Steam-table pan

1. A steam-table pan comprising:

a generally planar base having an upper surface for supporting a food product;

first and second pairs of sidewalls integrally formed with the generally planar base, wherein the base and the sidewalls collectively define a food receiving cavity;

a gripping skirt formed along an upper surface of the first and second pairs of sidewalls, the gripping skirt integrally formed with the sidewalls and generally defining an upper periphery of the food receiving cavity, and wherein the gripping skirt includes a first upper portion, a second upper portion parallel to and spaced from the first upper portion, and a bridge portion interconnecting the first and the second upper portions, and wherein the second upper portion includes a lower end configured to engage a tabletop to support the steam-table pan on the tabletop, wherein the gripping skirt is configured in a manner that allows the steam-table pan to be lifted from the tabletop by a user grasping the first and the second upper portions of the gripping skirt and then applying a lifting force; and

wherein adjacent sidewalls intersect at a corner area, and wherein the corner area is constructed such that the corner area remains substantially free of deformations when the steam-table pan is subjected to a seven pound drop test at thirty-six inches.

2. The steam-table pan of claim 1 wherein the planar base, the sidewalls, and the gripping skirt are formed of stainless steel.

3. The steam-table pan of claim 2 wherein the stainless steel is 22 gauge stainless steel.

4. The steam-table pan of claim 1 wherein the gripping skirt has a vertical dimension of one-half inch.

5. The steam-table pan of claim 1 further comprising a smooth interface conjoining the first upper portion of the gripping skirt with the sidewalls.

6. The steam-table pan of claim 5 further comprising a trapezoidal space defined beneath the bridge and between the first and the second upper portions of the gripping skirt.

7. A steam-table pan comprising:

a base and a plurality of sidewalls integrally formed with the base, and collectively defining a receptacle into which a food product may be placed; and

a lip integrally formed with the plurality of sidewalls, and formed along a top surface of the plurality of sidewalls, the lip having a thumb engaging portion adjacent the receptacle and a gripping finger engaging portion opposite the thumb engaging portion such that the steam-table pan may be lifted from engagement with a steam table without inserting a lifting tool between the steam table and the steam-table pan or applying a lifting force to a lowermost end of the lip, wherein adjacent sidewalls intersect at a corner area, and wherein the corner area does not buckle when the steam-table pan is subjected to a seven pound drop test at thirty-six inches.

8. The steam-table pan of claim 7 wherein the lip has a vertical dimension of 0.5 inches.

9. The steam-table pan of claim 7 comprised of stainless steel.

10. The steam-table pan of claim 9 wherein the stainless steel is 22 gauge stainless steel.

11. The steam-table pan of claim 7 further comprising a jam prevention feature formed along an inner surface of at least one of the sidewalls that is operative to prevent jamming when multiple steam-table pans are stacked in a nested arrangement.

12. The steam-table pan of claim 7 wherein the lip further includes a bridge interconnecting the thumb receiving portion and the finger receiving portion, the bridge having a horizontal dimension.

13. The steam-table pan of claim 12 wherein the horizontal dimension is smaller than the vertical dimension of the finger receiving portion.

14. The steam-table pan of claim 7 wherein the sidewalls are angled slightly off-vertical with respect to the base.

15. The steam-table pan of claim 7 wherein each corner area has an inner surface with a radius of curvature.