These practical kitchen utensils are usually made of stainless steel or plastic. Which material is preferable depends on the type of food to be stored or transported, the required temperature resistance or the weight requirements.

Stainless steel containers are particularly robust and durable, so their higher purchase price pays off over time. Thanks to their high-quality appearance, they are also ideal for use outside the kitchen, for example for food presentation.

Further advantages:

What to consider:

Gastronorm plastic containers, on the other hand, are real lightweights. This improves handling, for example when catering for large events. The transparent design allows a clear view of the contents even when closed.

Further advantages:

What to consider:

The amazing variety of GN containers does not end with the different sizes and materials. There are also four basic variants, in addition to the standard version:

They make it much easier to remove and carry heavy or hot contents, and even allow two containers to be moved at the same time without tipping over.

The perforations in the Gastronorm containers ensure, among other things, shorter cooking times in the combi-steamer and faster cooling after use.

Perforated Gastronorm containers are also a practical aid when draining food.

Depending on the depth, they are available with bottom perforation or with bottom perforation plus side wall perforation.

They are used when food needs to be presented attractively, for example at a cooking station or buffet.

The particularly robust, specially annealed version is also ideal for use in combi-steamers.

Do you want everything to be nice and crispy when roasting and baking? Then granite-enamelled GN trays with a black surface are the perfect choice.

They are real classics in the kitchen, preventing food from drying out due to air ingress as well as spoiling due to moisture. Thanks to a recessed grip with a handle bar, lids can be lifted and closed again without the risk of burns or injury.

Special shapes with a spoon recess or hinge are suitable for serving food, for example, while particularly flat lids without a recessed grip are ideal for Cook & Chill.

Finally, there are also lids with a seal. They are a blessing for catering service providers, who can use them to transport soups or sauces to the event venue with ease.

You could call them the little siblings of the perforated GN containers: Cooking inserts also have holes, but are slightly smaller than Gastronorm containers so that they can be easily inserted into them. This turns a normal container into a practical kitchen tool for cooking and blanching vegetables in the combi-steamer or for draining food.

At the end of this episode, we take a look at the accessories for Gastronorm containers - sometimes inconspicuous additions that prove all the more useful in the everyday life of a professional kitchen.