If you are in the food service business, using the correct commercial restaurant equipment for different applications is important. This goes double for prep stations and tables. A prep table, or prep station, makes food preparation fast, safe, and convenient. Many options are available, so choosing the right one for your needs can be somewhat daunting. Our prep station guide will help you with points to consider when buying a prep station or prep table.
Commercial kitchens differ depending on the type of food service. A pizzeria prep table station might not be right for a deli or a seafood restaurant. First you must decide which style of prep surface is best. We will divide prep stations into the following four types:
SANDWICH PREP STATIONS – for sandwiches or salads. Featuring a refrigerated well on top, which is for storing steel or plastic food pans for various prep ingredients, usually with hinged covers as well. The prep table top has an approximately 10-inch deep plastic cutting board for making salads or sandwiches. Underneath the table re usually drawers, or doors and shelves, for extra storage. Sandwich prep tables are usually found in convenience stores, food trucks, delis, and sandwich shops.
PIZZA PREP STATIONS – Commercial pizza prep stations and tables are designed for, you guessed it, making pizzas. Featuring a refrigerated top with ingredient storage compartments for cheeses, toppings, and sauces. Pizza prep tables cutting boards are commonly somewhere around 19-24 inches wide. The table has additional storage compartments below, for storing ingredients and dough. Pizza prep station tables provide an efficient area for your pizza prep, so you can focus on creating the best pizza!
MEGA-TOP PREP STATIONS – A mega-top prep station table is similar to a sandwich prep table, but has a large refrigerated well on top. This section is larger on mega-tops than on regular sandwich tables. The large well provides a storage area for more food pans. The top of the table also features a cutting board surface. The depth of the cutting boards are about the same on mega-top stations as they are on sandwich prep stations. Underneath a mega-top prep table are doors / drawers for more storage. This area is for keeping extra food and pans handy. Mega-top prep tables are usually found in large commercial kitchens with many different menu choices.
COUNTERTOP PREP STATIONS – Countertop prep stations are just as they sound. They are designed to be placed on a table, counter, or some other raised surface. Countertop stations are smaller than commercial prep tables. This type of prep station is mostly used in kitchens with confined spaces, or as an additional area for specialized food preparation tasks such as cutting breads or preparing desserts.
Refrigerated prep stations are can be used for preparing sandwiches, salads, and small cold appetizers, or even holding dessert toppings. Countertop prep stations are perfect for food trucks, cafes, or food service businesses that need portable or compact food preparation spaces.
We hope you enjoyed our prep station guide. If your prep station cutting boards or refrigeration cutting boards need replacement, and they eventually will, you can order an NSF certified sanitary, custom cut and finished replacement cutting board from cuttingboardwerks.com right now! Cutting surface replacement made easy, fast and affordable!
