Food Preparation Counters  Prep tables, counters, and cutting surfaces are essential to any commercial kitchen and come in various sizes. Choose preparation surfaces made of stainless steel. Stainless steel is sturdy against corrosion, resists attack from food and meat juices, and can withstand the harsh cleaning products used in commercial kitchens. As for cutting surfaces, choose either plastic or wooden cutting boards. Plastic boards are easier to sanitize but can develop deep grooves that can hide bacteria. Wooden boards are generally tougher than plastic ones and don’t develop grooves as easily. 3. Slicers Slicers are often tasked with cutting meat, cheese, or other foods with speed and precision. If you need to purchase a slicer, consider how often you’ll need to use it. If your slicing is low volume or infrequent, a manual food slicer is a better, less expensive option. However, for larger amounts of food or foods that need to be cut to specific proportions, choose an electric slicer instead. Electric slicers are automatic, which can save you time and labor. Moreover, most electric slicers allow you to turn off the automatic function and operate the machine manually.