As mentioned in our previous blog Commercial Equipment Part 1, it is essential to determine your restaurant’s precise needs as dictated by space and menu. As you can imagine, there is a vast variety of restaurant cooling equipment available which will cover all needs. A great deal on a walk-in cooler for your limited space restaurant is not a great deal. Determining exactly what you need for your main piece(s) of cooling equipment is just the starting process.
WALK-INS
They can vary from the size of a closet to the size of an apartment. Both walk-in refrigerators and walk-in freezers are obviously ideal for those who need to store a lot of large bulky items - buckets of food, large crates and boxes of produce and fruit, blocks of cheese, beer kegs, etc. They also necessitate food-grade shelving, wall coverings and special flooring. Please familiarize yourself with your required provincial safety standards.
STANDARD REACH-IN REFRIGERATORS and FREEZERS
Most common are the standard reach-in uprights, both fridges and freezers. They resemble yours at home fridge, but, in the case of the reach-in fridge, they have no freezer section. It may also come with only brackets inside for holding sheet pans. And vice versa for the freezer. It is all freezers. Reach in refrigerators are available in different variants and can be chosen according to your restaurant’s needs including Reach in 1 door refrigerator, Reach in 2 door refrigerator and Reach in 3 door refrigerator.
The amount of cooling space is also menu dependent. If you are offering a lot of pub food, wings, fries, etc, you need a lot of freezer space. If you are offering a lot of fresh food, salads, fresh cooked veggies and meat, then you need a lot of fridge space. But don’t forget your supplier delivery schedules. If you can receive fresh food daily, this will largely limit your need for cooling space.
REACH-IN COOLERS
These secondary level coolers are nonetheless important cogs in a well run restaurant. Containing two or three doors, these under the counter units are well suited for prep areas, wait stations and under the bar. They should be isolated from the hot kitchen to ensure that the food being stored remains at safe storage temperatures.
REFRIGERATION DRAWERS
Much more resistant to the heat are the refrigeration drawers. These are ideal for small kitchens, as they are designed to be installed under the counter of the cooking line itself, which increases cooking efficiency. Whether it’s a grilling station or a sautéing station, the Chef Base refrigerator and undercounter freezer will keep your meats and veggies fresh right up to the moment they hit the heat.
REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASES
The two main types are glass door or open air. They can also be stand-alone, or built-in wall units. The glass door display cases are common to delis, bakeries, coffee shops, restaurants and include quite a variety including 3 door display freezer, 1 door swing display refrigerator, cake display case, 2 door sliding glass refrigerator. The open-air type is common in a supermarket and corner store environment.
The closed-door display case obviously provides the best energy efficiency, but both types will have several features available. Temperature monitoring choices should include standard electronic controllers for reliability, defrost timers, thermometers and also alarms for high-temperature alerts. Standard features for both include interior lighting; shelving, legs, or casters; an external thermometer; foamed-in-place urethane insulation; automatic condensation evaporation; and self-closing doors with lift-off hinges.
COOL TIPS
- refrigerators work most efficiently when the food is stored apart from each other so that the cold air can circulate around the food. Freezers work most efficiently when full.
- keep the doors closed. Remove food and close the doors quickly
- except for meat, keep your food well wrapped to avoid drying out and to eliminate the transfer of odors
- buying used can be very budget friendly, but make sure you have some mechanical expertise available.
e.g., for display cases a familiarity with condensing units and evaporator coils.
It is imperative to note here that refrigerators and freezers are akin to restaurant business and therefore every café, hotel, deli or restaurant is eager to invest in top quality new refrigerators for sale and freezers for sale, with which they can secure their investment, that provides longer run service and is also durable; all at the best bargains.
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