Buyer’s Guide: Commercial Refrigeration

As one of the most utilized pieces of equipment in a restaurant, the right refrigerator for your needs is essential. Food is the (literal) bread and butter of every restaurant, and the only way to keep everything fresh is with refrigeration and freezing. Commercial refrigeration comes in all sizes and uses, to accommodate every type of cold storage need. Sometimes you need an easy-to-reach undercounter unit; in other cases, you may need a heavy-duty walk-in freezer. The folks here at Teamstaurant are here to help you choose the best option for your business and kitchen needs. 

Undercounter Fridge and Freezers

This unit gives you the quickest access to your needs! It’s usually placed right beneath food preparation tables. Need to make a few sandwiches or salads for the lunch rush? The undercounter fridge or freezer is perfect for storing lettuce, tomatoes, dressings, and other grab and go ingredients. This is where you should store ingredients that you want to keep within easy reach, or your most used ingredients These types of units save floor space because they can fit right under any prep table. Undercounter fridges are most used in sandwich shops, health food stores, and catering business.

Single Door Reach-In Fridge and Freezers

Typically found in mom-and-pop restaurants, single door reach in refrigerators and freezers are great for storing the supplies that your business will use throughout that day. Their ideal placement is at the end of a cooking area because it allows for easy access to your daily supplies, like plate garnishes, prepared meats, and produce. With this placement, you can quickly and easily reach essential items for the day, enabling you to serve food easier and faster. Single door reach ins can hold up to a weeks’ worth of supplies and are best restocked at the end of the week.

Multiple Door Reach-In Fridge and Freezers

This unit is usually found in a mid-size pizzeria, restaurant, bar, or bistro, located in the prep area in the back-of-house. Multiple door reach in fridge or freezers are the best place to store bulk items and pre-prepped meals or ingredients, like packages dressings, pans of seasoned meat or fish, or products that has already been chopped to perfection. These units can hold up to two weeks of product and should be restocked from a walk-in unit weekly as needed.

 Walk In Coolers and Freezers

As mentioned above, walk-in units are for storing bulk inventory for restocking. These units are also found in the back of-house, and they’re the most important part of a large kitchen operation. When a delivery truck makes its rounds to a local institutional cafeteria, all the crates of ingredients, meat, produce, etc. get delivered directly to the walk-in. This makes for less traffic in the typical kitchen because everything can be found in, and distributed from, one central location. This unit can hold supplies for your kitchen for typically up to one month.