Short answer
Buy stainless for general prep, hot pans and wet areas: it is non-porous, heat-tolerant and easy to sanitize. Buy a poly top table when staff cut directly on the surface, such as for butchery or portioning, because the polyethylene top is gentle on knife edges. Many kitchens have both.
Do not cut directly on stainless. It dulls knives quickly and scratches the surface, and a loose cutting board on steel can slide.
A poly top should not take hot pans, and it scores with use. Deep grooves are hard to clean, so the top needs resurfacing or replacing once it is heavily scored; on many tables the top can be replaced on its own.
Check that the poly surface is rated for food contact, and that the frame underneath is stainless or otherwise suited to a wet kitchen.
Updated · By Norpex