Catering Fridges

A. You can put a commercial chiller wherever it is needed, but always check the maximum ambient temperatures that the equipment can operate in, to make sure that the unit is appropriate for the intended use/placement.

A. This is the maximum temperature of the air around the equipment. This is one of the components used to evaluate the climate class that is awarded to equipment. The maximum ambient temperature will determine where a commercial refrigerator for storage can be positioned for optimal performance.

A. For general food storage restaurant fridges should measure between 5C and 8C. For food safety, contents should not be held above 8C. Most equipment will operate within a general temperature range of 0C to 10C. If you're looking to store meat or fish, temperatures should be set within -2C and +2C for optimum safety and freshness.

A. Both solid door fridges and fridges with glass doors can be used with great effect in commercial kitchens. Both offer large capacity storage at consistent, food safe temperatures. The added benefit of a glass door fridge is that contents are visible without opening the door, making identifying ingredients during busy services quick and easy. This also limits escape of cold air from doors being repeatedly opened and closed to view stock, which can help with performance, efficiency and longevity.

A. You can but you definitely shouldn't. Domestic appliances are rarely powerful enough to hold consistent temperatures necessary for food safety. The motor isn't durable enough to withstand the frequency of use experienced in a commercial kitchen and cabinets are rarely large enough to hold even a fraction of restaurant stock. Different internal layouts are also an issue, commercial units being a single large cavity while domestic fridges have a milk shelf in the door (products will never be stored on the door in commercial equipment) and salad drawers.

A. Commercial fridges will undoubtedly be more expensive to run than domestic alternatives due to the larger size, more heavy-duty use and more powerful cooling systems. While optimising efficiency is a major factor for manufacturers when designing and building equipment, ongoing efficiency also comes down to how the equipment is used and the maintenance and cleaning that units receive. For example, if seals are faulty, compressors caked in dust and units overfilled with stock, then they will cost more to run. This is why regular cleaning and maintenance is vital, not only for efficiency but also performance.

A. There are many heavy-duty upright cabinets that do hold gastronorms pans (typically 2/1GN size), however some upright units will have normal shelving. Undercounter fridges are more compact and so won't hold gastronorms. Product specifications will identify which units accept Gastronorms so always check before buying if GN compatibility is essential for your business. Gastronorm refrigeration allows greater quantities of produce to be stored and transferred between food prep areas and chilled storage easily, especially in busy professional kitchens that deal with high level production.

A. Drawers are great in smaller kitchens where space is at a premium, although they are becoming increasingly popular in all commercial kitchens, even the larger ones. They offer good organisational benefits with the added benefit of the drawer acting as a well (like a chest freezer) - the cold air sinking into the drawer and therefore being more efficient when frequently opened. The compact design means that many fridge drawers can be positioned at the point of food preparation for easy access to ingredients during service. Upright refrigerators offer greater storage capacities and so are ideal for main chilled food storage.

A. Reach in refrigerators are cabinets while walk in refrigerators are rooms. Reach in refrigerators offer large storage capacities in, or close to the kitchen, for produce that will be required during service while walk in cold rooms are more for high volume general chilled storage.

A. Getting into the habit of regularly cleaning refrigerated cabinets is essential for efficiency, performance and equipment longevity. This includes a wipe down at the end of every service, the cleaning of door seals and condensers every 1 - 4 weeks depending on the size and condition of the kitchen and an annual service from a certified engineer. Manufacturer cleaning and maintenance recommendations can usually be found in the product manual, so always refer there first for advise. Read more about how improper cleaning can affect performance in 4 Common Commercial Refrigeration Problems and What Users Should Check.

A. Preferably not, as the liquid gas refrigerant is dispersed around the system when units are laying down horizontally (a task usually done by the compressor when the unit is switched on). Cosmetic damage could also potentially be caused when manoeuvring large units. If you absolutely have to tilt equipment or lie it down, allow the fridge to stand in an upright position for at least 4 hours before switching on. To be absolutely safe, overnight. How long it has to stand will also depend on the length of time the equipment was laid down.