AMT Gastronorm 1/2 - 5.5cm deep

A: Division. Two half pans occupy the space of one full pan, so the same oven or counter carries two dishes instead of one. That is a menu decision rather than a capacity one.

A: Where the menu is broad and the volume per dish is modest: a la carte, hotel service, anywhere several items are held at once. Kitchens producing one dish in bulk want full pans instead.

A: Marginally. Two halves hold slightly less than one full pan because of the extra walls, and the difference is a fair trade for holding two dishes rather than one.

A: Yes. The fractional sizes are defined by the same standard as the 1/1, so they drop into the same ovens, counters, racks and holding units without adapters.

A: Because a half pan is most often used for something with sauce or liquid, particularly at service. The shallow depths make more sense at full size where the job is roasting or baking.

A: That is the point of the system. A 1/2 alongside two 1/4s, or fractions of different depths side by side, all inside the same 1/1 opening.

A: Depth, not footprint. Fractions of different depths sit at different heights, which can be awkward in a counter or under a lid. Plan the layout by depth first.

A: It increases it. Two half pans is two items to wash where a full pan was one, and that is worth raising with a customer whose warewash is already the bottleneck.

A: Those running holding counters and buffets, where the count is set by menu items rather than by production volume. They typically reorder as the menu grows.

A: Enough halves to cover the counter or hot well, plus a margin for turnaround. Counting the wells and doubling is a reasonable starting point rather than a formula.