For any pizzeria or restaurant, it’s essential to have a place to allow waltz through the pizza prepping stage easily and quickly. A refrigerated prep table offers the much-needed space to hold and assemble all your ingredients and toppings to create your signature pizzas and other baked goods with ease.
A pizza prep table brings many benefits to your food service business, especially convenience and efficient workspace. This product offers a large cutting board to provide you with ample room to prep extra-large pizzas.
While a sandwich prep table looks almost the same as the pizza version. Sadly, they differ in more ways and won’t be an excellent choice for your pizzeria. However, there are different types of prep tables out there which makes it a bit confusing when trying to find the right one for your business.
Without further ado, let’s consider the top 5 best pizza prep tables and how to make the right choice for your business.
Top 5 Pizza Prep Tables
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Arctic Air APP71R 71-Inch Pizza Prep Table | 21 Cubic Feet |
| 2. | Atosa 93″ Pizza Prep Table | Efficient refrigeration system |
| 3. | Arctic Air APP48R 47.5-Inch Pizza Prep Table | 3/4" deep cutting board |
| 4. | Arctic Air APP94R 94-Inch Pizza Prep Table | UL EPH Classified |
| 5. | Blue Air BAPP44 One Door Pizza Prep Table | 44 Inches Refrigerator |
Key Features to Consider When Shopping for the Best Pizza Prep Tables for your Pizzeria
Construction
Pizza prep tables are made from different materials. However, we recommended opting for a model made with stainless steel. This material is known for minimizing dents, scratches, and rust. Also, it offers a clean look to complement your kitchen setting.
The exterior and interior should be made of stainless steel instead of ABS plastic liners or galvanized aluminum for a hassle-free cleaning experience. Also, we prefer shelves made of stainless steel with a PVC or epoxy coating to ensure it’s strong enough to support the weight of your food ingredients.
Doors vs. Drawers
Generally speaking, prep tables with door options provide more storage space and flexible organization. The door options are perfect for business owners looking to hold a large number of ingredients such as sauce or cheese in boxes and bags.
But if you want the base of your prep table as a backup for the pans in the rail, then the drawer option is your best bet. The drawers make it easier for employees to replace empty pans with new pans in the rails since the pans contain the same ingredients.
Refrigeration
There are two types of cooling systems for pizza prep tables – air-cooled and cold-wall refrigeration systems. The format is ideal if you’re just starting your pizzeria – why? It has a low maintenance cost and labor requirement. On the downside, the air-cooled system has limited refrigeration power.
For high refrigeration power, you’re better off with the cold-wall models. This system utilizes refrigerant channels to keep contents in the prep tables cool. With this option, you can configure your shelves and pans’ location to your preference.
Sadly, this option has its own drawbacks, including uneven temperature distribution. Hence, your food’s quality might be affected.
More importantly, you might want to consider models with a front-breathing design – the air intake and exhaust vents are present on the unit’s front part. Thus, you can choose to install the prep table as a standalone or built-in unit. It’s always good to have this flexible option.
Pizza Prep Tables Review
1. Arctic Air APP71R 71-Inch 2-Door Pizza Prep Table
Taking our top spot is the Arctic Air APP71R 71-Inch 2-Door Pizza Prep Table. Its solid stainless steel exterior and heavy-duty construction guarantee a timeless look and exceptional durability. This product measures 71 inches in width and has a 17¾-inch deep cutting board across the pizza prep refrigerator full width.
This product comes with side-mounted self-contained refrigeration to provide a cool storage environment anywhere between 33 to 41 degrees F to keep your ingredients fresh. This model features an electronic thermostat tailored with a LED digital display to allow you to control the temperature accurately.
Furthermore, it comes with two self-closing doors that stay open at 90 degrees. In addition, these doors utilize magnetic door gaskets, which makes it easier to detach and replace the gaskets tool-free when trying to replace or clean them.
What’s more?
It is equipped with nine ⅓-size food pans to hold your ingredients safely. Also, the Arctic Air APP71R 71-Inch 2-Door Pizza Prep Table has four 6-inch high swivel casters with locking brakes for easy maneuvering and a stable platform to work on.
That’s not all: this best pizza prep table has an interior cabinet offering a massive storage capacity of 21 Cu Ft with two epoxy-coated adjustable wire shelves to customize the ample space to your preference.
Strengths:
- Removable magnetic door gaskets for convenience
- Durable, stainless steel exterior construction
- Heavy-duty 17.75″ cutting board
- High-quality swivel casters with locking wheels
- Two solid-hinged self-closing doors
- Electronic thermostat and bright LED readout
Weaknesses:
- Cooling performance could be better
2. Atosa 93″ Pizza Prep Table
The Atosa 93″ Pizza Prep Table has been designed and manufactured to bring outstanding value to your pizzeria. It’s our favorite refrigerated prep table for unparalleled productivity and profitability. This product features many top-quality technological components such as its controller, fan motor, and compressor.
Considering its build quality and stacked features, the Atosa 93″ Pizza Prep Table is definitely a steal for your business. The exterior and interior feature a rugged stainless steel construction that boasts incredible durability and clean looks. This pizza prep table comes at an affordable price.
Further, the Atosa Pizza Prep Table 93-inch comes with three self-closing doors to help conserve energy and ensure your ingredients and foods are preserved at the right temperature. Also, these doors stay open for quick access and improved productivity. The doors feature magnetic gaskets to allow you to remove and replace them with ease.
Even better, the edges are round to ensure it’s safe to use in a busy kitchen. Plus, the shelves, casters, and pans are pre-installed for easy assembly. In addition, it comes with digital temperature control to set the preferred storage temperature anywhere between 33 to 40 degrees F.
The Atosa 93″ Pizza Prep Table is equipped with high quality and high-powered refrigeration system using eco-friendly Hydrocarbon R290 refrigerant. This standalone has a 26 Cubic Feet capacity to hold all your ingredients and toppings for quick and efficient pizza preparation. The system is backed by cETLus and ETL-Sanitation.
Worth mentioning, that this device has its cutting board running across the entire unit to offer enough space to prepare extra-large pizzas with ease. You can quickly and efficiently slice your ingredients to make your customer’s pizzas with adequate space.
Strengths:
- Interior and exterior stainless steel construction
- Heavy-duty embrace compressor
- Self-closing and stay-open door
- Efficient refrigeration system
- 26 Cubic Feet Capacity
Weaknesses:
- Best suited for large commercial kitchens
3. Arctic Air APP48R 47.5-Inch 1-Door Pizza Prep Table
This pizza prep table comes with a beautiful stainless steel design to match your commercial kitchen setting. This model isn’t just about design; it comes with the much-needed features to boost your food service productivity and profits.
Our favorite features in this prep table include an electronic thermostat with an easy-setting digital display, high-output fan motors, a bottom-mounted compressor, and a slide-out rack. This product comes with three epoxy-plated, adjustable shelves to allow users to customize the 12 Cubic Feet storage capacity to hold their food ingredients.
On top of that, this unit comes with a self-closing door to help maintain the temperature and ensure your ingredients stay fresh and healthy. The door is equipped with magnetic gaskets to allow you to remove and replace it without tools.
This 48-inch commercial pizza prep table offers a 17¾-inch deep cutting board to keep the dough and slice fresh toppings during the prep process. This single unit features a refrigerated compartment perfect for storing toppings, sauces, and ingredients.
Also, the Arctic Air APP48R 47.5-Inch 1-Door Pizza Prep Table can accommodate six ⅓ size food pans, and an electronic thermostat with an external LED display to set the perfect storage conditions.
Strengths:
- Stainless steel construction
- 33 to 41 degrees F temperature range
- heavy-duty cutting board
- ETL certification
- Electronic thermostat with digital LED temperature display
Weaknesses:
- Customer service could be better
4. Arctic Air APP94R 94-Inch Pizza Prep Table
Another spot is another pizza prep table from Arctic Air featuring stainless steel exterior and interior for clean looks and reliable durability. Like the Arctic Air APP48R, this model won’t rust and complement your commercial kitchen settings.
Furthermore, this model features an electronic thermostat to set your preferred temperature within the 33 to 41 degrees F range. Plus, its external digital LED display makes it easier and foolproof to create the perfect storage condition for your ingredients.
This unit comes with twelve ⅓ size clear Lexan pans made out of stainless steel and a 17-3/4 “D cutting board running the entire length to provide you with enough space to prepare your pizza conveniently. This 94-inch prep table has three vaulted solid-hinged self-closing doors equipped with the 90-degree stay-open feature for quick and convenient access.
Arctic Air APP94R 94-Inch Pizza Prep Table comes with four 3-inch casters with two locking to move this heavy unit around your restaurant or pizzeria quickly. In addition, it comes with adjustable shelving coated with epoxy to enable you to customize the 31 Cubic Feet to your needs.
Worth mentioning is the highly efficient refrigeration system with a power rating of 3/4 HP and R290 Hydrocarbon refrigerant to keep the storage space cool and ideal for keeping your ingredients fresh. Above all, it’s backed by a five-year compressor warranty and full two-year parts and labor warranty to sweeten the deal.
Strengths:
- Digital temperature control within 33 – 41 degrees F
- Full-length cutting board for quick prepping
- white ABS liner to brighten the interior capacity
- Cults, Ul Eph Classified, Cetlus, ETL certified
- Durable stainless steel construction
Weaknesses:
- The locking casters do not hold the table firmly; operators might notice a slight wobbling experience.
5. Blue Air BAPP44 One-Door Pizza Prep Table
If you operate a small pizzeria or shop, the best pizza prep table for your food service business is the Blue Air BAPP44 One-Door Pizza Prep Table. This model comes with one door and measures about 44 inches with the cutting board running full length,
This perfect prep table for a start-up business is built with stainless steel to minimize scratches, dents, and rust. This group is equipped with self-closing doors to support an ideal storage condition. Also, it has a safety door lock for extra protection.
The Blue Air BAPP44 One Door Pizza Prep Table offers a decent temperature range from 32 to 42 degrees F and digital temperature control to set the preferred conditions. This unit is effortless to move around your restaurant, thanks to its 5-inch diameter swivel casters with brakes.
Strengths:
- Simple to install
- Elegant design with round corners for
- Easy to maintain
- Larger compressor than its competitors
- Temperature range of 32 – 40 degrees F
Weaknesses:
- Customer service could be better
Frequently Asked Questions & Answered
Yes, this essential tool provides business owners with an appropriate workspace that can boost productivity to affect the profitability of their food service business.
Some models come with either of the options, while others might offer operators both. The door models are best suited for storing ingredients, while drawers come in handy as a backup for the pans (containing the same ingredients as the base)
The air-cooled refrigeration system provides a more uniform cooling performance but lacks power.
Conclusion
Pizza prep tables support a quick, professional, and convenient way of preparing your pizzas. The toppings and backup ingredients can be stored in the base to increase your productivity. Also, the food pans in the rails provide you with quick access to your topping and ingredients like cheese, processed meats, etc.
But with tons of prep tables out there, it’s easy to get confused and end up with the wrong unit. To save you from this costly mistake, we’ve reviewed the top 5 best pizza prep tables on the market and included a comprehensive buying guide to ensure you make an informed decision.