Aluminum Foil Pan Sizes: Dimensions and Capacities

Every disposable foil pan size by family, what each one holds, which lid and chafing rack fits it, and how it handles the oven

Aluminum foil pans come in three families: steam table pans that follow the same full, half and third sizes as metal hotel pans; bakery pans for loaves, pies, tarts and cakes; and to-go containers in round, oblong and compartment shapes. A full-size foil steam table pan measures about 20-3/4 by 12-3/4 inches at the rim and holds 7 to 11 quarts depending on depth; a half pan is about 12-3/4 by 10-3/8 inches and holds 2-1/2 to 6 quarts. The charts below give every size on our listings with its dimensions, depth and capacity.

Foil Steam Table Pan Sizes

Foil steam table pans are built to the hotel pan footprint, so a full-size foil pan drops into the same steam table well, chafing rack or holding cabinet as a full-size metal pan, and two halves or three thirds fill the same opening.

Rim dimensions and depths come from the lines on our listings that publish them, and the fluid-ounce capacities from the lines that publish those; both families share the same rim sizes. Capacities are measured to the rim, and a pan in service is filled to about an inch below it so it travels and lifts without spilling.

Depth names are not standard across makers. One line on our listings sells shallow, medium, deep and extra-deep half pans at 84, 107, 128 and 195 fluid ounces; another calls its 2-5/8 inch half pan its deep pan. Buy by the depth in inches and the fluid ounces, not by the word.

The rim is what fits the rack. Like metal hotel pans, a foil pan hangs by its rim in a steam table well or wire rack. The 20-3/4 by 12-3/4 inch rim on a full-size foil pan matches the roughly 12-3/4 by 20-3/4 inch rim of a full-size metal pan, which is why foil pans and chafing racks are built to the same numbers. Our hotel pan sizes chart explains the nominal 12 x 20 system behind both.

Quarts to portions. A full-size deep pan at 343 fluid ounces holds about 85 four-ounce portions filled to the rim, or about 70 at a practical fill. A half-size medium pan at 107 fluid ounces holds about 26 four-ounce portions, closer to 20 in service.

Loaf, Pie, Tart and Cake Pan Sizes

Bakery foil pans are sized by the weight of the loaf or the diameter of the pie, and the depth sets what the pan can hold.

Pie pans come in two depths. A medium pie pan is about an inch deep and a deep pie pan runs 1-1/8 to 1-1/4 inches, which is the difference between a fruit pie that holds its filling and one that boils over. The 9-5/8 inch deep pan is the largest on our listings.

Loaf pans are sold by weight, not inches. A 1 lb loaf pan is the small bread or meatloaf size, the 1-1/2 lb is the standard loaf, and the 2-1/4 lb is the wide pan for a double batch or a banana bread that rises high. The weight is the maker's rating for the finished loaf, so match it to your recipe's yield.

Sheet cake pans come with a lid in mind. The square cake pans on our listings pair with a plastic dome lid of the same footprint, which is what turns a baked cake into a sellable one. Our cake and bakery boxes are the alternative where the cake comes out of the pan first.

Round and Oblong To-Go Container Sizes

Foil to-go containers are the pans that leave the building: round pans for pasta, rice and entrees, oblong pans sized by weight, and compartment pans that keep sides apart.

Weight ratings describe the pan, not the portion. A 2 lb oblong pan is rated to carry two pounds of food, which for most entrees is two generous servings. The 4 lb and 5 lb pans are the catering sizes for a family order or a small office drop.

Smooth-wall pans double as serving dishes. The smooth-wall containers on our listings are described as strong enough to transform from pan to serving dish, with a snap-on dome lid that seals without crimping. They look better on a table than a crimped-rim pan.

Compartment pans keep the gravy off the pie. Two- and three-compartment pans hold a sandwich and a side, or an entree and two sides, in one container. They are the foil answer to the molded takeout containers and go in the oven where those do not.

Lids and Chafing Racks: What Fits What

Match the lid to the pan's maker and rim. Foil lids are sized to a specific pan rim and crimp over it; a lid listing names the pans it fits. A board lid is a foil-laminated card that drops into the rim and holds under a crimp, a flat foil lid crimps all the way around, and a plastic dome gives headroom for a mounded entree or a frosted cake. Full-curl lids match full-curl pans, where the rim is rolled under so there is no cut edge to catch a hand.

A chafing rack takes a full pan under and halves on top. The wire chafing stands on our listings hold one 2-inch-deep full-size pan as the water pan, with supports for two fuel cans underneath. The food sits in a full pan or two half pans above the water pan, and a buffet kit on our listings bundles exactly that: one full-size water pan, two half-size food pans, two cans of fuel and the serving spoon and fork. A full-size wire stand runs about 22-3/4 inches wide, 12-1/4 inches deep and 9 inches tall. The disposable chafing dishes and stands carry the racks and kits, and chafing fuel runs them; the chafing dish guide covers the metal chafers that take the same pans.

Use the medium pan for water. The wire stands on our listings are built around a 2-inch-deep full-size pan, so the medium full pan is the one to buy as the water pan; a deep 3-3/8 inch pan is a tighter fit. Fill it with hot water to about 2 inches, as the chafing dish guide advises, then set the food pans in.

Oven, Freezer, Steam Table and Microwave

Foil pans go in the oven. The to-go containers on our listings are described as going from freezer to oven, and one line names a limit of 450°F for oven use. Foil pans bake, roast and reheat; they do not go under a broiler or on a direct flame, and a full pan of liquid needs a sheet pan underneath so it can be carried without flexing.

They go in the freezer and the steam table too. Foil takes cold without cracking, which is why a pan can be filled, frozen, labeled and baked without a transfer. On a steam table or in a chafing rack, a foil pan does the same job as a metal pan for the length of one service; a foil pan does not survive a second trip through the dish machine. Food in a foil pan on a buffet still has to hold at 135°F or above, which is a probe check; our food thermometer guide covers it.

Never in the microwave. Foil is metal. A foil pan in a microwave arcs and can damage the oven, so a to-go container that a customer will reheat at home goes out with that warning, or goes out in a molded container instead.

Acidic foods and salt mark the foil. Tomato sauce, citrus, vinegar and heavily salted food held for hours can pit the inside of a foil pan and pick up a metallic taste. Line the pan with parchment, or move acidic dishes to a molded container for long holds.

Heavy-duty pans for heavy food. Several lines on our listings are sold as heavy duty for heavier items, and the smooth-wall pans as super-strong. Lasagna, mac and cheese and a full pan of ribs want the heavier gauge; a loaf of bread or a dozen rolls does not.

How Many Pans a Catering Job Needs

Count by the pan, not the guest. Decide the portion in ounces, multiply by the head count, and divide by the practical capacity of the pan you will serve from, about four-fifths of the rim figure: about 275 fluid ounces for a full-size deep pan, about 185 for a full-size medium, about 85 for a half-size medium. Round up, then add a pan for the ride.

One water pan per chafing rack, plus food pans. Every wire stand needs its own full-size water pan, and the food pans sit above it in whatever combination fills the opening: one full, two halves, or three thirds.

Lids for every pan that travels. Foil lids are sold separately from the pans in most lines, in cases of 50 to 200, so a case of pans needs a case of lids with it. Some to-go lines on our listings are sold with the lid in the case and say so in the title.

Keep the sizes to three. A kitchen that stocks full-size deep, half-size medium and one oblong to-go size can plate almost any order, and the lid stock stays simple. Add third pans when the buffet needs more items than space, and loaf and pie pans only where the bakery program calls for them.

Label before it leaves. A foil pan with no label is a mystery in the walk-in by tomorrow. Our food date labeling guide covers what goes on it.

Shop Aluminum Foil Pans

Stock full-size deep, half-size medium and one oblong to-go size, with a case of lids for each, and add the rest as the menu asks. Our aluminum foil pans and lids cover steam table, loaf, pie, round and to-go sizes with their lids, the disposable chafing dishes and stands hold them on a buffet, and aluminum foil wrap covers the pan that has no lid.

Related Guides & Resources

• Hotel Pan Sizes: Dimensions, Depths & Capacity Charts - The metal 12 x 20 system that foil steam table pans copy.
• Chafing Dish Guide - Chafer sizes, fuel and serving math for the pans above.
• Eco-Friendly Food Packaging Guide - Where recyclable foil sits among the other takeout materials.
• Food Date Labeling Guide - The label on every pan that goes into the walk-in.

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