This article provides a comprehensive guide to selecting the ideal size for a stainless steel bench, emphasising that proper sizing is crucial for maximising efficiency and workflow in any workspace. It breaks down common size categories, compact (under 1200mm), standard (1200mm to 1500mm), and commercial (1800mm and up) detailing the best applications for each. Additionally, it explores specialised sizing for functions like sink, corner, and cabinet benches, and highlights structural accessories such as undershelves and wall shelves for optimizing storage and stability. The guide concludes with essential measurement tips, including considering access points and leaving adequate clearance, to ensure a perfect fit and a highly functional workstation. If you have any questions at any point, feel free to ask our friendly team, but for now, let’s jump into it!

The Size Challenge Solved

As a person who sells these benches every day, I can tell you that choosing the right size for your stainless steel bench is often the biggest hurdle. You've already made the smart choice in terms of quality, but if the bench is too big, it clutters your space; if it's too small, it hobbles your workflow. It's the measurement muddle, and it often leads to costly mistakes.

The Simple Rule of Space: Efficiency First

The secret to proper sizing isn't just about measuring the wall. It's about efficiency. You need to match the bench's length and depth to the actual task it needs to perform and the flow of your available area. A bench that's perfectly sized means more productivity and less frustration. We are the best choice in the market because we focus on giving you not just the best bench, but the bench that works best for your needs.

Size Categories Broken Down

We are here to break down the common size categories and explain exactly what each one is best for, from the tiny corner filler to the absolute beast of a commercial table. I'll make sure you select the perfect dimensions, ensuring you make the best choice for your investment.

Stop Guessing! How to Choose the Perfect Size for Your Stainless Steel Bench

The Compact & Versatile Bench (Under 1200mm / 4ft)

Let’s start with the small but mighty options. These benches are the unsung heroes of tight workspaces. If you’re dealing with a compact coffee station, a narrow aisle, or just need a reliable fill-in, the under-1200mm size is your best friend.

Defining the Smallest Footprint

When space is tight, every centimetre counts. We’re talking about benches that offer the smallest footprint, typically benches under 1200mm long and often with slim depths of 600mm or less. They are designed to fit where standard benches won't, ensuring you can still maximise your workflow.

Our smallest Commercial Grade Bench is an 300 x 700mm Infill Bench with a 100mm or 150mm Splashback.

Versatility is Key

These smaller sizes are incredibly versatile. They are perfect for small bar prep, acting as dedicated coffee stations, or serving as sturdy appliance stands, like the excellent Light Duty grill stand for your compact cooking gear. For mobile setups or pop-up events, our folding table in this size range is non-negotiable for easy transport and rapid setup.

Small Size, Any Range: Choosing Your Quality

It’s crucial to know that compact size doesn’t lock you into a single quality tier. You can buy small benches (under 1200mm) across all our grades, depending on your environment:

• Light Duty: Best for home storage or display (e.g., 610 x 610mm Stainless Steel Benchtop.)

• Prosumer: Ideal for small-scale catering or dedicated home wet areas. (e.g., 457 x 610mm Stainless Steel Benchtop.)

• Heavy Duty: Necessary for compact, intense commercial wash-up areas (e.g., 300 x 7000mm Stainless Steel Benchtop with Splashback.)

The Standard Workhorse (1200mm to 1500mm / 4ft to 5ft)

This is what I call the ultimate all-rounder, the Standard Workhorse. If you're running a busy operation that needs reliability without dominating the entire room, this size range is your sweet spot. It offers the most flexibility for both serious home use and smaller commercial tasks.

Defining the All-Rounder

This 1200mm to 1500mm range is where the majority of quality stainless steel benchtops sit. It’s large enough to be genuinely useful but small enough to fit into most standard kitchen layouts. You’ll find this size is the base model for many Prosumer flat benches, as it perfectly balances footprint with functional workspace.

Ideal Uses: Plenty of Elbow Room

The Standard Workhorse is the main prep bench for serious home chefs who spend hours in the kitchen, dedicated baking or mixing stations, or primary storage in a garage or shed where you need to spread out materials. It’s also the ideal choice for small cafés or boutique food producers who need a reliable surface for moderate daily volume.

The Balancing Act: Dual Functionality

One of the great advantages of this size is the ability for two people to work side-by-side without getting in each other's way, crucial for efficiency! The generous length also makes it the perfect size to add features like under-shelves or an overshelf without compromising your primary work area. We guarantee that this size is the best choice when looking for that perfect balance of space and utility.

The Commercial Production Table (1800mm and Up / 6ft+)

Now let’s talk serious production. If your stainless steel bench is the backbone of a major operation, you need something that gives you maximum surface area. This category is defined by benches 1800mm (6ft) and longer, they are the absolute winner of the busy commercial world.

Defining the Beast

Benches in this range are designed for high-volume, continuous work. They are built using our premium Heavy Duty stainless steel, often with extra reinforcement to ensure stability across that long span. These aren't temporary pieces; they are permanent installations designed to handle the most rigorous commercial environment.

Main Prep Lines and Heavy Equipment

These long benches are non-negotiable for main prep lines in restaurants, large catering operations, and industrial packing facilities where staff need to work in a continuous line. They also provide the necessary space for major, heavy equipment like industrial mixers, large cutters, or heavy-duty presses that require permanent, rock-solid placement. If you are dealing with significant throughput, this is the only way to go.

Maximising the Length: Vertical Efficiency

When you commit to a bench this long, you need to use the space wisely. This is where overshelves become essential. Adding a single or double-tier overshelf to these long benches allows you to utilise the vertical space for storing ingredients, small appliances, or serving gear, keeping the primary 6-foot workspace clear and efficient. This focus on long-term efficiency is exactly why choosing us makes you the best choice.

Specialised Sizing for Function (Sink, Corner, and Cabinet Benches)

Not every bench is a simple rectangle in the middle of a room. Sometimes you need a specific function integrated into the size. This is where specialised benches come in, and you need to think about more than just the length, you need to consider how the size works with the plumbing, the walls, and the flow of the room.

Corner Solutions: Maximising Dead Space

The biggest waste of space in any kitchen is the corner. Our corner benchtops are sized specifically to solve this problem, letting you integrate a continuous line of benching and use every square inch. Look for solutions built with reinforcing corner benchtops to ensure a solid join with the rest of your prep line, turning that dead space into productive space.

Explaining Sink Benches

If you're buying a single sink bench or a dedicated wash-up station, sizing takes on a whole new set of rules. You must factor in specific depth and splashback requirements to accommodate plumbing. We offer tremendous flexibility, providing robust single and double sink benches in standard commercial lengths of 1200mm, 1500mm, 1800mm, 2100mm, and 2400mm. The entire bench footprint is dictated by the need for clearance at the back for pipework and waste, and the splashback is often required for hygiene compliance when water is involved. This is especially true for commercial applications, as installation clearance is non-negotiable.

Hidden Storage: Sizing for Cabinets

If you're upgrading to benches with enclosed storage, like those featuring cabinet and sliding doors, the stated length is even more critical. The length accounts for the integrated storage unit itself, so you're not just measuring work surface, you're measuring the internal footprint of a storage locker - with this in mind, it’s always a good idea to verify the internal dimensions against what you plan to store as compared to the open and fully adjustable undershelves on our standard stainless steel tables. This hidden storage is a great way to improve tidiness, but it changes the external measurement game entirely.

Structural Accessories: Maximising Storage and Stability

A bench is never truly finished until it’s kitted out with the right accessories. For commercial and Heavy Duty applications, your choices here directly impact workflow and long-term stability. The size of your bench dictates what you can add, but these products are crucial for turning a flat surface into a complete workstation.

Undershelves: Double Your Storage

Don't let the space under your bench go to waste! Adding heavy-duty undershelves maximizes the vertical area without increasing your floor footprint. We offer specialized solutions like solid and pot rack undershelves, which are essential for storing heavy equipment, large ingredients, or stacking pots and pans efficiently.

Wall Shelves: Utilizing Vertical Space

When your bench length is set, look to the walls. Wall shelves are ideal for storing frequently used items or bulk ingredients and maximising your usable area. You have two main choices: solid wall shelves for easy cleaning and dust protection, or piped wall shelves which are excellent for drying freshly washed pots and pans, or keeping items aerated. Match the length of the shelf to your bench for a clean, professional look, or stagger them for a more flow that allows for taller items to be stored amongst short ones.

Maximum Floor Clearance and Appliance Integration

If you need to create maximum vertical clearance for large appliances (like fridges or chillers) underneath your bench, investing in heavy-duty leg braces is the solution, as these structural elements replace the standard undershelf, providing crucial floor space and wider moving areas. And for specialized tasks like bakery or chilled prep, look at niche sizing solutions like GN rack and pans that integrate perfectly with your bench’s structure for seamless workflow. Always remember: the best choice isn't just the bench, but the entire system built around it.

Final Measurement Tips

We’ve covered the entire sizing process and other ways that you can maximise the space of your area. Now, before you click 'Order', here are the final, common-sense checks from a business owner who knows: don't let a small detail turn into a huge headache.

Measure Access, Not Just Space

This is the oldest trick in the book, and the one most people forget! You've measured your kitchen perfectly, but have you measured the door frame? Have you measured the hallway corner you have to navigate? Always ensure you measure the tightest point of entry. If you've invested in mobility options like castor wheels, the bench's height may change slightly, so check those door frames twice!

Fortunately the majority of our units (excluding Cabinet benches) come delivered in flatpacks which can be maneuvered much more easily through tight spaces. This is very handy if you need a large bench in a smaller room at the back of your location which has tighter access. Just carry or wheel the flatpack into the room, open and assemble in the room directly. If you ever need to take it out again, you can just disassemble the table - much easier than moving large fixed leg tables and other furniture around.

The Clearance Rule: Leave 50-100mm Space

Never push your bench flush against the wall. We always recommend leaving a 50mm to 100mm gap behind the bench. Why? Because that space essentialfor cleaning (hygiene is key!), ventilation, and, most critically, for plumbing access if you have a sink or are integrating services. This rule is especially important for benches with a splashback, which naturally sit flush against the wall but still need side clearance.

Get the Perfect Size, Guaranteed

If you've gone through all these sizes and still feel like you're playing guesswork, that's what our friendly team is here for. We are the best choice because we offer expert guidance and are available to chat with you 7 days a week at a time convenient to you. When standard sizes don't fit your unique layout, reach out for a custom consultation. We’ll help you specify the exact size and turn your idea into a truly functional, high-quality, complete workstation that’s perfect for your space.