Smallwares · Tool
Feed the room — count the pans.
Guests and portions in; pans, chafers, and utensils out. The standard fractional-pan chart and the published per-person portion ranges, with the arithmetic done for you.
Pans for this item
Run each menu item through separately, then add one spare pan per item for the swap. Your smallwares list comes off this math — pans, lids, chafers, utensils.
The pan chart · quarts at 2½″ / 4″ / 6″
The fractional system: every size is a fraction of the 12¾ × 20¾ full pan, and mixed fractions tile a chafer or a steam table exactly.
Published portions per guest
Buffet portions run above plated portions — guests serve themselves. Use the high end for single-entrée menus, the low end when three or more mains share the line.
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Asked every week.
How many hotel pans do I need for 100 guests?
Multiply guests by the portion in ounces, then divide by what a pan actually serves. A full-size pan at 4 inches deep holds about 15 quarts — roughly 400 usable ounces at a realistic 85% fill. So 100 guests at 5 ounces is 500 ounces: two full pans, plus a spare for the swap. Deeper pans hold more but serve worse for delicate items.
How much food per person for a buffet?
Published per-person planning ranges: 6 to 8 ounces of cooked roast or brisket, 5 to 8 ounces of pulled pork, 4 to 6 ounces of chicken, 6 to 8 ounces of salmon, 4 to 5 ounces of pasta or grain sides, and 3 to 4 ounces of vegetable sides. Portions climb when the menu is short and fall when many items share the line.
What sizes do steam table pans come in?
Everything is a fraction of the full pan, 12¾ by 20¾ inches: two-thirds, half, third, quarter, sixth, and ninth sizes, in standard depths of 2½, 4, and 6 inches. A full pan at 4 inches holds about 15 quarts; a half pan at the same depth holds 7.
How many chafers and utensils?
One chafer per full pan on the line, one serving utensil per pan plus half again as spares, and a spare pan per menu item so a fresh drop can replace the working pan without stalling the line.
A tool gets you close. A person gets it right.
Every number here is a starting point, not a quote. Your Zink specialist runs these questions for a living — and checking your math costs you nothing.