Choose a maple top work table for dough, pastry, bread and carving, and a stainless steel top for raw meat, wet prep, hot pans and anything that gets washed down several times a shift. Most kitchens that bake or carve end up with one of each, because the two surfaces do different jobs well.
Below is what the FDA Food Code allows for wood surfaces, how the two tops compare in daily use, and what our own maple and stainless tables offer. If you are still sizing the rest of your prep line, start with our commercial work tables, which list every stainless size we carry.
What the Food Code allows for wood
The Food Code wording here was read on Virginia’s adoption of the code (12VAC5-421-1040 and 1580), which reproduces the FDA text. Your local health department has the final say.
- Wood may not be used as a food contact surface, with listed exceptions.
- Hard maple, or an equally hard, close-grained wood, may be used for cutting boards, cutting blocks, bakers’ tables and utensils such as rolling pins.
- Cutting blocks and boards that get scratched and scored must be resurfaced when they can no longer be cleaned and sanitized effectively, or discarded if they cannot be resurfaced.
So a hard maple top is written into the code for baking and cutting. What the code does not do is make wood the right choice for every task. Our maple table page tells buyers who plan to cut raw meat on the top to ask their local health department which surfaces and cleaning they expect.
How the two tops compare
Maple top
A thick hardwood top is kind to knives and gives dough a surface that does not stick or chill the way metal can. It needs regular oiling, should be wiped dry after cleaning and should never be soaked. Deep knife marks have to be sanded out over time.
Stainless top
A stainless top is non-porous, takes hot pans and can be washed and sanitized between tasks. It dulls knives faster, so pair it with cutting boards. Our everyday tables use an 18 gauge type 430 top, which is the standard grade for work surfaces and is magnetic. The product page notes that type 304 resists corrosion better where the table is in constant contact with salt, brine or acidic ingredients.
Our maple and stainless tables side by side
These facts come from the product pages.
- Rolling maple top work table: 1.5 in. thick North American hard rock maple top on a galvanized steel base, top rated to support 675 lb, adjustable galvanized undershelf, four wheels with two locking, 38 in. total height, sizes 18 x 48, 24 x 48, 24 x 60, 30 x 48 and 30 x 60 in.
- Stainless work table with adjustable undershelf: 18 gauge type 430 top on a galvanized frame, 31 sizes from 24 x 12 to 72 x 30 in., NSF listed.
- Long stainless table, 72 to 96 in.: top rated for 340 lb and undershelf for 260 lb, evenly distributed, with or without casters, NSF certified.
- All stainless work table: top, legs, feet and undershelf all stainless with no galvanized parts, 35 in. high, 8 sizes from 30 x 30 to 72 x 30 in., NSF certified. Its page recommends it for wet, salty or acidic areas such as seafood prep and dish rooms.
Which one for which job
- Bread, pizza dough and pastry: maple. It is a bakers’ table surface under the code and it is easy on dough.
- Carving cooked roasts at a station: maple or a stainless table with a maple or poly cutting board on top.
- Raw meat, poultry and fish: stainless with separate cutting boards you can wash and replace, unless your health department approves another setup.
- Wet prep, produce washing and near sinks: stainless. Wood should not sit in water.
- Hot pans off the range and plating: stainless.
- Packing, catering staging and equipment bases: stainless, or a stainless equipment stand for countertop appliances.
Care that keeps each surface in shape
These are common practice. For maple, scrape and wipe after use, oil on a regular schedule, keep it dry and sand out deep cuts. For stainless, clean with the grain using non-abrasive pads, rinse off chloride cleaners and do not leave salt or acidic food sitting on the top.
Mistakes to avoid
- Buying maple for a station that will be hosed down or used for raw protein.
- Soaking or putting standing water on a maple top.
- Choosing a 430 top for constant brine or acid work when 304 or an all stainless table would last longer.
- Rolling a loaded maple table without locking the wheels first. The product page says to lock them before kneading or carving.
Frequently asked questions
Is a maple work table allowed in a commercial kitchen?
The Food Code allows hard maple for bakers’ tables, cutting boards and cutting blocks. Ask your health department about any other use.
Can I put a hot pan on a maple top?
Common practice is to use a trivet or a stainless surface for hot pans, since heat can mark and dry out wood.
Is the maple table NSF certified?
The maple table page does not list NSF. Our stainless work tables are NSF listed or certified, as their pages state.
What to buy
For baking and carving, look at the rolling maple top table in the same work table range as the stainless models above. For bakeries, see bakery equipment for mixers, racks and ovens. Freight to the 48 contiguous states is included in the price, non-powered items have a 14 day return window, and lease-to-own financing is available on orders of 500 dollars or more.