GN Tray Sizing Chart: The Complete Guide for Deli & Retail Hot Counters
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Ordering trays for a hot counter without knowing the Gastronorm (GN) sizing system usually means guesswork — and gaps, or trays that don't sit flush in the counter well. This is the reference guide: the full GN size chart, and how the fractions combine to fill a counter exactly.
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The full GN size chart
Every Gastronorm size is a fraction or multiple of the base GN 1/1 module, 530 × 325mm. The full standard chart:
- GN 2/1 — 650 × 530mm (double the base module)
- GN 1/1 — 530 × 325mm (the base module)
- GN 2/3 — 355 × 325mm
- GN 2/4 — 530 × 162mm
- GN 1/2 — 325 × 265mm
- GN 1/3 — 325 × 176mm
- GN 1/4 — 265 × 162mm
- GN 1/6 — 176 × 162mm
- GN 1/9 — 176 × 108mm
Every one of these sizes is designed to combine with others to exactly fill a GN 1/1 or GN 2/1 well with no gaps — that's the entire point of the system. Two GN 1/2 trays side by side fill one GN 1/1 well; three GN 1/3 trays fill the same well a different way; six GN 1/6 trays fill it a third way. This is what lets a retailer mix tray sizes across a counter freely, as long as the combination adds up to the well's full module size.
Practical combinations for a retail hot counter
One large feature item
A single GN 1/1 tray fills a full well on its own — the right choice for one substantial product that deserves the full counter width, rather than being split across smaller trays.
Two mid-size items
Two GN 1/2 trays side by side fill the same well while presenting two distinct products — the standard combination for a counter offering a small range rather than one single item.
Three smaller items
Three GN 1/3 trays fill a well while giving a wider product range more individual visibility — useful where variety matters more than the depth of any single offer.
Four compact items
Four GN 1/4 trays fill a well while maximising the number of distinct products shown — the right choice for a counter built around variety and small portions rather than a few large offers.
Why sizing to GN matters even outside full catering kitchens
A retail counter that buys trays to GN sizing gets two practical benefits a non-standard tray can't offer: any tray can be swapped or added later without remeasuring the counter, and trays from different suppliers or product lines — wood, melamine, stainless — will still sit flush together because they all share the same module. That interchangeability is the entire reason the standard has survived essentially unchanged since it was formalised for European kitchens in the 1960s.
Frequently asked questions
What are the standard GN tray sizes?
The full chart runs from GN 2/1 (650 x 530mm) down to GN 1/9 (176 x 108mm), all based on fractions or multiples of the GN 1/1 base module at 530 x 325mm.
How do I mix GN tray sizes on one counter?
Any combination of GN fractions that adds up to a full GN 1/1 or GN 2/1 module will fill a counter well without gaps - for example two GN 1/2 trays, three GN 1/3 trays, or four GN 1/4 trays side by side.
Why buy trays to GN sizing instead of a custom size?
GN-sized trays can be swapped, added to, or mixed across suppliers and materials without remeasuring the counter, because every size shares the same underlying module.
Browse the range
The full range of GN-sized trays for deli and retail hot counters is available at cwddisplays.ie/collections/hot-counter-displays. For help planning a tray combination for a specific counter well, get in touch at info@customwooddesigns.ie or +353 1 257 3871.