Guide
What is a KOT (kitchen order ticket)?
A KOT (kitchen order ticket) is the slip that tells the kitchen what to cook for an order: the table or order number, each item and quantity, and any special instructions. It is not the guest's bill.
What a KOT shows
A KOT carries only what the kitchen needs to cook an order correctly and get it to the right guest:
- the table number, or an order number for takeaway
- the time the order was placed
- each item with its quantity, size and add-ons
- special instructions, such as “less spicy” or “no onion”
- who the order is for, or who took it
Good KOTs are short and easy to read at a glance: large item names, quantities first and instructions on their own line, so a busy cook doesn’t miss them. Leave out anything the kitchen doesn’t need, such as prices and payment details. Many kitchens also number KOTs in sequence, which makes a missing ticket easy to spot and helps when matching tickets to bills at the end of the day. Mark takeaway KOTs clearly, so a packed order doesn’t end up on a dine-in table, or the other way round.
How KioSync helps: KioSync KOTs carry the guest’s name, which guests enter when they order from the table QR, so the right plate reaches the right person.
KOT vs bill
A KOT and a bill describe the same order for two different readers: the kitchen and the guest.
| KOT | Bill | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Tells the kitchen what to cook | Tells the guest what to pay |
| Who sees it | Kitchen staff | The guest, and your accounts |
| Prices | Usually none | Every item’s price and the total |
| GST | Not shown | Shown on the bill or tax invoice |
| When it’s made | As soon as the order is placed | When the guest asks for the bill or pays |
Keeping the two separate lets the kitchen start cooking straight away, while the bill waits until the guest is ready to pay. When a table orders in rounds, each round gets its own KOT, so the kitchen sees new items as soon as they’re ordered. The KOT is also what staff check when a guest asks about a dish that hasn’t arrived, so keep it until the order has been served.
Handwritten, printed or on a screen
Many restaurants start with a handwritten KOT book. The server writes the order, tears off the top copy for the kitchen and keeps the carbon copy for the bill. It costs almost nothing, but handwriting can be misread, slips go missing in a rush, and every order has to be carried to the kitchen by hand.
A printed KOT comes from the ordering or billing system as soon as the order is placed, so it is legible and reaches the kitchen without anyone walking it in. A kitchen display goes a step further: orders appear on a screen in the kitchen, cooks mark them as they progress, and no paper is needed. Some kitchens keep both, for example a screen on the main line and printed tickets for a separate counter, or a printer as a backup. With QR ordering, nobody has to write the order down at all, because guests send it from their phone; see how QR ordering works.
If you’re moving from handwritten KOTs, run the old and new methods side by side for a few days, and check that every item and note comes through before you put the KOT book away.
How KioSync helps: the kitchen display shows every order in real time, and with the KioSync Windows app, KOTs print to your thermal printers as well, so you can use either or both.
How KOTs work in KioSync
With the KioSync Windows app and a LAN thermal printer, a KOT prints as soon as a cash order is placed, and the bill prints once the order is paid. Online orders print both once they’re paid, so the kitchen never starts on an unpaid online order. The app prints while it’s signed in with an owner, manager or counter staff login.
Each print job is claimed by one device, so two computers never print the same ticket twice. KOTs and bills can go to different printers, for example KOTs to the kitchen and bills to the counter. If a ticket is lost or smudged, staff can reprint it from the admin panel.
The same order also appears on the KioSync kitchen display, so you can run printed KOTs, the screen or both. More on KOT and bill printing.
Choosing a KOT printer
Most restaurants print KOTs on a thermal printer, which needs no ink: it prints onto heat-sensitive paper rolls. Rolls 80 mm wide are a common choice for kitchen tickets, because they leave room for large, readable text. A printer that cuts the paper automatically saves tearing tickets by hand during a rush.
A network (LAN) printer connects to your router by cable, so it can sit in the kitchen without a computer next to it, and every device that prints to it can share it. Place it away from heat and steam, which can darken thermal paper, keep spare rolls close by, and make sure someone notices when it runs out of paper. If KOTs and bills print on separate printers, label each one, so staff load the right paper and know where each ticket comes out.
How KioSync helps: the KioSync Windows app prints to network thermal printers that accept ESC/POS on port 9100, and the receipt you print from the browser is sized for 80 mm printers. The desktop app is Windows-only; there is no Mac version yet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the full form of KOT?
KOT stands for kitchen order ticket. It is the slip, printed or on a screen, that tells the kitchen what to cook for an order.
Is a KOT the same as a bill?
No. A KOT tells the kitchen what to cook and usually shows no prices, while the bill tells the guest what to pay, with prices, tax and the total.
Do I still need printed KOTs with a kitchen display?
Not necessarily. A kitchen display can replace printed KOTs, but some kitchens keep both, for example a screen on the main line and printed tickets at a separate counter.
What printer do I need for KOTs?
Most restaurants print KOTs on an 80 mm thermal printer. For automatic printing with the KioSync Windows app, choose a network (LAN) thermal printer that accepts ESC/POS on port 9100.
Should a KOT show prices?
Generally no. The kitchen needs to know what to cook, not what it costs, and leaving prices off keeps the ticket short and easy to read.