Cambro Food Storage, Carriers & Shelving

Which Cambro line fits your business?

Cambro makes plastic and polymer foodservice products, from food pans and trays to insulated carriers, beverage dispensers, carts and shelving. Start with the job, then pick the line:

Cambro warranty by product line

Cambro warrants its products against defects in material and workmanship under normal foodservice use. Most lines carry a 3-year prorated warranty from the product ship date, and some lines are longer or shorter:

How "prorated" works: within the first year a defective product is replaced free. Between years 1 and 2 you get a credit of 2/3 off the original price toward a replacement, and between years 2 and 3 a credit of 1/3.

• The warranty covers the original buyer in the continental United States and Canada. Abuse or misuse voids it, and so does use in a non-commercial or residential setting.
• Only products marked "High-Heat" are microwave safe.
• Electrical equipment: Cambro pays normal repair charges within 50 miles of an authorized service agency during regular working hours. Extra travel, overtime and preventive maintenance or cleaning are not covered.

Sources: Cambro "Limited Product Warranty USA and Canada", cambro.com Warranty page (checked October 27, 2026).

How to read a Cambro item number

• Food pans: the first digit is the size (1 full, 2 half, 3 third, 4 fourth, 6 sixth, 9 ninth) and the second is the depth (2 = 2-1/2", 4, 6 or 8 inches). CW is Camwear polycarbonate, HP is the amber H-Pan high heat line and PP is translucent polypropylene.
• Color code: most Cambro item numbers end in a 3-digit color code, for example 110 black, 131 dark brown, 135 clear, 148 white, 157 coffee beige, 158 hot red, 186 navy blue, 191 granite gray, 401 slate blue and 480 speckled gray. The same product in another color has a different item number.
• Camshelving: CPU243672V4480 = Camshelving Premium stationary starter unit, 24" deep x 36" wide x 72" high, 4 vented shelves, speckled gray. CPA is a Premium add-on unit, CPMU a mobile unit, EXU/EXA Elements, CBU Basics Plus and EST an Elements XTRA track system.
• Carriers and dispensers: UPC300, UPC400 and UPC1600 are Ultra Pan Carriers and Ultra Camcarts of growing capacity; 100LCD, 250LCD, 500LCD and 1000LCD are Camtainers of 1.5, 2.5, 4.75 and 11.75 gallons; UC250, UC500 and UC1000 are Ultra Camtainers.
• Camracks: the leading number is the compartment count, S marks a full-size and HS a half-size rack (for example 36S738110 = 36 compartments, black).

Sources: Cambro Camwear Pans product page (cambro.com, checked October 27, 2026) and Cambro item numbers and titles in our catalog.

Who makes Cambro?

Cambro Manufacturing Company makes Cambro products. Brothers Argyle and William Campbell founded the company in 1951 in Los Angeles, California, and their first product was the Camtray. Cambro says it is still family owned and is now led by William's son, Argyle Campbell, as president.

Cambro's headquarters is at 5801 Skylab Road, Huntington Beach, CA 92647 (phone 800-833-3003). According to Cambro, 99 percent of the Cambro products sold in North America are made in the US, in its facilities in California and North Carolina, and it employs more than 850 people in the US. It also has production and sales sites in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, including Presswerk Kongen in Germany and Cambro-Özay in Turkey.

Sources: cambro.com "The Cambro Story", Contact Us and Sustainability pages (checked October 27, 2026).

Food safety, BPA and ENERGY STAR

• NSF: Cambro says the vast majority of its food contact items are NSF listed; each product page here shows the listing in its spec table.
• ISO and ETL: Cambro holds an ISO quality management certification, and its electric products carry the ETL safety mark.
• BPA: BPA is found in Cambro products made of polycarbonate (Camwear). Cambro's polypropylene and polyethylene containers, ABS products and most of its SAN tumblers do not contain BPA. If you need BPA-free storage, choose the translucent polypropylene (PP) or white polyethylene lines.
• Camshelving: polypropylene shelves with a steel core and molded-in antimicrobial protection.
• ENERGY STAR: 10 Cambro electric hot food holding models (Pro Cart Ultra and heated Ultra Pan Carriers) are listed in the ENERGY STAR Certified Commercial Hot Food Holding Cabinets dataset.

Sources: cambro.com "The Cambro Story" and Camshelving Premium Series pages; Cambro "Bisphenol A (BPA) Information", November 29, 2023; ENERGY STAR open data, Commercial Hot Food Holding Cabinets (checked October 27, 2026).

Choosing Cambro food pans, carriers and shelving

• Food pans: clear Camwear pans show the contents and work from -40°F to 210°F, so use them for cold prep and storage. Use the amber H-Pan high heat pans for hot holding and steam tables, and translucent polypropylene pans when you want BPA-free storage.
• Insulated carriers: top loaders carry a few pans to a drop-off; front loaders and Ultra Camcarts on casters move a full event. Cambro rates its front loading carriers for 4+ hours of safe holding. For longer service or holding at a set temperature, look at electric Pro Cart Ultra carts.
• Beverage dispensers: size the Camtainer to the event. A 2.5-gallon unit holds about 40 eight-ounce cups, a 4.75-gallon unit about 76 and an 11.75-gallon unit about 188.
• Camshelving: Premium is the heavy-duty, fully adjustable series; Elements and Elements XTRA add the track system for high-density storage; Basics Plus is the value series. Measure the walk-in or storeroom, then choose the depth (14" to 24") and height before the length.

Is Cambro a good brand?

Cambro has made foodservice products for more than 70 years. Its range is wide, most of it is made in the US, and its plastics are built for commercial dishwashers and daily use. Prorated warranties of 2 to 5 years and the lifetime rust warranty on Camshelving back that up.

The trade-offs: the warranties are prorated after the first year rather than full replacement, polycarbonate (Camwear) contains BPA, and only products marked High-Heat are microwave safe. Insulated carriers hold temperature for hours but do not heat or cool unless you choose an electric model.

Cambro vs Carlisle, Rubbermaid and Vigor

Buyers often compare Cambro with Carlisle, Rubbermaid and Vigor for food storage containers, food pans and trays. When you compare, check the same points for each product:

• The material and temperature range (polycarbonate, polypropylene or polyethylene), and whether the product contains BPA.
• The NSF listing and whether it is dishwasher safe.
• The warranty term and whether it is prorated.
• Whether lids and parts are interchangeable with what you already own.

For carriers, beverage dispensers and shelving, compare capacity, holding time and load rating on the spec sheet. Call 201-467-8222 and we can compare specific models for you.

Buying Cambro from Atlantic

• Freight is quoted at checkout; delivery is free within 50 miles of our Kearny, NJ warehouse. See our shipping policy.
• See equipment at our 50,000 sq. ft. showroom and warehouse in Kearny, NJ.
• Financing up to $50K for single units or a full kitchen.
• Send an equipment list for a project quote, or call a specialist at 201-467-8222, Monday to Saturday, 8 AM to 5 PM ET.