OEM Bun Pan Rack Buyer Guide: How to Choose

Start with the pans, not the price

Most buyers begin by comparing quotations. A better first step is to measure what you already bake. A rack that does not match your pan size, your pan count or the way your oven is loaded will cost more in labour every week than it saves on the invoice.

This guide covers the five decisions that matter most when you specify a bun pan rack, whether you run a single retail bakery or a multi site production kitchen.

1. Confirm your pan size and pan count

The 18 x 26 inch sheet pan is the standard in North America, while 600 x 400 mm trays are common in Europe and Asia. Measure the pan footprint first, then decide how many pans you want in circulation at the same time. A rack that is too small creates extra trips, and a rack that is too tall may not fit under your proofer or through your walk in door.

Heights above are typical IEQUIPMENT builds. Custom heights are available for low doorways, older buildings or specific equipment openings.

2. Choose the frame material

Aluminum and stainless steel solve different problems, and the right answer depends on where the rack will live.

• Aluminum: roughly one third the weight of stainless steel, naturally corrosion resistant, easy for one person to push. The usual choice for bakeries and front of house service.

• Stainless steel 304: heavier and stronger, and the only sensible option in washdown areas, seafood, meat, dairy or any room treated with aggressive sanitisers.

• Galvanised or powder-coated steel: the lowest initial cost, but the coating can chip at weld points and then rust from the inside.

A common compromise is an aluminum rack with stainless steel fasteners, which keeps the weight low while removing the weakest point at the joints.

3. Check the load per shelf, not just the total

Look for a rated load for each shelf. A single pan of dough can weigh 5 kg or more, so a 40 pan rack may carry 200 kg or more when it is fully loaded. If the shelf rating is not published, ask for it in writing.

4. Match casters and brakes to your floor

• Soft rubber casters roll quietly and protect tile, but wear faster on rough concrete or outdoor ramps.

• Hard nylon casters last longer in warehouses and yards, and tolerate grit better.

• Two swivel casters with brakes and two fixed casters gives predictable steering and stops the rack from drifting in a sloped room.

• Floors with drains or expansion joints need a larger wheel diameter, usually 125 mm or more.

5. Plan shipping, assembly and spare parts

Racks are bulky, and freight is often the largest line in the landed cost. If you import in containers, knock-down flat packing can raise the number of racks per 40-foot container by two to three times compared with shipping them assembled.

Before you order, ask for a spare parts list: casters, shelf clips, corner brackets and optional pan stops. A well built rack can stay in service for a decade, but casters rarely do.

Five mistakes we see most often

• Buying by price per rack instead of price per pan stored.

• Choosing stainless steel for a dry bakery, or aluminum for a wet washdown room.

• Ignoring door and proofer heights until the rack arrives.

• Forgetting that a loaded rack is far harder to push than an empty one.

• Ordering no spare casters, then losing production time when one fails.

Talk to the people who build them

IEQUIPMENT CO., LTD. has manufactured aluminum and stainless steel racks in Jiaxing, China since 2006, with more than 90 percent of output exported to North America. Send us your pan size, pan count and destination port, and we will come back with a model recommendation and a quotation.

Talk to Our Team

Building or sourcing racks, shelving or carts for your operation? IEQUIPMENT supplies aluminum and stainless steel equipment as OEM, ODM and knock-down (KD) programs, shipped in containers from Shanghai or Ningbo (FOB/CIF). Browse our bun pan racks or contact our team with your spec.