Grand Hotel
Some of these posts are getting a little lengthy, and I’m sure there will be more of that. In an effort to provide some balance, here’s a quick strike…
In photos from previous posts (and more to come), you see pictures of the big rectangular stainless steel pans I use for a variety of cooking tasks. For any of you who cook in volume (backyard barbecue, dinner parties, big Thanksgiving, etc.), these pans can be a huge help.
I think the official name for these pans is “steam table pans,” but folks in the trade generally call them “hotel pans.” They get the name because they’re central to restaurants and catering in bigger hotel operations. As a consumer, you see them most often in the hotel, restaurant, or grocery store buffet line. At the old-school hotel wedding, these suckers get dropped into the individual steam table serving trays (chafing dishes) full of Chicken Kiev, steamed veggies, baked cod, baked ziti, and so-on. But in the “back of the house,” the versatility and genius of these pans is on full display. They fit into stacking refrigerator units, multi-level steamers, mobile food warmers, giant holding racks, and all kinds of contraptions. One pan can be used to store, cook, hold, transport, and serve the same food item. They’re durable, but not heavy. They’re large, but easy to store and clean.
I own four or five of these that I’ve picked up in restaurant supply stores or yard sales over a couple of decades, and I couldn’t cook without them. They’re great for holding meat as it comes off the grill, slow cooking all manner of food types (covered air-tight with foil), and serving food for casual outdoor parties. I also do large batches of meatballs, lasagna, and that type of thing. As I mentioned, I picked up my pans randomly when the opportunity came and I’ve noticed that some of my pans are slightly heavier (perhaps more heavy duty) than others. But the light duty pans do everything the heavier ones can do, so functionally there’s no real difference. A quick look on the web suggests the gauge of the steel can vary and is generally between 18 and 25, but I couldn’t tell you what I own. They also come in a bunch of different sizes. The standard hotel pan is 20 ¾ inches x 12 ¾ inches, and 2 ½ inches deep. There are deeper models to consider and you can get smaller options with “half hotels,” “third pans,” etc.
As an aside, when I cooked professionally, we’d fill a six-inch deep hotel pan halfway with water and place it directly on the stove top across two burners. We’d then place a perforated hotel pan inside, cover the pan, and steam things in large batches. If any of you steam batches of tamales, for example, having this setup could save you loads of time.
Finally, what I also noticed in my web search was how cheap these are! It seems like you can get a high rated standard pan for less than $20. You’ll have them for life, enjoy!
