KOT Format for Restaurants
Type the table, waiter and items, and print a kitchen order ticket on a 58 mm or 80 mm thermal printer, or as an A5 page for a KOT book. You can also print blank KOT pages to use by hand.
What is a KOT?
A KOT, or kitchen order ticket, is the slip that tells the kitchen what to cook. The waiter takes the order at the table, writes or prints the KOT, and the kitchen cooks from it. Later the bill is made from the same items.
A good KOT format is short. The cook needs the table, the items, the quantity and any special request, all readable from a metre away. Prices, GST and the restaurant’s address don’t belong on a KOT.
Fields in a standard KOT format
- KOT number, so every ticket can be matched to a bill later
- Date and time, which also tells you how long an order waited
- Table number, or takeaway / delivery with a token number
- Waiter or captain who took the order
- Items with quantity, one per line
- Notes like less spicy, no onion, Jain, extra cheese
KOT book or KOT printer?
| Handwritten KOT book | KOT printed from a POS | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to start | A few hundred rupees | Thermal printer and software |
| Reading the order | Depends on handwriting | Clear print every time |
| Items added later | New slip, easy to miss | Prints only the new items |
| More than one kitchen | Copy by hand for each | Each station gets its own items |
| Matching KOT to bill | By hand at closing | Bill is made from the KOT itself |
A KOT book is fine for a small place in its first months. Once there are several waiters or a busy dinner rush, the gap between what was cooked and what was billed starts costing more than a printer.
Questions owners ask
What is a KOT in a restaurant?
KOT stands for Kitchen Order Ticket. It is the slip the waiter or cashier sends to the kitchen with the table number and the items to cook. The kitchen cooks only from the KOT, and the bill is made later from the same items, so what was cooked and what was charged match.
What should a KOT format have?
KOT number, date and time, table number or order type (dine-in, takeaway, delivery), the waiter’s name, and each item with its quantity and any special note like "less spicy" or "no onion". Prices are not needed on a KOT. The kitchen doesn’t need them, and leaving them off keeps the slip short.
Is a KOT the same as a bill?
No. A KOT goes to the kitchen and has no prices or tax. The bill goes to the customer and has prices, GST and the total. One table can have several KOTs (starters first, then main course) but gets one bill at the end.
Can I use a KOT book instead of a printer?
Yes, many small restaurants start with a carbon KOT book: one copy to the kitchen, one stays with the cashier. It works, but handwriting gets misread, copies get lost, and at night someone has to match KOTs to bills by hand. That matching is where missed items and unbilled orders usually hide.
What size paper does a KOT printer use?
Most kitchens use a 58 mm or 80 mm thermal roll. 80 mm fits longer item names and is easier for the cook to read from a distance. 58 mm printers are cheaper and fine for short menus and small counters.
How does a POS print KOTs?
When the waiter saves an order on the POS, the KOT prints in the kitchen straight away. If you have more than one kitchen station, each station gets only its own items, for example the tandoor gets the naan and the bar gets the drinks. Added items print as a new KOT, so the kitchen only sees what is new.
Guides and tools
Updated November 2026 · The KOT is made in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us.