Restaurateurs are sometimes torn between the desire to supply their staff with essential tools, like metal food trays, that boost productivity and the absolute necessity of keeping the kitchen's operating costs down. Fortunately, metal food trays represent a comparatively minimal cost for any restaurant. These trays are durable and naturally low in price.

Consult the following for handy online solutions that help you learn about metal food trays pricing and costs:

1. Expect to spend less money on standard metal serving trays, but a few more dollars if you're in the market for the decorative antique variety.

2. Get prices on food metal trays your kitchen staff can use for storing and moving ingredients or for ensuring that foods baked in the oven do not sit in cooking fat.

3. Choose the best price on essential metal cooking trays for pizzerias.

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Check out prices of decorative food metal trays for serving and display

If it's a simple stainless steel serving tray with decorative edges that you're looking for, you'll find most prices under $10. Some suppliers offer discounts when several items are purchased at once. Plan on spending more than $15 if you're in the market for a painted metal antique tray.

I recommend: The Webstaurant Store sells decorative metal serving trays in different sizes and shapes at prices ranging from $7 to $17 with slight discounts when you purchase multiple items. Twelve-inch and 15-inch decorative serving trays made of chrome range in price between $4.50 and $6.50 at Tray World. Get Reed & Barton rectangular trays from Serving Trays.com for about $7. Expect to pay between $18 and $27 for decorator metal serving trays at My Grannys Attic Antiques.

Get the best prices on utility metal restaurant trays for transporting ingredients and baking foods

You may need to purchase a metal utility food tray on wheels to transport ingredients within the kitchen. Standard models are usually less than $500. If you're looking for perforated metal trays for cooking foods that allow the fat to drain, expect to spend between $80 and $120.

I recommend: Select Appliance offers free shipping on its utility food trays. The standard price ranges between $500 and $600, depending on whether the company is offering its periodic discounts. Food Service Direct also features sales on its false bottomed metal utility food trays which come six to a case and range in price from $81 to $121.

Set the price on essential metal cooking trays made of aluminum that pizzerias depend on.

The aluminum food tray metal that pizzerias depend on do not vary much in price. Depending on the size you choose, expect to pay as little as $2 and no more than about $40 per tray.

I recommend: Well-known metal food trays distributor Instawares sells three sizes of aluminum food trays, 10-inch to 13-inch, at prices from $2.70 to about $4.50. Restaurant Solutions offers the best selection and range in price, from $3.50 for a 6-inch aluminum tray to $40.50 for a 28-inch tray. We Sell Coffee carries a 10-inch and 12-inch size, with prices from $2 to $3. Pay as little as $2 for a coupe style pizza tray at Kitchen and Restaurant.

Metal food trays are a staple in the food service business. Available in a variety of sizes and prices, metal trays allow servers to easily distribute food to customers and showcase food for sale. Also used for cooking, metal cooking trays are a durable, reusable resource in the restaurant and baking industries.

Offering a selection of metal food trays to your customers is the key to meeting the unique needs of each client. Stocking aluminum food tray products, metal meat trays and metal cooking trays offers your customers the variety of metal food trays they need. When stocking your business with metal tray products, you should:

1. Buy metal restaurant trays in bulk quantities to receive the best price for your purchase.

2. Stock a wide variety of metal food trays to satisfy the diverse needs of your clients.

3. Partner with a metal food tray distributor or manufacturer who can work with you to find the metal restaurant trays that meet your needs and your budget.

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Buy food metal trays in bulk

Order aluminum food tray styles and metal cooking trays in bulk to ensure you have an ample stock of food tray metal products to satisfy the demands of your customers. Food tray metal distributors often offer volume discount prices for large purchases.

I recommend: Foodservicedirect.com offers metal trays for pizza at bulk discount prices. Buy metal food trays in bulk from AbleKitchen.com for a large selection of metal food tray products at value prices.

Stock a variety of metal trays

The needs of your customers vary, so be prepared to meet those unique needs by stocking a variety of food metal trays. From aluminum food trays to metal waiter trays, an assortment of metal trays can satisfy the diverse needs of your customers and attract new clients to your business.

I recommend: Big Tray offers an assortment of aluminum food tray products at competitive prices. Order metal food trays from ReStockIt.com for a variety of metal trays at prices you can afford.

Partner with a reputable metal food trays manufacturer

An experienced metal food trays manufacturer can work with you to assess your aluminum food tray needs and help you to select a diverse selection of metal trays within your budget.

I recommend: Partner with The Betty Mills Company for exceptional customer service and quality metal restaurant trays. Work with Instawares, the restaurant supply superstore, who offers fine metal food trays at competitive prices. Receive a free quote for large orders.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Remember to recycle metal trays when the they are no longer usable or become damaged
• •  Always inspect the food trays that interest you to ensure they are made of quality materials before you commit to purchase them.

Metal food trays serve a number of functions in restaurants, cafeterias and catering establishments. The decorative styles hold fancy fruit and cheese spreads and help you make just the right impression. You can count on aluminum food trays to cook a number of foods, even pizza. And simple metal trays help your staff transport foods from one location to another neatly and safely. Not too many other restaurant small wares help you perform so many essential food service functions.

Here are some suggestions as you pursue an online search for metal food trays types and styles:

1. Decide whether decorative metal restaurant trays for serving would add that extra touch to your catering function.

2. Depend on durable food metal trays that display, cook, bake and roast.

3. Find out why the aluminum food tray has become the tray of choice for most pizza makers.

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Choose classic or antique-style metal restaurant trays for serving

Perhaps you need metal trays and platters to serve cocktails, hors d'oeuvres or simply to decorate a room for a special event.

I recommend: Serving Trays carries silver-plated rectangular serving trays with decorative trim and some with wooden handles for extra comfort when handling. CKB Products offers one of the widest assortments of metal restaurant trays that are perfect for any catering function. You can find antique, painted metal trays at My Grannys Attic Antiques and Go Antiques.

Find durable, easy to clean utility metal food trays for cooking and display

Easy to clean food tray metal products are most often made from stainless steel. Some are pebble-grained and used for counter displays of bakery items. Others are perfect for baking and roasting foods that must be displayed at buffets. You can take these food trays straight from the oven to the buffet table and rest assured that your table creates a polished presentation.

I recommend: Cafeteria Tray Store and Webstaurant Store both carry market pans made by a well-known metal food trays manufacturer. You can use these for counter displays of cakes and other sweets. Stainless Steel Kitchenware sells metal food trays for display, roasting and baking.

Consider buying aluminum food trays that pizzerias are finding it hard to do without

Metal cooking trays made from aluminum have become the choice of pizza makers nationwide. Sizes vary from 9-inch to 13-inch. Durable, light and rimmed, they hold medium and large pizzas securely.

I recommend: Well-known food equipment supplier Instawares offers aluminum food trays for pizza in three sizes. At Foodservice Direct, you can order rimmed, round, narrow, straight-sided or heavy weight aluminum trays perfect for pizza and other baked foods. Restaurant Solutions sells aluminum food trays known either as baking screens or rim pizza trays. Choose from among 36 different sizes. Get the coupe style pizza tray at Kitchen and Restaurant.

You should be familiar with the different metal food trays key terms so you can get the right trays for your restaurant. There are different metals commonly used to make food trays, including stainless steel, aluminum and chrome, and each has unique characteristics. Other terms you'll come across pertain to the styles of trays available, such as Lazy Susan. Read the guide to find out more about metal food trays.

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Stainless steel

Stainless steel is a steel alloy that contains chromium. Stainless steel is resistant to rust, corrosion and staining. Stainless steel serving trays have a nice shine to them that lasts for years.

I recommend: See the stainless steel tray at Overstock.com.

Hammered stainless steel

Artisans make hammered stainless steel trays by hand, so each tray has its own unique appearance. To make a hammered stainless steel tray, the craftsman uses a small hammer to shape the stainless steel overlay. The surface of a hammered stainless steel tray may be smooth or it may have a rougher texture.

I recommend: You can see a hammered stainless steel tray at UnbeatableSale.com.

Aluminum

Aluminum is a silver white metallic element used to make lightweight metal products. Often aluminum metal trays are single-use products, although you can wash them and re-use them. These trays are often sold in bulk quantities because they are inexpensive.

I recommend: Instawares Restaurant Supply offers a number of aluminum metal food trays.

Chrome

Where aluminum metal food trays are often lightweight and disposable, chrome food trays are often heavier and designed for long wear. The shiny chrome plating on these metal trays needs special hand cleaning, but you can expect many years of service from this type of product.

I recommend: You can find chrome food trays in a large assortment of sizes and shapes at Galasource Ventures.

Griptite

Since metal surfaces are often smooth, a metal tray with a treated surface keeps dishes and cutlery from sliding around during service. Griptite provides that surface, and it is used to make many serving trays.

I recommend: Select one of the many griptite trays at The Betty Mills Company.

Lazy Susan

A Lazy Susan tray allows you to serve several foods from one tray. Most Lazy Susan trays have five or six service sections. You can find Lazy Susan trays in all kinds of metals.

I recommend: See the aluminum Lazy Susan trays at FoodServiceDirect.com.