Yes, in most cases. Under the FDA Food Code, countertop equipment that stays in place on a table, such as a griddle, fryer, mixer or slicer that is not moved for cleaning, has to be either sealed to the table or raised on legs that leave at least 4 inches of clearance, with 3 or 2 inches allowed for smaller footprints. Equipment that is easily movable is not held to this rule, so the answer depends on the piece and how it is connected, whether it sits on one of our stainless commercial prep tables or a low equipment stand.
Shop the equipment in this article: equipment stands and countertop equipment. Freight is included on every order.
What the Food Code says
We read the following today in Virginia’s food regulations, which reproduce the FDA Food Code text (12VAC5-421-1550 and 1560; Food Code sections 4-402.11 and 4-402.12).
- Counter-mounted equipment that is not easily movable has to be installed so the equipment and the areas under and around it can be cleaned, either by being sealed or by being elevated on legs.
- The legs have to give at least 4 inches of clearance between the table and the equipment.
- The clearance may be 3 inches if the table top under the equipment is no more than 20 inches from the point of access for cleaning.
- The clearance may be 2 inches if the table top under the equipment is no more than 3 inches from the point of access for cleaning.
Your local health department has the final say on how these rules apply in your kitchen.
What counts as counter-mounted equipment
The regulation defines counter-mounted equipment as equipment that is not portable and is designed to be mounted off the floor on a table, counter or shelf: in practice, the heavy pieces that live in one spot, such as countertop griddles, charbroilers, fryers and heavy mixers or slicers.
When the rule does not apply: easily movable equipment
The leg and sealing rule is for equipment that is not easily movable. The regulation calls equipment easily movable when both of these are true:
- It is portable, mounted on casters, gliders or rollers, or has a mechanical means to tilt it safely for cleaning.
- It has no utility connection, a utility connection that disconnects quickly, or a flexible utility line long enough to move the unit for cleaning the equipment and the area around it.
Both parts matter. A plug-in appliance that staff can lift or slide aside to wipe underneath can count as easily movable; a griddle hard-piped to the gas line with no quick disconnect does not. The inspector makes the call.
How to read the 4, 3 and 2 inch numbers
Start with 4 inches. The smaller numbers depend on how far the table top under the equipment reaches from the side you clean from, so measure from that edge to the farthest point under the unit:
- Up to 20 inches: 3 inches of clearance may be allowed.
- Up to 3 inches: 2 inches may be allowed.
- More than 20 inches: plan on the full 4 inches, or seal the unit to the table.
Many countertop units come with legs fitted. Check the leg height on the spec sheet before you order.
Sealing instead of legs
The other option is to seal the unit to the table so nothing can get underneath. In common practice that is kept for pieces that will never move, because a sealed unit is hard to pull for service.
The table or stand under the equipment
The base matters as much as the legs. A few facts from our own product pages:
- Our stainless equipment stand with undershelf puts the cooking surface at a working height of 24 in. It has an 18 gauge type 430 stainless top with a raised lip on three sides, a galvanized adjustable undershelf and adjustable bullet feet, in 16 sizes from 12 x 24 to 72 x 30 in.
- Our equipment stand and table with undershelf and casters has an 18 gauge stainless top rated for 340 lbs and an undershelf rated for 260 lbs, evenly distributed, and most sizes come with or without casters. Casters alone do not make the equipment on top easily movable if it is hard-piped.
- For a cooking line over cold storage, a refrigerated chef base carries the equipment on its top. The Migali C-CB36-HC we carry, for example, has a top rated to 717 lbs.
Check the weight of the equipment against the rating on the table or stand.
Mistakes to avoid
- Setting a heavy griddle flat on the table with no legs and no seal.
- Counting on table casters when the unit on top is hard-piped to gas.
- Forgetting the floor: fixed floor-mounted equipment has its own rule, sealed or raised at least 6 inches.
What to buy
- For griddles, charbroilers, hot plates and countertop fryers: an equipment stand from our equipment stands, sized to the width of the unit.
- For mixers and slicers that stay in one place: a stainless work table with an undershelf, with the unit on its own legs.
- For a line that needs cold storage under the cooking equipment: a unit from our refrigerated chef bases.
Freight to the 48 contiguous states is included, and stands have a 14-day return window. Questions? Call 877-558-2253.