10-Tier, 15-Tier or 20-Tier Bakery Trolley: How Many Trays Do You Really Need?

Choosing the number of tiers on a bakery trolley looks simple until the trolley actually enters production.

A 20-tier rack holds more trays than a 10-tier rack, so it may appear to be the obvious choice. In practice, however, the highest-capacity trolley is not always the most useful one.

The correct number of levels depends on what is being placed on the trays, how much vertical clearance is required, how heavy the loaded rack becomes and how the trolley moves through the bakery or food factory.

A 10-tier bakery trolley, 15-tier bakery trolley i 20-tier bakery trolley can all be suitable choices, but for very different reasons.

The current trolley range includes standard configurations of 6, 10, 15 i 20 tiers, with customized designs available from approximately 5 do 30 levels depending on the requirement.

The best place to start is therefore not the maximum number of trays. It is the product being carried.

More tiers do not always mean more usable capacity

A rack may have 20 tray positions, but that does not necessarily mean every position can be used at the same time.

If the product rises above the edge of the tray, the operator may need to leave an empty level between trays.

The same applies when the trolley is used for cooling or drying and more airflow is required around the product.

For example, a 20-tier rack with narrow spacing may technically carry 20 flat trays, but a bakery producing taller bread or pastries might only use every second level.

In that situation, a 10- or 15-tier trolley with wider spacing can sometimes be more practical than a tightly spaced 20-tier rack.

This is why tier count and tray spacing should always be considered together.

When does a 10-tier bakery trolley make sense?

A 10-tier bakery trolley is a useful configuration when capacity is important but the rack still needs to remain relatively compact.

It may suit:

• small and medium commercial bakeries;
• pastry production;
• cooling operations;
• short production runs;
• lower-volume tray movement;
• or applications where more spacing is needed between trays.

A lower tier count also leaves more freedom to increase the distance between levels without making the trolley excessively tall.

This can be useful for larger bakery products or processes where good air circulation matters.

The reference load capacity for the standard 10-tier configuration is approximately 150–200 kg.

That is already substantial for many bakery operations.

For this reason, a 10-tier trolley should not automatically be considered a “small” or light-duty rack. The final capacity still depends on the frame, tray dimensions and product weight.

What is a 15-tier bakery trolley good for?

A 15-tier bakery trolley sits between compact bakery racks and higher-capacity industrial designs.

It can be a useful compromise when a 10-tier rack does not provide enough capacity but a 20-tier trolley would be unnecessarily tall or heavily loaded.

Typical uses may include:

• bread production;
• cake and pastry handling;
• hlađenje;
• production-line transfer;
• general food processing;
• medium- to high-volume bakery production.

The reference capacity of the standard 15-tier industrial trolley is approximately 200–250 kg.

For many factories, this type of trolley gives a good balance between tray capacity and maneuverability.

It also gives designers more flexibility with tray spacing than a 20-tier trolley of similar overall height.

If the bakery handles several different products, that flexibility can be useful.

When should you choose a 20-tier bakery trolley?

The 20-tier bakery trolley is commonly considered when production volume is high and maximizing tray capacity per trolley is important.

It can make sense in:

• industrial bakeries;
• large commercial bakeries;
• food factories;
• centralized production kitchens;
• cooling operations;
• and high-volume tray transfer.

The standard heavy-duty 20-tier configuration has a reference load capacity of approximately 250–300 kg.

That additional capacity can reduce the number of trolley movements required during production.

Međutim, a fully loaded 20-tier trolley also places more demand on the frame and casters.

The buyer should therefore consider the total working load rather than simply counting trays.

A 20-tier rack carrying lightweight pastries is very different from the same rack carrying heavily loaded food-processing trays.

What about a 30-tier bakery trolley?

A 30-tier bakery trolley is not part of the standard 6/10/15/20-tier configurations in the supplied specification, but customized designs can be produced up to approximately 30 tiers depending on requirements.

A high-capacity rack like this only makes sense when tray spacing allows it.

Thirty levels placed on a normal-height trolley will naturally reduce the distance between trays.

That may work for:

• thin products;
• empty-tray storage;
• certain drying processes;
• or applications where trays contain low-profile material.

It may not be suitable for tall bread, large pastries or products that need significant airflow.

This is a good example of why “more tiers” should not automatically be treated as “better”.

Tier count starts with product height

Before deciding between 10, 15 ili 20 levels, measure the product when it is actually on the tray.

Do not calculate spacing based only on the tray itself.

Consider:

• product height;
• expected expansion;
• whether trays are covered;
• whether airflow is required;
• whether operators need easy access;
• and whether trays must be removed quickly.

A rack used for flat cookies can usually use closer spacing than one carrying loaves of bread.

A drying trolley fitted with wire mesh trays may also require more open space to maintain ventilation.

The product range supports perforated baking trays, wire mesh drying trays and solid sheet trays, so the appropriate spacing can vary significantly with the process.

Trolley height sets another limit

The number of levels cannot be considered separately from overall trolley height.

Available reference heights include:

• 1000 mm
• 1200 mm
• 1500 mm
• 1700 mm
• 1800 mm
• 2000 mm

Custom heights are also available.

Suppose two buyers both want a 20-tier trolley.

One has a maximum trolley height of 2000 mm.

The other must stay below 1500 mm because of factory equipment.

Even though both request 20 tiers, the resulting tray spacing will be very different.

That may change whether 20 tiers are actually practical.

For this reason, an RFQ should ideally include both the number of tiers and the maximum overall trolley height.

Tray size affects how much a multi-tier trolley can carry

Tier count is only one part of trolley capacity.

Tray dimensions matter just as much.

The current product range is compatible with:

• 400 × 600 mm trays;
• 600 × 400 mm trays;
• 600 × 800 mm trays;
• and customized tray sizes.

A 20-tier trolley carrying 600 × 800 mm trays can potentially hold much more product than a 20-tier trolley using smaller trays.

That difference affects:

• total weight;
• frame dimensions;
• wheel requirements;
• maneuverability;
• and the amount of floor space needed.

So when comparing two “20-tray bakery racks”, always check the tray format.

The tray count alone does not tell you how large or heavy the rack really is.

Think about the operator as well

A high-capacity rack may look efficient on paper, but it still has to be used by people.

If the highest tray is difficult to reach, operators may avoid using it or load it unsafely.

This is particularly relevant for taller 20- or 30-tier trolleys.

The working height should suit the people handling the trays and the production process.

Sometimes a slightly lower trolley with fewer trays results in faster loading and unloading.

In other cases, maximizing tray count is more important because trolleys move automatically or are handled in a highly standardized production environment.

There is no universal answer.

The layout of the bakery matters.

Loaded weight matters more than empty weight

An empty stainless steel trolley may be easy to push.

Once 20 trays are loaded, the situation changes.

Reference capacities in the current range rise with the configuration:

These values are useful for initial selection, but the final load requirement should still be confirmed for customized projects.

The rack structure, wheel specification and welding need to match the expected working load.

If each tray carries 10 kg of product, adding five more levels can change the trolley load by another 50 kg before considering the weight of the trays themselves.

That is not a small difference.

Wheels become more important as capacity increases

The higher the load, the more attention should be paid to the casters.

The available trolley options include PU, rubber and nylon casters with 360-degree swivel movement. Two-wheel and four-wheel brake configurations are available.

For a lightly loaded 10-tier rack, caster requirements may be relatively straightforward.

For a 20-tier heavy-duty trolley, buyers should think about:

• full loaded weight;
• floor surface;
• turning frequency;
• travel distance;
• ramps or uneven areas;
• and whether the trolley needs to remain stationary during loading.

A rack with more trays is only useful if operators can still move it safely and smoothly.

10 tiers vs 15 tiers vs 20 tiers

A simple way to compare the three common options is:

This should not be treated as a fixed rule.

A 10-tier trolley can still be used in a large factory, while a 20-tier trolley can be used in a smaller bakery if the production process makes sense.

The product, tray and workflow are more important than the label.

Should every level have the same spacing?

Not necessarily.

Most bakery trolleys use regular spacing because it simplifies manufacturing and operation.

But customized projects may require a different approach.

For example, a customer could need:

• wider spacing for several lower levels;
• smaller spacing for flat trays above;
• special clearance around particular products;
• or a rack designed around several types of tray.

The manufacturing specification allows customization of product size, tray size, layer quantity and structure.

If the process has unusual requirements, it is better to design around those requirements rather than forcing the production line to use a standard rack.

High-capacity racks are not only for baking

Multi-tier stainless steel trolleys are also used outside conventional baking.

The same basic structure can support:

• pastry cooling;
• food drying;
• fruit drying;
• vegetable drying;
• herb drying;
• dehidracija hrane;
• production-line transfer;
• and temporary storage.

The ideal tier count may change depending on the application.

For drying, airflow can be more important than maximum tray density.

For internal transport, carrying more trays per trip may matter more.

For cooling, tray spacing and open circulation can be the priority.

This is why a “20-tier trolley” should always be described together with its intended use.

A better way to specify capacity

Instead of sending:

“Need 20 tier bakery trolley.”

a more useful inquiry would be:

Tray size: 600 × 400 mm
Product: bread
Required tray positions: 20
Preferred spacing: 80 mm
Maximum trolley height: 1900 mm
Nehrđajući čelik: 304
Estimated loaded weight: 180 kg
Primjena: cooling and internal transport
Quantity: 50 pcs

That information makes it much easier to determine whether 20 levels are appropriate.

It also reduces the risk of receiving a rack that technically holds 20 trays but does not work well with the actual product.

How many tiers should you choose?

For most buyers, there are four questions worth answering first:

How tall is the product on the tray?

How much spacing is needed between trays?

What is the maximum trolley height?

What will the trolley weigh when fully loaded?

Once those are known, choosing between a 10-, 15- and 20-tier rack becomes much easier.

If none of the standard configurations fit the process, customized layer quantities can be produced within the supported range.

A bakery trolley should not be judged by how many shelves can physically be fitted onto the frame.

What matters is how many trays can be used efficiently during real production.