Guides
PESU vs Polycarbonate vs Polypropylene Food Pans
The material of a food pan decides where it can be used and how long it survives. PESU (polyethersulfone) is the high-heat polymer used where polycarbonate pans fail: steam tables, hot holding and thousands of commercial dishwasher cycles. Here is how the three common polymers — and stainless steel — actually compare, based on published material data.
Material comparison
| Material | Heat tolerance | Commercial dishwasher | Visibility | Cost profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PESU (polyethersulfone) | Typically rated for continuous use around 180 °C and freezer temperatures — covers ovens (below rating), steam tables, combi holding and blast chilling | Excellent — engineered for thousands of commercial dishwasher cycles without crazing | Transparent with a characteristic amber tint — contents visible | Highest of the three plastics; lifetime cost is low because pans rarely need replacing |
| Polycarbonate (PC) | Usually rated to about 100 °C — NOT suitable for steam tables or hot holding at temperature | Weak point — repeated commercial dishwashing causes clouding, crazing and cracking | Very clear when new | Low purchase price; frequent replacement in hot/dishwasher-heavy use |
| Polypropylene (PP) | Usually rated to roughly 120 °C; handles microwaves but not sustained steam-table service | Good chemical resistance; can warp at high wash temperatures over time | Translucent — contents partly visible | Lowest purchase price |
| Stainless steel | Effectively unlimited for foodservice temperatures | Excellent | Opaque — labels or lids needed to identify contents | Moderate; heavy and noisy compared with polymer pans |
Temperature figures are typical published values for the material class (resin-manufacturer data). Always confirm the rated limits stated for the specific pan you purchase.
Which pan for which job
PESU (polyethersulfone)
Hot holding, steam tables, high-turnover QSR lines, anywhere PC pans keep failing
Polycarbonate (PC)
Cold prep, cold storage, salad bars, display
Polypropylene (PP)
Cold storage, dry ingredients, budget-driven cold applications
Stainless steel
Cooking, baking, maximum-durability holding where visibility is not needed
What buyers should check
- The stated continuous-use temperature — not just a one-off peak figure
- Whether the pan is rated for commercial (not household) dishwashers
- Food-contact compliance documentation for your market
- True gastronorm footprint so pans interchange in your wells and racks
- Avoid clear polycarbonate for steam tables or hot holding — the temperature rating is the reason those pans fail early
What actually destroys a plastic food pan
It is rarely heat on its own
Pans seldom fail because someone exceeded a temperature rating once. They fail from the combination that a commercial kitchen applies every single day: heat, alkaline detergent and mechanical stress arriving together, cycle after cycle.
Commercial dishwasher detergent is strongly alkaline by design, because that is what removes fat. Polycarbonate is vulnerable to exactly that chemistry, and the damage compounds. The first sign is a faint haze, then fine crazing that catches the light, then cracks that start at the stress concentrations: the corners and the underside of the flange, which is where the pan is carried and levered.
A pan that looks cloudy is not merely unattractive. Crazed surfaces hold soil in cracks too fine to scrub and are the reason a visibly clean pan can still fail a hygiene swab.
Reading a temperature rating properly
A material rating is a continuous-use figure, not a survival figure. A pan rated to about 100 degrees will tolerate brief contact above that and fail steadily if held there.
Steam table service is continuous by definition. A well running at 85 degrees is applying that temperature for the length of every service, every day, and it is that duty cycle rather than any single peak that separates a material suited to hot holding from one that is not.
This is the distinction that decides the specification. Cold prep, cold storage, salad and display are undemanding and the cheaper materials are entirely correct there. Hot holding is the opposite, and it is where the cheap choice turns into a recurring purchase.
Cost per year, not cost per pan
The purchase price comparison is the wrong comparison on a hot line. A low-cost pan replaced two or three times a year against a high-cost pan that lasts several years inverts the ranking quickly, before counting the staff time spent identifying failed pans, pulling them from service and reordering.
The way to settle it is to look at what your kitchen is already doing. If pans on the cold side last for years and pans on the hot line are being replaced on a schedule, the materials are simply in the wrong places, and moving the specification rather than the budget is what fixes it.
Frequently asked questions
Why do polycarbonate pans crack in commercial kitchens?
Polycarbonate is attacked by the hot water, alkaline detergents and rinse aids used in commercial dishwashers. Repeated cycles cause micro-crazing that turns into clouding and cracks — the most common failure mode for clear PC pans in high-volume kitchens.
Is PESU worth the higher price over polycarbonate?
For hot holding and heavy dishwasher use, usually yes. PESU's higher continuous-use temperature and dishwasher resistance mean one PESU pan typically outlives several PC replacements, so cost per year of service is often lower despite the higher purchase price.
Can PESU pans go from freezer to steam table?
PESU as a material tolerates both freezer temperatures and steam-table heat within its rated range. Always follow the specific pan manufacturer's stated temperature limits for the exact product you buy.
Do PESU pans fit standard gastronorm openings?
Yes. PESU pans are made in standard gastronorm footprints (GN 1/1, 1/2, 1/3 and so on) and interchange with stainless or PC pans in the same wells, racks and adapters. See our GN pan size guide for every dimension.
Can polycarbonate food pans go in a steam table?
No. Polycarbonate is usually rated to around 100 degrees Celsius, and steam table service applies its temperature continuously for the length of every service. That duty cycle, combined with alkaline dishwasher detergent, is what causes the clouding and crazing that ends polycarbonate pans early on a hot line.
What is the best material for hot holding pans?
Stainless steel where visibility does not matter, and PESU where it does. PESU is rated for continuous use around 180 degrees Celsius and is engineered for repeated commercial dishwasher cycles, which is the combination hot holding actually demands.
Why do my clear food pans keep cracking?
Almost always the combination of heat, alkaline detergent and mechanical stress rather than heat alone. Damage starts as haze, becomes fine crazing, then cracks at the stress concentrations - the corners and the underside of the flange where the pan is carried and levered.
Is a crazed or cloudy pan still safe to use?
It should be replaced. Crazed surfaces hold soil in cracks too fine to scrub, which is why a pan that looks clean can still fail a hygiene swab. Cloudiness on a plastic pan is a condition indicator, not a cosmetic one.
COMMI PESU high-heat pans
COMMI manufactures PESU high-heat pans in standard gastronorm formats — single-handle, double-handle, perforated drainers and fryer pans.