Prep Tables Pizza Salad Sandwich Maintenance & Repair Guide

The variety of prep tables brands, designs, options, and technologies available overwhelm owners to make informed purchasing decisions tailored toward improving operational efficiencies.

Fortunately, our HVAC experts developed this straightforward guide aims to offer sufficient information to help strike a balance between budget considerations, optimizing food assembly efficiency, addressing repairs, and ensuring proper maintenance for the long-term durability of your equipment

Prep tables are a significant topic in our series on commercial refrigeration HVACR Repair & Tune Up Tips

According to FDA regulations, it's essential to keep stored food below 41°F to ensure its safety. Commercial prep tables follow the guidelines set by NSF Standard 7, which requires maintaining temperatures between 33°F and 41°F , even in an environment with an ambient temperature of around 85°F . This standard also emphasizes the need to ensure that pizza prep table pans holding toppings and sandwich prep pans filled with food maintain temperatures below the critical threshold of 41°F to prevent any safety concerns.

Best Temperatures for Commercial Prep Tables

Achieving These Standards

Maintaining these temperatures might seem challenging, but it's entirely achievable with the right approach:

• Observe Major Chains: Major food service chains maintain high standards for refrigeration. Their success isn't just due to larger budgets but also to:
  • Well-thought-out purchasing choices
  • Comprehensive preventive maintenance regimens
  • Effective training for managers and staff
• Preventive Maintenance:
  • Regular checks and maintenance are crucial.
  • Ensure that all equipment is functioning correctly to prevent temperature fluctuations.
• Training:
  • Train staff to understand the importance of maintaining these temperatures.
  • Ensure they know how to operate and monitor the equipment properly.
• Equipment Life Expectancy:
  • Even major chains stick to a strict repair budget.
  • Proper maintenance can extend equipment life, ensuring consistent performance.

Key Takeaway: Adhering to these practices ensures that your prep tables maintain the correct temperatures, thus keeping food safe and extending its shelf life. This isn't just a luxury for large chains—it's a necessity for any establishment aiming to meet health standards and provide high-quality food.

Prevent Costly Repairs: Prep Table Tips

• Cover your food: Store all acidic items, such as cut onions, pickles, and tomatoes, in sealable containers to prevent corrosion and ultimately refrigerant leak in the evaporator coil. Wipe up all acidic spills immediately. Keep them uncovered and you will regret it.
• Keep Condensing unit properly ventilated: Your prep table needs breathing.
• Gaskets cleaning: Prevents mold & mildew growth as well as retains gasket elasticity. Water and mild soap are best (Handsoap would do it, avoid full-strength & citrus-based cleaning products, this causes them to become brittle and crack). Never use sharp tools or knives to scrape or clean the gasket. Gaskets can be easily replaced and do not require the use of tools or an authorized service person. When you replace get OEMs
• Self-closing spring-loaded hinged doors: This prevents warm air infiltration and keeps your fridge a lower temperature and prevents ice formation on the evaporator, a frozen coil will prevent box from cooling.  
• Cover rails or well: using lids or hood when not busy or not in use CLOSE the hood. 
• Properly seat the rails/ pans: This keeps cold air circulation as designed within the well region and reduces unnecessary heat exchange with the ambient.
• Condenser Coil Cleaning: Periodically - we discussed this many times
• No power strips or extension cords: Period.
• Properly sized power outlet: If your countertop trips a breaker, check if the circuit breaker is 15A and if you have a microwave on the same circuit. 
• Read the Manual: User manual and manufacturer maintenance suggestion.
• Read the warranty and register your product with the manufacturer
• Take a photo of the model and serial number: Many times nameplates are either not accessible, faded away, or scratched off during cleaning or moving things around. 
• Keep prep table and repair/service log.
• Keep your prep table away from direct exposure to the sun.

Contrary to what many might think, following the tips on the prep table list isn't as tricky as it might seem.

However, when it comes to finding an emergency repair technician on a Friday night, that's a challenge in itself. And trying to locate the right parts over the weekend? That's nearly impossible.

It's a known fact that not all prep table brands and designs are created equal.

Some brands stand out with their sturdiness, excellent insulation, and ability to maintain the required temperature. Take, for example, brands that offer exceptional warranty programs. In cases like a prep table freon leak, if your unit is still under warranty, brands like True will go the extra mile. Even if your "compressor is fine," they'll cover the cost of repairing the leak and provide a new compressor. This meticulous approach is because a leak could potentially reduce lubricant oil, posing a risk of compressor overheating. This warranty policy is truly one of the best in the industry.

Alright, let's get straight to the point. We're going to divide prep tables into three main categories and dive into the details of each:

• Under Counter
• Pizza Prep Table
• Salad / Sandwich Prep Table 

Under Counter Prep Table

These versatile units offer a flat top and fit snugly beneath countertops. The countertop space serves as a seamless area for food preparation, streamlining your kitchen's workflow.

What's great is the flexibility of adjustable shelving, allowing you to tailor the storage area to accommodate items of varying sizes. Ensuring precise control over temperature and humidity is essential for maintaining the quality and safety of your stored ingredients.

For those mindful of budgets, brands like Beverage Air, Everest, Valpro, and Avantco are popular choices. With proper installation, Tune Up, and usage, these units can be quite effective. As you make your decision, consider the overall cost of ownership, understand the warranty terms, and remember to register your product.

When exploring options, look for models that emphasize efficient insulation and energy-saving features. Not only will this help trim operating expenses, but it will also contribute to your efforts in minimizing your environmental footprint.

Salad / Sandwich Prep Table 

Sandwich and salad prep tables are specifically designed to provide convenience in commercial kitchens. These tables feature a refrigerated well that sits flush with the table's surface. Depending on the layout, these wells can accommodate various sizes of pans, allowing for flexible pan configurations. These prep tables also come with a practical working area that includes a food-grade cutting board, typically ranging from 8 to 12 inches in width.

To enhance cooling capacity and overall productivity, manufacturers have introduced larger options like big and mega-top prep tables. These models feature three rows of pans and deeper wells. Many of these designs utilize cold air from the base area, directing it around the pans to maintain optimal temperatures.

One notable innovator in this field is Delfield Refrigeration, which offers a unique design with separate cooling systems for the pans and the base area. This design empowers operators to set rail temperatures independently, providing better control. It's worth noting that due to its advanced features, Delfield prep table repairs may require specialized attention.

In our experience, sandwich prep tables often demand more frequent care, particularly cleaning the condensing coils. These coils tend to accumulate debris from factors like fry oil, airborne lint, flour, and even tiny breadcrumb particles. This buildup can occur up to four times a year, making regular maintenance essential for optimal performance.

Pizza Stations basics maintenance

Pizza prep tables are designed for speedy toppings arrangement. They feature raised rails, often angled, to facilitate easy grabbing of ingredients. The central well typically consists of a row that can be further divided into smaller subcompartments for organization.

Several reputable brands offer outstanding products and services, including Continental Refrigeration, Traulsen, and Hoshizaki. When choosing a pizza prep table for fast-paced tasks like pizza-making, consider factors like pizza production efficiency, the proximity to the pizza oven's heat, and insulation performance. Keep in mind that units with advanced features, like glycol-based systems, might be more challenging to repair.

While there's a common belief that flour-rich environments, like pizza stations, require more frequent condensing coil cleaning, this isn't entirely accurate. Airborne flour particles in the pizza-making area tend to dry up due to nearby pizza ovens. It's a good practice to clean the coils twice a year. Additionally, a quick vacuum or compressed air cleaning of the condensing coils should be done annually, and a more thorough wet cleaning with a mild detergent should ideally be performed off-season for optimal maintenance.