more easily and cut fewer hands; sharp edges on cheap pans are a real injury risk worth avoiding.

Common uses

Holding hot food in steam tables, bains-marie, and chafing dishes during service.Chilling and storing prepped ingredients in lowboys, reach-ins, and walk-ins.Cooking in combi ovens, convection ovens, and countertop steamers.Sous-vide baths — the depth range lets you fully submerge larger items, with a lid or film seal on top.Portioning and transporting mise en place between prep, line, and pass.Buffet and banquet service in catering, hotels, and cafeterias.Brining, marinating, and curing — deep pans fully submerge briskets, whole fish, and large cuts.Sheet-pan cooking (with aluminum or coated versions) for roasted vegetables, sheet-pan dinners, and bar cookies.Draining and blanching with perforated inserts, or using a shallow pan as a false bottom to reduce the effective depth of a deeper one.

Tips & pitfalls

Match pan depth to the well size of your steam table — 65 mm is the most common, but always check before buying a stack of lids.
Use anti-jam (stacking) pans for prep and standard pans for service; the rims look similar but the geometry differs and mixing them produces a wobbly stack.
The rainbow heat-tint that appears on stainless is cosmetic, not a defect — soak in white vinegar or scrub with Bar Keeper's Friend to remove it.
Never put polycarbonate or polypropylene pans in a combi oven, on a range, or under a salamander; they warp above about 90 °C.
Cool hot stainless pans to room temperature before moving them into a walk-in, both to prevent warping and to keep the refrigerator from working overtime.
Label the rim, not the lid — lids get swapped constantly in a busy kitchen and a Sharpie'd rim stays with the pan.
When cooking in a GN pan in a deck or convection oven, set it on a sheet pan or wire rack; the rim can flex when hot and the pan is easier to pull out safely.
Keep at least one of each common depth (20, 40, 65, 100, 150 mm) in 1/1 and 1/3 on the line — that small set covers roughly 90 percent of holding and prep needs.

Good to know

Standard: EN 631 (European Norm for catering containers), the global de facto size system
Base module: GN 1/1 = 530 × 325 mm (about 20.9 × 12.8 in)
Origin: Standardized in Germany in the 1960s, widely attributed to the Rieber company
Common depths: 20, 40, 65, 100, 150, and 200 mm — 65 mm is the steam-table default
Also called: Hotel pan (US), gastro pan, GN pan, catering tray
Lid fit: Lids are sized to the pan opening, not the depth — one 1/1 lid fits every 1/1 depth
Temperature range: Stainless roughly −40 °C to 300 °C; polycarbonate typically −40 °C to 90 °C
Capacity: GN 1/1 × 65 mm ≈ 5.6 L; 1/1 × 100 mm ≈ 8.7 L; 1/1 × 150 mm ≈ 13 L