# Line check template: temperatures, pars and labels before service

*Guides · Mays Team · October 10, 2026*

![The Task Data page in Mays for the Line check form at the North location, one row per submitted line check from October 1 to 5, 2026, with the grill lowboy, soup well, salad cold well and steam table temperatures, the labeled-and-dated and at-par answers, and who submitted each one](https://mays-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/site/blog__kitchen-line-check-template__cover.f97fe43f7b.png)

A line check is the ten minutes before service when the chef or kitchen lead walks every station and asks four questions: is the food at the right temperature, is there enough of it, is it labeled and in date, and is the station ready to cook. It's the last chance to fix a lowboy running warm or a half-empty sauce before the first ticket prints.

This template is for a small restaurant with four stations: grill, fry, sauté and cold (salads and sandwiches), plus the expo window. Rename them to match your line.

*This is general information, not legal advice. Your health department and your equipment manuals have the final word.*

## The rules a line check covers

Section numbers are from the [2022 FDA Food Code](https://www.fda.gov/food/fda-food-code/food-code-2022); check which edition your state enforces. The FDA has since published a 2026 edition; the rules quoted below haven't changed in substance in it.

- **Cold and hot holding.** Time/temperature control for safety (TCS) food is kept *"At 57°C (135°F) or above"* or *"At 5°C (41°F) or less"* (§3-501.16(A)). A line check probes the **food**, not just the unit's dial.
- **Date marks.** Ready-to-eat TCS food made in-house and held more than 24 hours is marked with the date it must be used or thrown out, *"for a maximum of 7 days. The day of preparation shall be counted as Day 1"* (§3-501.17(A)). Food past its date, or with no date, is discarded (§3-501.18(A)).
- **Labels.** Working containers of ingredients taken out of their packages, *"such as cooking oils, flour, herbs, potato flakes, salt, spices, and sugar shall be identified with the common name of the FOOD"* (§3-302.12), unless the food is unmistakable, like dry pasta.
- **Thermometers.** A Fahrenheit-only probe *"shall be accurate to ±2°F in the intended range of use"* (§4-203.11(B)), and probes *"shall be calibrated in accordance with manufacturer's specifications as necessary to ensure their accuracy"* (§4-502.11(B)).
- **Sanitizer.** *"Concentration of the SANITIZING solution shall be accurately determined by using a test kit or other device"* (§4-501.116), at the concentration on the product's label.
- **Utensils.** Cutting boards and tongs used with TCS food are cleaned *"throughout the day at least every 4 hours"* (§4-602.11(C)), so the line check is a good moment to swap them.

How to log temperatures over the day, and when sensors beat a clipboard, is in [food temperature logs for a new café](https://www.mays.app/blog/food-temperature-logs-new-cafe). Hot-holding and cooling mistakes are in [hot-holding and cooling](https://www.mays.app/blog/hot-holding-cooling-food-safety-cafe). What each station should look like when a new cook takes it over is in the station training checklist for [hiring a line cook](https://www.mays.app/blog/hiring-a-line-cook-job-description-stage-station-training).

## The template

**Proof** is a **temperature** for every reading, **yes/no** for labels and pars, and a **photo** where it helps the chef check from the pass.

### Before you start (kitchen lead)

| Check | Proof |
| --- | --- |
| Probe thermometer checked against the maker's calibration method; reads within ±2°F | Yes / No |
| Probe cleaned and sanitized | Yes / No |
| Sanitizer buckets at every station made and tested | Number (ppm) |
| Handwash sinks: soap, towels, nothing stored in them | Yes / No |

### Station by station

| Station | Check | Target | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Grill | Raw burger patties in the lowboy drawer (probe the food) | 41°F or below | Temperature |
| Grill | Raw chicken stored below and away from ready-to-eat food | Separate | Yes / No |
| Grill | Sliced cheese, tomatoes, onions at par, labeled and dated | At par | Yes / No |
| Fry | Fryer oil level and quality; oil changed if dark or foaming | OK | Yes / No |
| Fry | Battered and breaded items at par; batter dated | At par | Yes / No |
| Sauté | Mise en place (shallots, garlic, herbs, sauces) labeled and dated | All labeled | Yes / No |
| Sauté | Soup or sauce in the bain-marie (probe the food) | 135°F or above | Temperature |
| Cold | Salad and sandwich cold well (probe the food) | 41°F or below | Temperature |
| Cold | Cut greens, dressings, deli meats dated; nothing past Day 7 | In date | Yes / No |
| Expo | Steam table or hot well (probe each pan) | 135°F or above | Temperature |
| Expo | Plates, ramekins, garnish and tickets rail ready | Ready | Photo |

### Taste and finish

| Check | Proof |
| --- | --- |
| Sauces, soups and dressings tasted; seasoning adjusted | Yes / No |
| 86 list agreed with the front of house before doors open | Text |
| Line check signed by the kitchen lead | Signature |

## When a reading fails

Write down the reading, then what you did. That second line is what an inspector looks for.

| Problem | Do this now |
| --- | --- |
| Cold item above 41°F | Check how long it may have been warm. If you can't show it was cold recently, discard it. Fix or empty the unit before restocking. |
| Hot item below 135°F | Reheat or discard per your hot-holding procedure; don't top up a cold pan with hot product. |
| No date, or past Day 7 | Discard. Re-prep and date it. |
| Unlabeled container | Label it with the common name, or throw it out if nobody can say what it is. |
| Below par | Add it to the prep list, and tell the front of house if it may run out. |
| Probe reads off | Recalibrate per the maker's instructions, or switch to a backup probe. |

For tracking what you throw away, see [the waste log](https://www.mays.app/blog/cafe-food-waste-log). For how much to prep, see [par levels, counts and ordering](https://www.mays.app/blog/cafe-inventory-par-levels-counts-ordering).

## Run it as a form, not a checklist

A plain checklist accepts "41" and "48" equally. The line check works better as a form that knows the targets.

In Mays, build it once under **Tasks → Types** (the **Task Types** page):

1. Click **New task type** and name it *Line check*. You can start from the **Temperature log** preset and add to it.
2. Click **Add field** for each row. Use a **Section header** per station, a **Temperature** field for every reading, **Yes / No** for labels and pars, **Photo**, **Text** for the 86 list and **Signature** at the end.
3. On each **Temperature** field, set the **Pass range**: *min OK* 33 and *max OK* 41 for cold items, *min OK* 135 for hot. A reading outside the range shows **Out of range** as the cook enters it. On iPhone the label appears only when both ends are set, so give hot items a high *max OK* too (for example 212).
4. Click **Create**.

Then put it on a schedule: in a checklist template under **Tasks → Templates**, add a task *Line check before lunch*, set its answer type to **Custom form** and pick *Line check* under **Task Type** in the task's **Edit Task** window. Set the template to **Daily** with a **Visibility Window** of, say, 10:30 to 11:15 AM, and add a second task for dinner if you have one. Picking a form needs access to **Tasks → Types**, which admins have by default.

## Where Mays fits

- **Out-of-range readings stand out** while the cook fills in the form, on the phone, before service.
- **Every line check is kept.** **Tasks → Data** (**Task Data**) lists each submitted form, one column per field (photos and signatures aside), for the dates you pick, and **Export CSV** downloads it for an inspector.
- **Alerts for the readings that matter.** Under **Insights → Alerts & Reports**, a **Task Form Field Threshold** alert notifies people when a temperature on the form is at or above (or at or below) your limit, every time a form crosses it.
- **Coolers between line checks.** Wireless thermometers record the walk-in and reach-ins every five minutes and alert your team when one runs warm. See [temperature alerts](https://www.mays.app/help/food-safety-devices/temperature-alerts).

Two limits to know: a plain **Number** answer on a checklist task isn't checked against its **Min Value** and **Max Value**, which is why the temperatures go in a form; and a new form is filled in in the iPhone or Android app, not on the web.

## Walk the line every day

Build the form, put it on the daily list, and the chef can see the morning's line check from the pass before the first ticket.

[**Start your free trial**](https://go.mays.app/register): 30 days, every module, no card needed. Or [book a walkthrough](https://www.mays.app/book?from=blog-kitchen-line-check-template) and we'll build your line check form with you.

## Related help articles

- Tasks & checklists: [Building custom forms (Task Types)](https://www.mays.app/help/tasks-checklists/custom-form-task-types) — Build your own task forms, like a cash count, a temperature log or a waste log, under Tasks → Types. Staff fill them in the app, and every answer lands in Task Data, ready to export.
- Tasks & checklists: [Task Data: viewing and exporting form answers](https://www.mays.app/help/tasks-checklists/task-data-export) — Tasks → Data lists every answer submitted on a custom form, like a cash count or temperature log, one row per submission, and downloads them as a CSV file.
- Tasks & checklists: [Creating a checklist template](https://www.mays.app/help/tasks-checklists/create-a-checklist-template) — Build an opening, closing or cleaning checklist once as a template — groups, tasks and answer types — and Mays turns it into your team's task list in the app.
- Reports & insights: [Alerts and scheduled reports](https://www.mays.app/help/reports-insights/alerts-and-scheduled-reports) — Get a notification when labor runs hot, a vendor raises a price or a form reading is out of range, and have a labor, prime cost or vendor spend summary emailed every week or month.
- Tasks & checklists: [Task answer types](https://www.mays.app/help/tasks-checklists/task-response-types) — Every task has an answer type that decides how staff complete it. Tick a box, take a photo, enter a number or text, pick an option, record a location, count stock or fill in a form.
- Food safety & signage: [Temperature thresholds and alerts](https://www.mays.app/help/food-safety-devices/temperature-alerts) — Set a safe range and an alert delay for each thermometer. When a unit stays out of range, Mays creates a task at that location and notifies whoever is on shift.

Canonical: https://www.mays.app/blog/kitchen-line-check-template