Guides
Hotel Pan vs Gastronorm: Sizes and Fit
American kitchens say hotel pan or steam table pan. European kitchens say gastronorm or GN. They describe the same shelf of products under two different standards, and the sizes are close — close enough that buyers assume they are identical, then discover on delivery day that a set of pans rocks in the well. Here is every size in both systems, and exactly where the two diverge.
Size for size
| US name | US size | GN equivalent | GN footprint | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full size | 12" × 20" | GN 1/1 | 530 × 325 mm | Closest match of any pair — a few millimetres apart |
| Two-thirds | 12" × 13¾" | GN 2/3 | 354 × 325 mm | Common in the US, less common in Europe |
| Half size | 12" × 10" | GN 1/2 | 325 × 265 mm | Half pans differ more than full pans |
| Third size | 12" × 6⅞" | GN 1/3 | 325 × 176 mm | Workhorse size for topping rails |
| Quarter size | 10⅜" × 6½" | GN 1/4 | 265 × 162 mm | Orientation of the long side can differ |
| Sixth size | 6⅞" × 6¼" | GN 1/6 | 176 × 162 mm | Very close in practice |
| Ninth size | 6⅞" × 4¼" | GN 1/9 | 176 × 108 mm | Garnish and spice size |
US figures are nominal trade sizes and vary slightly by manufacturer. The millimetre figures are the gastronorm dimensions defined by EN 631, which are exact.
The part that catches people out
A US full-size pan is nominally 12 × 20 inches. GN 1/1 is 530 × 325 mm — about 12.8 × 20.9 inches. Those are within a few millimetres, which is why full-size pans from the two systems usually interchange without anyone noticing.
But footprint is not the only thing that decides fit. Flange width and corner radius are not standardised between the two systems, and they differ between manufacturers inside each system too. A pan can measure correctly and still sit low, rock, or bind against an adapter bar. The fractional sizes drift further apart than the full sizes do, so a half or quarter pan is more likely to give trouble than a full one.
Depths line up almost exactly
| US depth | In millimetres | GN depth | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2½" | 63.5 mm | 65 mm | The default depth in both systems |
| 4" | 101.6 mm | 100 mm | Soups, sauces, bulk holding |
| 6" | 152.4 mm | 150 mm | Storage, brining, bulk prep |
| 8" | 203.2 mm | 200 mm | Deep storage and transport |
Before you order across systems
- Specify pans to match your equipment, not the other way round
- Order one sample pan and test it in the actual well or rack before committing
- Check flange width and corner radius, not just the stated footprint
- Keep one system across the whole kitchen — mixing creates a permanent reordering problem
- Confirm the depth ladder matches, since 2½ in and 65 mm are near-identical but not the same
- Do not assume “full size” means the same thing on both sides of the Atlantic — confirm the millimetres
Why there are two systems at all
Two standards, not one standard converted
Gastronorm was set in Switzerland in the 1960s and published as EN 631, built around a single metric module of 530 by 325 mm. The American hotel pan grew out of steam table service and was sized in inches, with sanitation requirements covered separately under NSF/ANSI 2. Neither system is a translation of the other, which is why the numbers land close without ever landing on top of each other.
That near-miss is the whole problem. If the two were obviously different nobody would confuse them. Because a full-size hotel pan and a GN 1/1 sit a few millimetres apart, they photograph identically and get sold interchangeably by suppliers who have never had to drop one into the other system equipment.
Where the mismatch actually bites
Full size is the forgiving pair. The gap is small enough that a full-size hotel pan will usually sit in a GN 1/1 opening and vice versa, though it may sit slightly proud or slightly loose.
The fractions are where it goes wrong. Half and quarter sizes diverge more than full sizes do, and the long dimension can run the other way, so a pan that is nominally the same fraction sits across the well rather than along it. Adapter bars make this worse rather than better, because the bars themselves are cut to one system module and will not space correctly for the other.
The failure is rarely dramatic. A pan binds and has to be forced, or it drops too far and the flange no longer carries it, so it sinks into the well and gets hot where the operator grabs it. Both cost time on a service, and both are discovered after the container has landed.
Ordering across systems without getting caught
Specify the standard by name, not by the word full. Write GN 1/1 to EN 631, or full-size hotel pan, and put the millimetre or inch dimensions beside it. Full alone means two different things depending on which side of the quote you are standing on.
Confirm the flange dimension rather than the internal one. The flange is the part that carries the pan on the well lip and therefore the part that decides whether it fits; internal dimensions vary with wall taper and tell you nothing about fit.
Measure the opening you actually have before ordering anything. Existing equipment is the constraint, and it is the one piece of information a supplier cannot look up for you. If a site already runs one system, stay in it: mixing systems in one kitchen guarantees that somebody eventually puts the wrong pan in the wrong well during a busy service.
Order a sample before a container. One pan shipped ahead of a bulk order costs a few days and settles the question permanently.
Frequently asked questions
Are hotel pans and gastronorm pans the same thing?
They are the same idea in two standards. A US full-size hotel pan is nominally 12 by 20 inches; a European GN 1/1 is 530 by 325 millimetres, which works out to roughly 12.8 by 20.9 inches. The two are close enough that full-size pans usually drop into each other's wells, but they are not defined by the same standard and the fractional sizes diverge further.
Can I put a GN pan in a US steam table?
Usually yes for full-size, often yes for sixth-size, and with more care for half and quarter sizes. Fit is decided by the flange width and corner radius as much as the footprint, so a pan that measures correctly can still sit badly in a well built for the other standard. If you are mixing systems, test one pan in the actual equipment before ordering a full set.
Why do my pans not sit flat when I mix brands?
Almost always the flange, not the footprint. The rim width and the corner radius vary between manufacturers and between the two standards, so pans with identical stated dimensions can rest at slightly different heights or bind in an adapter bar. This is the single most common cause of pans that rock, gap or trap heat in a well.
Do the depths match between the two systems?
Almost exactly. The US 2½ inch depth is 63.5 mm against a 65 mm gastronorm pan, 4 inches is 101.6 mm against 100 mm, and 6 inches is 152.4 mm against 150 mm. Depth is rarely the thing that stops a pan fitting — the footprint and flange are.
Which system should I specify for a new kitchen?
Follow the equipment, not the pans. Specify whichever standard your ovens, wells and racks are built to, then buy all pans to that standard. Mixing systems in one kitchen creates a permanent low-level problem that gets worse every time somebody reorders.
Are hotel pans and gastronorm pans the same thing?
No. They are two separate standards that happen to land close together. Gastronorm is the European EN 631 system built on a 530 by 325 mm module; the hotel pan is the American steam table system sized in inches. Full sizes sit a few millimetres apart and will usually interchange; the fractions diverge more and can run the opposite way round in the well.
What size is a full-size hotel pan?
A full-size hotel pan is nominally 12 by 20 inches at the flange. The closest gastronorm equivalent is GN 1/1 at 530 by 325 mm, which is roughly 20.9 by 12.8 inches. Close enough to look identical in a photograph, different enough to bind or sit loose in the wrong well.
Will a GN pan fit an American steam table?
A GN 1/1 will usually sit in a full-size steam table opening, though it may sit slightly proud or slightly loose. Fractional sizes are far less reliable, and adapter bars cut to one system will not space correctly for the other. Measure the opening before ordering rather than assuming.
How do I avoid ordering the wrong system?
Name the standard rather than the word full. Write GN 1/1 to EN 631, or full-size hotel pan, and put the dimensions beside it. Confirm the flange dimension rather than the internal one, because the flange is what carries the pan on the well lip, and order a single sample before committing to a container.
Gastronorm pans from COMMI
COMMI manufactures gastronorm-format pans in stainless steel and PESU high-heat polymer. Send us the equipment you need them to fit and we will confirm the format before you order.