Quick Answer
Gastronorm pans follow the EN 631 standard, built on the GN 1/1 size of 530 x 325mm. Fractions such as 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, and 1/9 divide that footprint exactly, and depths run from 20mm to 200mm. A GN 1/1 100mm stainless pan holds about 13 litres and costs around £57 in the UK.
Caterzone supplies gastronorm pans and GN containers to UK restaurants, cafés, hotels, school kitchens, and caterers, and gastronorm is the quiet standard that holds a commercial kitchen together. The same pan can go from the blast chiller to the combi oven to the bain marie to the refrigerated prep counter without the food ever being decanted — but only if you buy the right size, depth, and material.
This guide explains the gastronorm size system, the full chart of fractions and depths, capacity in litres, stainless steel versus polycarbonate, perforated pans, lids, how GN fits your other equipment, and the food safety rules on cooling and storing food in pans. Browse the gastronorm pans collection as you read.
What is a gastronorm pan?
A gastronorm pan is a standard-sized rectangular food container used across commercial kitchens in the UK and Europe. The sizes are set by the European standard EN 631, which defines a base module — GN 1/1, measuring 530mm x 325mm — and a family of fractions and multiples that fit inside or across that footprint exactly.
The point of the standard is interchangeability. A combi oven built for GN 1/1 takes any GN 1/1 tray from any manufacturer. A bain marie well cut for GN 1/1 takes one full-size pan, two halves, three thirds, or a mix of a half and two quarters, and they all sit flush. Refrigerated prep counters, saladettes, blast chillers, hot cupboards, heated gantries, and tray trolleys are all built around the same dimensions.
In practice, that means you can cook in a pan, chill in it, store it, and serve from it. Fewer transfers mean less washing up, less handling, and fewer chances for cross-contamination — which is why gastronorm is as much a food safety tool as a storage format.
Gastronorm sizes chart: dimensions and fractions
Every fraction is defined relative to GN 1/1. The number tells you how many of that pan fit in the full-size footprint: three GN 1/3 pans fill one GN 1/1 space, nine GN 1/9 pans fill another. Use this chart when planning a bain marie layout or checking a prep counter.
| Size | Dimensions | Fit in one GN 1/1 | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| GN 2/1 | 650 x 530mm | Double size | Large combi ovens, roasting, bulk prep |
| GN 1/1 | 530 x 325mm | 1 | Ovens, blast chillers, bain maries, hot cupboards |
| GN 2/3 | 354 x 325mm | Pairs with a 1/3 | Compact ovens, larger counter wells |
| GN 1/2 | 325 x 265mm | 2 | Mains on a servery, sauces, bulk garnish |
| GN 1/3 | 325 x 176mm | 3 | Salad bars, pizza and sandwich prep tops |
| GN 1/4 | 265 x 162mm | 4 | Toppings, sides, deli counters |
| GN 1/6 | 176 x 162mm | 6 | Saladette garnish rails, burger and taco lines |
| GN 1/9 | 176 x 108mm | 9 | Small garnishes, sauces, mise en place |
A GN 2/4 (530 x 162mm) also exists — a long, narrow pan equal to two quarters side by side — and is useful along the back of narrow counters. Where a layout leaves gaps, stainless adaptor bars let you mix fractions in a single well.
Which depth of gastronorm pan should you choose?
Standard depths are 20mm, 40mm, 65mm, 100mm, 150mm, and 200mm. Capacity varies slightly by manufacturer, but as a guide a stainless GN 1/1 holds roughly 9 litres at 65mm, 13 litres at 100mm — the Combisteel 1/1 100mm container is rated at 13.24 litres — 20 litres at 150mm, and 28 litres at 200mm. A GN 1/2 at 65mm holds around 3.7 to 4 litres; a GN 1/3 at 100mm about 4 litres; a GN 1/9 at 100mm about 1 litre.
Choose depth by job, not by habit. Shallow 20mm and 40mm pans suit roasting, baking, grilling in a combi oven, and displaying cold items such as sliced meats. 65mm is the workhorse depth for cooking, cooling, and serving portions. 100mm suits most bain marie service and refrigerated storage. 150mm and 200mm pans suit soups, stocks, rice, and bulk storage — but they are the wrong choice for cooling hot food quickly.
Check equipment limits too. Refrigerated prep counter lids and sneeze guards often clear 100mm or 150mm pans only. A bain marie well is commonly 150mm deep, so a 200mm pan will not sit flat. Combi oven runners are spaced for a maximum loaded depth, so check the oven manual before buying deep trays for it.
Stainless steel or polycarbonate gastronorm pans?
Stainless steel pans are the default for anything that goes near heat. Good-quality pans are made from 18/8 or 18/10 (AISI 304) stainless and are typically rated from about –40°C up to 300°C, so they go straight from freezer to oven. They conduct heat well, which helps both cooking and rapid cooling, they survive commercial dishwashers indefinitely, and they do not stain or hold odours. Look for reinforced corners and an anti-jam design so stacked pans separate easily.
Polycarbonate pans are clear, lighter, and cheaper to drop. They are excellent for cold storage, prep, and display, because you can see the contents and level at a glance. Polycarbonate is typically rated for temperatures of roughly –40°C to around 100°C, so it suits bain marie and hot-holding use only if the manufacturer confirms the rating — never an oven. It also scratches and clouds over time, and scratched plastic is harder to clean properly, so replace worn pans.
Other options include polypropylene for budget cold storage, aluminium for baking, and non-stick or enamelled pans for specific cooking jobs. For most kitchens the sensible mix is stainless for everything hot and polycarbonate for the cold room and prep line.
When should you use perforated pans, lids, and inserts?
Perforated gastronorm pans have holes punched across the base and sides. They are designed for steaming in a combi oven or steamer — vegetables, rice, fish, dumplings — and for draining, such as defrosting meat or holding washed salad. Stack a perforated pan inside a solid pan of the same size and you have a drip tray that keeps food out of its own liquid. The Combisteel perforated GN 1/1 150mm container is a good general-purpose steaming pan.
Lids protect food in storage and hot holding. Choose flat lids for storage and stacking, notched lids where a ladle or spoon stays in the pan during service, and hinged lids on prep counters. Always match lid fraction to pan fraction; a GN 1/3 lid will not seal a GN 1/4 pan. Lids are commonly sold in packs — Hamoki GN 1/1 stainless lids, for example, come in boxes of six.
For labelling, stick to your HACCP system: date, contents, and use-by on every lidded pan in the fridge. The standard footprint makes stock rotation simpler because pans stack predictably on shelving.
What are the UK food safety rules for gastronorm pans?
Gastronorm pans are food-contact equipment, so they must be cleaned and sanitised between uses, and damaged pans with deep dents, cracks, or crazed plastic should be replaced. Commercial dishwashers handle stainless pans easily; avoid prolonged soaking in chlorine-based products, which can pit stainless steel over time.
Depth matters most when cooling. Hot food must be cooled quickly through the danger zone: the Food Standards Agency's Safer Food, Better Business guidance is to cool food as quickly as possible — ideally within 90 minutes — and then refrigerate it at 8°C or below. A deep 150mm pan of rice or stew holds heat in its centre for hours. Split it into shallow pans no deeper than about 65mm, use a blast chiller where you can, and never put a lid on a pan of hot food straight away.
In service, hot food in pans must be held at 63°C or above, and cold food at 8°C or below. Probe the food in the pan, not the water in the bain marie or the air in the counter, and record the readings. Keep raw and ready-to-eat food in separate, clearly labelled pans at all times.
How many gastronorm pans does a kitchen need?
Start from your equipment, then add rotation stock. Count the GN spaces you need to fill at once — oven shelves, blast chiller shelves, bain marie wells, and prep counter openings — then add pans for storage in the fridge and enough spare to cover the pans in the dishwasher at any moment. A practical rule is to buy around double the number of pans your equipment holds at once.
A typical 60-cover restaurant with a 6-grid combi, a 4-well bain marie, and a 1/3 pizza or sandwich prep top might need 12 to 16 GN 1/1 pans in various depths, 8 to 12 GN 1/2 pans, and 12 to 20 smaller fractions for garnish, plus lids for everything that goes into storage. Buying boxed packs, such as the Hamoki six-pack of GN 2/1 100mm pans at £255, usually works out cheaper per pan than single units.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a GN 1/1 gastronorm pan?
A GN 1/1 pan measures 530mm x 325mm, as defined by the EN 631 standard. It is the base module for every other size: a GN 2/1 is 650 x 530mm, a GN 1/2 is 325 x 265mm, and a GN 1/3 is 325 x 176mm. Depths range from 20mm to 200mm.
How many litres does a gastronorm pan hold?
As a guide, a stainless GN 1/1 holds about 9 litres at 65mm, 13 litres at 100mm, 20 litres at 150mm, and 28 litres at 200mm. A GN 1/2 at 65mm holds about 4 litres, and a GN 1/9 at 100mm about 1 litre. Figures vary slightly between manufacturers.
Can polycarbonate gastronorm pans go in the oven?
No. Polycarbonate pans are typically rated only up to around 100°C, so they suit cold storage, prep, display, and some hot-holding uses where the manufacturer confirms the rating. Use stainless steel pans, rated to around 300°C, for ovens, combi ovens, and steamers.
What depth of pan is best for cooling food?
Use shallow pans, ideally 65mm deep or less, and spread food in a thin layer. Deep pans hold heat at the centre and slow cooling. UK guidance is to cool cooked food as quickly as possible, ideally within 90 minutes, then refrigerate at 8°C or below.
Are all gastronorm pans interchangeable?
Pans made to EN 631 share the same external dimensions, so a GN 1/3 from one brand fits a GN 1/3 opening from another. Rim profiles and corner radii differ slightly, so lids are best bought to match the pan brand. Always check depth limits on counters and oven runners.
How much do gastronorm pans cost in the UK?
Single Combisteel stainless GN containers cost around £27 for a 1/6 65mm, £33 for a 1/2 65mm, and £57 for a 1/1 100mm. A perforated 1/1 150mm pan costs about £91. Boxed packs are cheaper per unit — for example, six Hamoki GN 1/1 stainless lids for about £66.
Where to buy gastronorm pans in the UK
Caterzone stocks stainless steel, perforated, and polycarbonate gastronorm pans in every common fraction and depth. Browse the gastronorm pans collection, or start with the Combisteel GN 1/1 100mm stainless container at £56.90, the GN 1/2 65mm container at £32.90, the perforated GN 1/1 150mm steaming pan at £90.90, and matching Hamoki GN 1/1 stainless lids in packs of six at £66.
To see where your pans will live, read our commercial bain marie guide and our refrigerated prep counter and saladette guide. For help matching pans to your ovens and counters, call Caterzone on +44 7787 069044 or email info@thecaterzone.co.uk.
