Bottle Coolers

A. Bottle coolers, sometimes called commercial drinks fridges, are designed to hold beverages only, food should not be stored. As commercial bottle fridges are constantly in use during service, the doors frequently opened and closed and stock replenished with potentially unchilled stock, the internal temperature of the unit will fluctuate. Food would not be able to be held at the consistent temperatures required for food safety. This fluctuation in temperature may also lead to condensation which, when transferred to food, could affect the quality and safety of edible goods.

A. How much electricity a pub fridge uses depends on the quality of manufacture including insulation and components used and how it is used. The entry level bar coolers available, that are great for low level use or those on a budget, will typically be less efficient than premium units due to the materials used and the technology included. The ambient temperatures of the premises, what is being stored, how the pub fridge is used and how busy the bar is will also be a factor in efficiency. In busy, hot conditions where doors are frequently opened and closed, the drinks fridge will have to work harder to maintain chilled temperatures and therefore use more power. Whether you re-stock with room temperature or pre-chilled bottles or cans will also affect how much electricity the bottle fridge uses as it works to pull down internal temperatures. To optimise efficiency, commercial back bar coolers should be cleaned regularly, seals checked for any wear and tear and adequate air flow be allowed around the equipment. Read more top tips for commercial refrigeration efficiency.

A. While it is possible to chill wines in bottle coolers, there are exclusive features that a commercial wine cooler offers that are conducive to retaining the quality of wine, that a bottle chiller doesn't. Commercial wine coolers are designed specifically for wine, holding perfect temperatures and humidity levels for red, white, rose and sparkling wines. They will often have UV filtered glass to protect from direct light that can have a negative effect on the delicate flavour of wine. Charcoal filters are also available on select models to absorb any odours that may taint wine. Finally, whereas back bar fridges have flat shelves, wine chillers often have scalloped shelves to prevent bottles from rolling.

A. The optimum serving temperature for bottles is around 4C. Bar fridges will generally have a temperature range between 0C and 10C to accommodate a wide range of products and to suit every serving temperature preference.

A. All commercial refrigeration need adequate airflow around the exterior of the unit and bottle fridges are no different. We recommend between 5cm - 10cm airflow to allow sufficient ventilation for the equipment to work properly.

A. Yes. Many domestic consumers ask the question Can I Use a Commercial Bottle Cooler at Home? when they are looking to buy commercial equipment as a more durable alternative to domestic appliances. This is not only in relation to back bar fridges but also wine coolers and chest freezers. While commercial refrigeration is more durable than domestic units, it is also more powerful due to larger motors and cooling systems designed to offer more consistent temperatures for larger quantities of stock, when units are frequently accessed. One of the side effects of this extra power and performance is more noise. While the noise of a bottle fridge that is in use in a bar won't be noticed above conversation, it will be noticeable in a domestic environment where the ambient noise is minimal. Read more here about commercial refrigeration and noise.

A. It may seem like a single and double door bar coolers positioned together would be the same as a three door unit, after all it has 3 doors, right? Wrong. There are a number of factors to consider with this scenario. Firstly, back bar coolers with 3 doors offer a single storage capacity (without the additional walls/barriers of separate pieces of equipment), resulting in greater storage and display capacity. Secondly, triple door units actually take up less floor space than a 1 door and 2 door drinks fridge combined. Finally, triple door bar fridges are considered more energy efficient than investing in two individual units placed together. One disadvantage that must be considered is that a triple door bottle display fridge will result in a single point of failure should the equipment break down.

A. We recommend leaving pub fridges on overnight for optimum efficiency. When commercial equipment are initially switched on, energy consumption increases significantly as it works to pull down temperatures within the cabinet. While turning off units at night will save energy, it will ultimately cost more when the chiller has to keep starting up. and will also put compressors under more stress potentially decreasing the lifespan of the unit. Switching on pub fridges every morning may also result in back bar fridges and bottles not reaching optimum serving temperature before the customers arrive. We DO recommend turning off lights in back bar coolers over night.

A. How many bottles a bottle fridge can hold depends on the number of doors the chiller has, the size of the bottles you want to cool and whether you're looking for undercounter bar chillers or upright back bar coolers. Bottle capacities are available for 330ml bottles from approximately 56 in a single door under counter unit to 722 in a four door undercounter model. This will obviously be greater for smaller bottles, and less for larger bottles. Upright fridge cabinets will be able to hold more than their under counter counterparts, roughly between 180 and 682 bottles depending on the number of doors the cooler has and the brand of equipment. With single and double door models available, there are plenty of options to meet the demands of any size bar.