7 Commercial Refrigeration Essentials for Every Budget

It’s no secret that commercial refrigeration is an essential part of any business, regardless of type, size or budget. Whether you’re a restaurant looking to store food at the right temperature, a grocery store needing to display items in their best form, or need reliable storage for your products and perishables, commercial refrigeration is an investment that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Knowing where to start regarding commercial refrigeration can be difficult, as many options and factors must be considered. That’s why we’ve gathered together this guide to commercial refrigeration essentials for every budget, so you can ensure you get the best value for money when choosing commercial refrigeration units.

Getting the best commercial refrigeration is essential, as it can make or break your business. Refrigeration is expensive, and making the wrong choice could cost you more in the long term. That’s why it’s essential to consider several factors when selecting commercial refrigeration, such as size, use, and any additional features you may want.
With so many commercial refrigeration brands available, some offering a general range of equipment aimed for every type and use, others specialising in specific areas, there are no clear cut lines or boundaries that separate different budget ranges. When addressing certain high value pieces of equipment, even models suggested for businesses on a budget can still be pricey. Equipment suggested as premium options will, in many, but not all cases, be manufactured using higher quality materials with additional specifications and features as well as having a longer commercial warranty than lower priced alternatives.

Regarding commercial refrigeration, the most common type of unit is an upright fridge or freezer. Upright fridges and freezers are an excellent solution for many businesses, offering reliable storage with easy access. Here are three commercial upright fridges for different budgets.

The Foster EP1440H G3 EcoPro upright fridge is a great choice for chilled storage, offering a range of features to ensure your products are stored at the right temperature. With the Fuzzy Logic II touch-sensitive control panel and audible/visual temperature alarms, you can be sure your product is held at the right temperature. Foster also offer self-closing doors and a stainless steel interior, making it a great commercial fridge for any business.
 

The Interlevin CAR900 solid door fridge is an excellent choice if you’re looking for value for money. This unit features fully automatic operation and adjustable shelves, giving you greater control over product storage layout. It also has fan-assisted cooling and improved insulation, which ensures energy efficiency and even heat distribution throughout the unit, helping to save on running costs. This unit is supplied with a 2 year parts only warranty as standard however additional 1 or 2 year labour cover can be added if required.

If you’re working with a tight budget, the Koldbox KXR1200SS ventilated fridge offers excellent value for money. This unit is designed to provide reliable chilled storage, with adjustable shelves and internal rounded corners for easy cleaning. It also has self-closing doors that stop at a dwell position.
Many storage fridges also have corresponding storage freezer models designed to the same style for continuity between kitchen refrigeration equipment.

In addition to storage fridges, commercial display units are also available. Display refrigeration is ideal for creating an eye-catching display of products on shop fronts and commercial premises, helping you attract customers and increase sales. Here are three commercial display fridges for different budgets.

LED lighting inside this commercial display fridge highlights your product range and increases visibility, making it ideal for shop fronts. The True GDM-23-HC-TSL01 Glass Door Display Fridge has a self-closing double pane thermal insulated glass door, ensuring energy efficiency and helping you save money on running costs. The durable, easy to clean interior and exterior make this commercial display unit not only hardwearing but attractive for an enhanced display. This True merchandiser is sold with a massive 5 year commercial full parts and labour warranty.

The Interlevin CEV425CP glass door fridge features a stylish design that will draw customers in. This commercial display fridge has adjustable shelves, giving you greater control over product display. It also offers an easy-to-read temperature display to ensure efficiently monitor chilled conditions. With vertical LED interior lights and an LED light canopy products are always presented in the best light. This model is available with a choice of black or white finish.

The Polar DM075 glass door fridge is an excellent choice for businesses on a budget. This display chiller features adjustable shelves for personalisation of the display depending on the products you stock and a lockable door, helping protect your product from theft or tampering.

Whether running a bar, restaurant or commercial premises, bottle and wine coolers can help keep your product range at the right temperature. Here are three commercial bottle coolers and wine coolers for different budgets.

Bottle Coolers

The Autonumis RVC00001 EcoChill bottle cooler, provides reliable cold storage for commercial beverages. This unit is ECA Approved Claim 100% Tax Relief. It also has an adjustable shelving system, giving you greater control over product placement. Additionally, it boasts a fan-assisted cooling system that helps maintain consistent temperatures throughout the unit. Enhanced thermal insulation and large compressor for faster temperature pull down times along with the 2 year parts and labour commercial warranty makes this a great investment.

The Blizzard BAR2 bottle cooler offers excellent value for money. This bar fridge has a temperature range of +4°C to +12°C, allowing you to store your drinks at the perfect serving temperature. It also features adjustable shelves and a lockable door, helping to protect your product from theft or tampering. Models available with hinged or sliding doors to facilitate easy access and minimum obstruction in any bar layout. Also an ECA approved product, this is one of the more popular bottle coolers that we sell.

The Prodis NT2BH bottle cooler is an excellent choice if you’re working with a tight budget. This unit provides consistent temperatures between 0°C and 5°C and adjustable shelving to help you easily customise product display. It also boasts improved insulation which ensures energy efficiency and low running costs.

Wine Coolers

The Osborne 267EW wine cooler offers reliable cold storage with adjustable shelves and a fan-assisted rapid cooling system that helps maintain consistent temperatures throughout the unit. This commercial wine cooler also has digital controls, allowing you to adjust the temperature range between 1°C and 5ºC easily. Additionally, it has lockable doors to help protect your product from over-excited drinkers. British made, Osborne bottle coolers feature a maintenance free condenser that requires less attention than other wine fridges.

Whether running a bar or commercial premises, the commercial Tefcold FS1380WB wine cooler is an excellent choice for businesses who want value for money. This unit features 6 adjustable shelves and a temperature range from 2°C to 10°C, allowing you to store your wines at the optimum temperature. It also boasts LED lighting and fan-assisted cooling for efficient energy consumption and low running costs. Supplied with a 2 year parts only warranty as standard to keep costs low, additional labour cover is available to purchase.

The Prodis XW380 wine cooler offers reliable cold storage for pubs and bars on a budget. This commercial wine fridge features fan-assisted cooling for easy temperature adjustment and adjustable shelving, helping you customise product storage depending on your stock. A 2 year parts only warranty is supplied as standard.

For commercial premises that need to store a variety of products in an easy 'grab and go' style, multidecks or open fronted chillers are an invaluable tool. Here are three commercial multi-decks for different budgets.

The Williams GEM SCS lockable multi-deck is the perfect choice for businesses that require reliable cold storage. This commercial multi-tiered fridge features adjustable shelves and LED strip lighting to enhance chilled display. It also has digital controls and lockable doors. Additionally, advanced airflow technology and a honeycomb shaped profile to reduce air impurities and humidity and boost the function of the protective front air curtain, for efficient energy consumption, low running costs and optimum cooling.

The Tefcold Galaxy+ multidecks offer excellent value for money with adjustable shelves set to be flat or angled and electronic controller, allowing you to adjust the temperature range easily. Models are available in black with doors or black without doors, white with doors or white without doors and stainless steel with doors or stainless steel without doors - a great value-for-money choice with the option to enhance energy efficiency.

The Zoin CERVINHO multideck is an excellent choice for those on a tight budget. This open fronted fridge features adjustable shelves, allowing you to customise product storage temperatures easily. Additionally, it boasts glass end panels with interior LED lights to showcase your products in an attractive panoramic display.

Alpine remote multidecks offer reliable cold storage for commercial premises that prefer a remote refrigeration system.

Serve-over counters are essential commercial equipment, enabling easy product access while maintaining consistent temperatures and an appealing display for customers. Here are three commercial serveover counters for different budgets.

The Mafirol EUROMINI FV-VCR serve over counter is a practical choice for businesses that require reliable cold storage, with freestanding placement and curved glass and fitted with electronic control for ease. Including refrigerated understorage, ambient display shelf, marble back shelf and available in a choice of widths, products can be clearly and attractively displayed and served.

The Igloo TOBI-NEO serve-over counter with curved front glass is a great choice for delis and supermarkets etc. looking for value for money. It features refrigerated understorage and an invaluable defogging feature to maintain a clear display. Available in a range of widths with white fluorescent lighting, the TOBI features a pull out compressor to aid with servicing and maintenance. Igloo supply a 2 year parts only commercial warranty as standard however additional labour cover is available.

The Blizzard BCG-WH serve over counter offers foodservice premises an affordable solution to cold display and service needs. This fridge counter features attractive curved glass and additional under storage space, stainless steel back shelf and intermediate glass shelf - perfect for any business on a budget.

For professional catering and restaurant kitchens that need reliable cold storage for prepared food, prep counters are invaluable pieces of commercial equipment. Here are three commercial prep counters for different budgets.

The True TSSU-48-12 refrigerated prep counter is a great choice for businesses that require reliable cold storage. Featuring foamed-in-place Ecomate polyurethan insulation to the lid and hood consistent, reliable temperatures between 0.5°C to 5°C can be achieved. Designed with an extra deep full-width removable cutting board and including a 5 year full manufacturer parts and labour warranty, the True TSSU-48-12 is a fantastic buy.

The Inomak ZNV99-HC refrigerated prep counter is perfect for catering and restaurant ktichens looking for value for money. With cabinet shelving and top GN storage, this commercial prep counter allows ensures easy access to regularly used ingredients and all while maintaining optimum temperatures. Additionally, it boasts an epoxy-coated evaporator to avoid corrosion and comes with a 3 year parts and labour warranty.

The Valera HVSALST2 prep counter is an affordable solution for commercial kitchens on a budget. It features a polypropylene work surface and GN storage on the top complete with stainless steel sliding lid to cover ingredients to retain freshness. The cabinet is compatible with 1/1 GN for convenient storage of large quantities of ingredients.

For commercial premises that need ice on demand, ice machines are essential pieces of commercial equipment. Here are three commercial integral ice machines with inbuilt ice storage bins for different budgets. Modular ice machines with separte motor unit and storage bin are also available.

The Hoshizaki IM130NE-HC ice machine is made for large volumes of ice production. Featuring a stainless steel exterior, this commercial ice maker boasts fan-assisted cooling and improved insulation for efficient energy consumption and low running costs. Designed with a closed water circuit there is no risk of contamination to ice as it is formed while the easy clean filter and automatic rinse cycle allows the wter reservoir to drain and refrill with fresh water every time the ice makin gprocess is complete. Additionally, it has digital controls and comes with an easy-to-clean design - perfect for expert ice production in commercial kitchens, pubs or bars.

The Scotsman ACM177 ice machine offers pubs, bars and catering premises great value for money. With AglON anti-microbe protection that prevents bacteria growth and a scale accumulation system that collects scale from the water to prevent cloudy, sub-standard results, this professional ice maker helps you quickly produce large quantities of hygienic ice. Additionally, it boasts WRAS approval and water or air cooling systems that help maintain consistent temperatures throughout the unit.

Blast chillers are essential pieces of equipment for any foodservice business looking to prepare and store food quickly, effectively and safely. Here are three commercial blast chillers/freezers for different budgets.

The Foster BFT38 blast chiller/freezer is perfect for commercial premises looking for a premium product. Operating with a temperature probe or timed cycle options, an easy touch control panel and colour coding program selection to monitor cycle progress, this unit exceeds UK and European food safety requirements. With a bottom-mounted refrigeration system that ensures stability and helps performance, this commercial blast chiller/freezer allows you to customise product storage temperatures quickly.

The Adande drawers with blast chiller function offer commercial premises reliable cold storage in a convenient package. Able to be used at fridge or freezer storage temperatures as well as as a blast chiller, these single, double or triple drawer units can help you effortlessly customise product storage temperatures and boost food safety. Additionally, it boasts digital controls, fan-assisted cooling and improved insulation for efficient energy consumption and low running costs. Adande drawers also have the options of undercounter, non-load bearing design, Hot Cookline units with heatshield top to support heated equipment or Cool Cookline units with a solid worktop to support additional cooking appliances.

The Tefcold BLC10 blast chiller/freezer is an affordable solution for businesses on a budget. Offering a digital controller, temperature probe, 4 pre-settable options and digital control temperature display, this model is an affordable way to address important food safety in commercial kitchens.

At FFD Commercial Refrigeration, we recommend investing in the best commercial refrigeration equipment your budget allows. Although this incurs additional expens at the beginning it will ultimately result in lower running costs, a longer life span and more savings year-on-year to offset the initial higher cost.
We work hard to ensure you find the perfect commercial refrigerator that fits your budget and needs. If you need any help choosing commercial refrigeration essentials for every budget, please get in touch with our team, who are always happy to help.