NEW BLOG SERIES. ALL ABOUT GASTRONORM
Gastronorm containers - everyday heroes in the kitchen
Instalment 1: History and sizes
Firm features in every professional kitchen, Gastronorm containers (GN) prove their versatility every day anew. They help to prepare and present food efficiently and hygienically and are indispensable everywhere from cold storage to the serving counter. But how long have these practical kitchen aids been around for? Which model is best for which application and what should we remember when using them?
You will find answers to these questions and many more in this blog series, which is dedicated to taking a closer look at GN containers and the endless possibilities they present for commercial kitchens, event catering, restaurants and retail.
But in order to understand the huge revolution that the introduction of Gastronorm brought, let's embark on a little journey back in time – to a long-forgotten era.
The history of Gastronorm
Until the 1960s, professional kitchens tended to host a variety of container shapes and sizes that was almost impossible to keep track of. The result? A huge waste of space and unnecessarily complicated workflows. Fundamental changes were long overdue.
In autumn 1964, the Swiss Association for Hospital, Home and Community Catering and the Swiss Trade Association for the Hotel Industry joined forces to tackle the issue. The vision of the Swiss masterminds was to finally be able to transport and store food efficiently and to make optimal use of the limited space in ovens and refrigerators with precisely fitting rectangular containers. The specification of the Gastronorm standard revolutionised commercial kitchens and the food processing sector.
In the 1970s, Germany followed suit by formulating its own Gastronorm rules. Among other things, the DIN 66075 standard specifies which cut-outs food service equipment must have to enable the use of GN containers. By the time the food containers were also included in the European standard EN 631 in 1993, they had long been victorious in Europe and large parts of the world.
Today, practically all equipment produced for commercial kitchens in Europe is based on the Gastronorm. But what is it that made and continues to make the container system so special?
Food processing with a system: the shape and dimensions of the GN containers
Gastronorm containers are available in the sizes GN 2/1, GN 1/1, GN 1/2, GN 2/4, GN 1/4, GN 2/8, GN 2/3, GN 1/3, GN 1/6 and GN 1/9. But it is not only the rounded inner shape and even top rim they have in common. They are also based on a basic grid of 530 x 325 mm (approximately the same dimensions as a baking tray), which corresponds to size GN 1/1. All other container sizes are derived from this; smaller ones are specified as fractions and larger ones as multiples.
| Designation | Length in mm | Width in mm | Area in dm² | Aspect ratio L/B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GN 2/1 | 530 | 650 | 34,5 | 1,23 |
| GN 1/1 | 530 | 325 | 17,2 | 1,63 |
| GN 1/2 | 265 | 325 | 8,6 | 1,23 |
| GN 2/4 | 530 | 162 | 8,6 | 3,27 |
| GN 1/4 | 265 | 162 | 4,3 | 1,63 |
| GN 2/8 | 132 | 325 | 4,3 | 2,46 |
| GN 2/3 | 354 | 325 | 11,5 | 1,09 |
| GN 1/3 | 176 | 325 | 5,7 | 1,85 |
| GN 1/6 | 176 | 162 | 2,9 | 1,09 |
| GN 1/9 | 176 | 108 | 1,9 | 1,63 |
Together with the various depths of 20, 40, 55, 65, 100, 150 and 200 mm, a huge variety of models are available for an endless range of applications.
And another advantage is that the standardised containers can be flexibly combined. A food warmer in GN 1/1 with one 2/3 and one 1/3 container each is just as feasible as a significantly smaller arrangement with four 1/6 and three 1/9 models, for instance. The sky is the limit. Not least because the Gastronorm containers are also available in a wide range of materials for even more benefits in use. But we'll keep that for instalment 2 of the Gastronorm blog series.
