Stainless steel industrial catering trays popular on the market today

An industrial catering meal tray is a tray made from purpose-made stainless steel with high durability, divided into separate compartments to hold different kinds of food. The arrival of the meal tray brought great convenience, since food is portioned by tray, reducing the labor needed for washing dishes. Instead of using many bowls and plates to hold food, a single meal tray is enough, with everything divided evenly according to the prescribed portions.

Stainless steel meal trays are commonly used in rice eateries and in the canteens of schools, companies and factories, among others. This product makes it easy and convenient for users to carry meals to other locations.

STAVI always relies on 304 stainless steel industrial catering trays

There are currently many types of food trays on the market in a wide range of styles and designs, usually divided into 4 to 6 compartments to suit each user's needs. In addition, some stainless steel meal trays are designed with a plastic lid for easier use and transport.

A 304 stainless steel tray is made from rust-proof stainless steel that is highly durable and safe for users; it is one of the most common materials used in manufacturing industrial kitchen equipment. This type of tray is very hygienic thanks to its corrosion resistance and antibacterial properties, and it does not rust after long use, making it very good for the user's health. Moreover, stainless steel trays can hold hot food without any risk of melting plastic or microplastic contamination.

Image: Convenient industrial catering tray with lid

In addition, 304 stainless steel meal trays have a shiny, clean appearance and are quite reasonably priced compared with other trays, so both domestic and foreign companies and factories equip their kitchens with industrial catering meal trays of this kind. The same is true in schools, which provide stainless steel meal trays for primary, secondary and high school students to ensure food safety and hygiene, giving students a healthy foundation for their studies.

Let's look at simple ways to identify a 304 stainless steel industrial catering tray

Because 304 stainless steel industrial catering trays cost considerably more than other stainless steel trays, many distributors today still blatantly swap them, labeling trays as 304 stainless steel when they are actually 201 or 430 stainless steel, in order to boost profits.

1. Identifying a 304 stainless steel industrial catering tray with a magnet

To tell whether a tray is 304 stainless steel, you can use a magnet, because 304 stainless steel is non-magnetic and will not attract a magnet. You can rely on this characteristic when buying or inspecting goods by testing an ordinary stainless steel tray and a magnet against each other on the spot.

Non-304 stainless steel trays, such as 201 stainless steel trays, will still respond magnetically; when a magnet is placed between 2 trays, one of 304 stainless steel and one of 201 stainless steel, the magnet tends to be drawn toward the 201 stainless steel.

Image: Identifying a 304 stainless steel industrial catering tray

2. Identifying a 304 stainless steel industrial catering tray with concentrated acid

The acid test is the most accurate of the methods described here. For this test you need a bottle of concentrated acid, either H2SO4 or HCl

• Put a drop of acid on the surface of a 304 stainless steel tray and usually there will be no chemical reaction at all, or only a gray mark exactly where the acid was dropped.

• If you drop acid on the surface of ordinary stainless steel (201 or 430), white bubbling will appear as soon as the acid touches the surface, or the spot touched by the acid will turn brick red.

3. Identifying a 304 stainless steel industrial catering tray by the sparks when cutting the steel (for reference)

This method is usually used by more specialized units for industrial testing, not by customers buying household items, who would not cut them open to test.

• When a cutting machine is used on 304 stainless steel, the blade passing through the steel produces bright, pale yellow sparks

• Ordinary stainless steel such as 201, when cut, produces dark, reddish-yellow sparks from the friction.

So how many compartments do 304 stainless steel industrial catering trays have?

304 stainless steel industrial catering trays are very popular today because they have multiple compartments and lids, which are very convenient and hygienic and meet users' needs. There are 3 popular types of 304 stainless steel industrial catering tray:

1. 4-compartment meal tray

This meal tray has an attractive design with 4 plain compartments, and its compact size of 280 x 220 x 20 mm reduces the space taken up on the dining table. 

Image: 4-compartment industrial catering tray

The stainless steel meal tray has a clear white plastic lid; the lid is an indispensable part of the tray, keeping the meal warm and protecting it from dust in the surrounding environment. It makes transporting the meal to the place where it will be eaten easy. Since the lid is plastic, it is very light and compact, which is convenient for the kitchen's organizing work.

2. 5-compartment meal tray

This stainless steel meal tray has a modern design that is attractive and extremely compact. The trays are deep-pressed into small compartments, which both hold a standard amount of food and save space on the dining table. The 5-compartment stainless steel tray also comes with a sealed plastic lid, which adds to its appearance while keeping food warm, keeping out dust and insects, and making it easy to carry over long distances.

Image: 5-compartment industrial catering tray

The stainless steel tray lid is 0.8mm thick, measures 290x230x45(mm) and is highly rigid, so it can conveniently be used as a serving tray. The deep 5-compartment stainless steel meal tray has a separate soup compartment, so there is no need for an extra soup bowl as with other ordinary stainless steel trays.

3. 6-compartment meal tray

The 6-compartment 304 stainless steel meal tray is suitable for rice eateries, boxed meals, office lunches and more. Convenient and clean, the 304 stainless steel keeps your tray shining. At 355x278x33(mm), it is much larger than the 4-compartment and 5-compartment trays, letting you portion out more dishes and present them more attractively.

Image: 6-compartment industrial catering tray

The tray is durable for long-term use and does not rust or oxidize, making it easy to clean and dry after each use. The rim of the tray is pressed smooth and rounded, making it easier to carry and hold without sharp edges that could hurt the user. Another advantage is that the pressed-rim tray can easily be fixed onto dedicated meal trolleys. To keep dust and insects out of the meal tray, a lid can be used for storage.

Why STAVI relies on stainless steel industrial catering trays rather than plastic trays

Whether to use stainless steel or plastic industrial catering trays partly depends on the needs of the users. To answer this question more clearly, STAVI will point out a few features so you can clearly see the advantages and disadvantages of these 2 types of tray:

1. Plastic industrial catering trays

Advantages:

• Plastic meal trays are moderately priced and within the means of many customer groups. This saves the buyer a great deal of cost when purchasing in large quantities.

• Plastic meal trays often come in many colors and eye-catching designs, so they are suitable for use in families with young children or in kindergartens and primary schools.

• They are usually lightweight and conduct little heat, making them easier to carry and ensuring the user's safety when holding hot food, especially for young children.

Image: Plastic industrial catering tray 

Disadvantages:

• Their durability is not high, so they crack, break or warp easily when dropped.

• This type of tray is also difficult to use in the kitchen because it cannot withstand high temperatures.

• In recent times, many people have also been concerned that low-quality plastic used to hold hot food may affect the user's health.

2. Stainless steel industrial catering trays

Advantages:

• Stainless steel meal trays are highly durable and rarely crack, break or get damaged if accidentally dropped. Even if a corner or edge gets dented, the tray can still be put to continued use.

• Stainless steel meal trays are also used more in kitchens because they are hardly affected by high temperatures.

• The market generally rates stainless steel meal trays highly because most of them are made from rust-proof stainless steel that is 100% non-magnetic. Thanks to the characteristics of this material, they are neither toxic nor harmful to human health during use.

Disadvantages:

• Because they are made of stainless steel, designing shapes or decorations for the meal tray is often difficult. As a result, they are basically still just formed into small compartments to hold rice and food.

• Many families are also less likely to choose stainless steel meal trays because they can conduct heat when holding hot food, leading to unfortunate accidents for young children.

• Stainless steel trays cost 1/3 to 1/2 more than trays made of plastic.

We hope the useful information above has helped you choose a meal tray that suits your needs. Stainless steel industrial catering trays are currently sold widely on the market, both retail and wholesale. However, finding a top reputable wholesale and retail seller is not exactly easy. "CONTACT US" for advice and answers to all your questions.

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