Top 5 Pieces of Commercial Refrigeration that Every Foodservice Business Needs

Whether kitting out a shop, a bar, a kitchen or some other operation, investing in key pieces of commercial refrigeration is essential.

The commercial kitchen equipment you choose can make or break your business. With so many refrigeration options on the market for specific uses, it can be quite confusing. There are, however, a core selection of units for catering and restaurant kitchens and key pieces for pubs, bars and shops that are a must for every operation.

Here are our top 5 pieces of commercial refrigeration that every catering, restaurant and food production kitchen should invest in.

Cold rooms maintain low temperatures for highly perishable goods on a commercial scale. They are essential for businesses needing more capacity than a standard storage fridge. Benefits include:

• Supporting a wide range of uses with adjustable fridge and freezer temperatures.
• Airtight construction for consistent temperatures.
• Customisable sizes to fit specific needs as well as ‘off the shelf’ standard sizes.
• Freeing up valuable kitchen space by eliminating the need for multiple units.
• Providing added security with backup systems for power outages.

Also known as refrigerated preparation counters or a prep counter fridge, these units make intelligent use of available space by offering dual functions:

• Providing a surface for food preparation and maintaining the right temperature for preservation.
• Adding storage space for ingredients, keeping them well preserved.
• Enhancing operational efficiency by combining preparation surfaces and refrigerated storage.
• Some prep counters have integrated refrigerated topping units and GN compatible storage to help organise ingredients.
• Where work top GN’s aren’t built-in as standard, countertop refrigeration can be purchased separately to sit on prep counters.

Storage refrigerators preserve food and ingredients by maintaining the right temperatures to slow microorganism growth. Commercial refrigeration for food storage generally includes both solid door catering fridges and solid door catering freezers. Storage refrigeration may also include refrigerated drawers, many of which can operate at either fridge or freezer temperatures at the flick of switch. Benefits include:

• Minimising food waste and saving money.
• Maintaining the quality and freshness of food.
• Organising the kitchen for convenient ingredient retrieval.
• Available in single door, double door and triple door sizes.
• GN compatible for organisation and storage of large quantities of food.
• Catering fridges and freezers designed for use in higher ambient temperatures are ideal for locating close to the heat of a working kitchen, while storage fridges and freezers for use in lower ambient temperatures are perfect for separate food storage areas.

Read more about The Difference Between Storage and Catering Refrigeration.

Commercial chest freezers are large compartments with hinged lids, used to maintain freezing temperatures for bulk products. Benefits include:

• Cost-efficiency by using less electricity and maintaining temperatures during power outages.
• Thicker insulation for temperature consistency and increased performance.
• Open interiors ideal for storing awkwardly shaped items.
• Easy organisation with bins or baskets.

Blast chilling rapidly reduce the core temperature of food to prevent bacteria growth. Blast chillers can lower food temperatures from +70°C to +3°C or below within 90 minutes while blast freezers pull temperatures down from +70°C to -18°C or below in 240 minutes. Benefits include:

• Maximising food preservation and minimising food waste.
• Maintaining food quality, texture, and taste.
• Reducing contamination through rapid freezing.
• Lowering energy consumption by using fans to circulate cold air.

Bottle coolers offer chilled storage and display for bottles and cans and are available in single, double, and triple doors with upright or under-counter options. Wine coolers protect delicate wines with tinted glass doors, controlling humidity and temperature.

Critical for bars and also used in some fishmongers or commercial kitchens, ice machines produce and store ice in cubes, flakes, or other shapes. Integral or modular designs are available with varying production capacities.

Great for retail environments, glass door shop fridges and commercial display freezers provide easy access to chilled foods, dairy products, and beverages. Available in single, double, and triple-door sizes. Multidecks also fall into this category however may feature an open front design for ‘grab and go’ convenience. These Multi-tier storage units for shops, offer attractive, easy-to-access displays with integral or remote refrigeration systems available.

Serveovers or deli display fridges are ideal for displaying cold foods and ingredients with ambient shelving and understorage options. With glass cabinet tops and large decks (the platform on which produce is displayed) foods can be attractively displayed while remaining protected. Typically accessed from the rear, staff can quickly retrieve products and serve over the counter to customers. Meat, fish, general use and cake displays are all available to suit every type of business.

Displaying ice cream in optimum temperatures is vital to maintain the quality of the product while in storage and until it is served. With glass lid chest freezers for ice cream tubs and ice lollies, dedicated ice cream storage units and soft scoop display counters for serving and storing ice creams, there are ice cream counters and cabinets for every requirement.