Appliances

Choosing The Right Commercial Refrigeration Appliances

modern-kitchenIn a restaurant or food service establishment, refrigeration is not just a perk: it’s a necessity. Without effective refrigeration for food items and ingredients, it would be impossible for restaurant owners or caterers to purchase ingredients in bulk, store ingredients safely and effectively, and keep food at the optimal temperature. Even though commercial refrigeration is a necessity for a food industry business, there are hundreds of different styles and makes of refrigeration appliances. Choosing amongst all of these models and designs can be quite confusing.

Evaluating the specific needs of your business will help you decide exactly what type of commercial refrigerator you need. Budget constraints, storage needs, space constraints, and functionality are all important things to consider when searching for the best commercial refrigeration. If you are not familiar with some of the designs and features of modern refrigeration appliances, here are some of the most popular styles and features used by many restaurant owners and caterers.

Compact Designs

Some restaurants or catering companies require small and efficient refrigerators rather than vast, space-hogging behemoths. Compact refrigerators will not allow for as much food storage as larger models, but they can help create more room in small cooking spaces. If there are specific ingredients that you need to have immediate access to in your kitchen, you may want to have a compact refrigerator within easy access to your cooking area, while the bulk of your food is kept in a Walk-In Cooler or Walk-In Freezer. A compact refrigerator is also a great place to keep ready-to-serve cold menu items, sauces, desserts, etc. at the ready for servers to get to quickly and easily.

Walk-In Styles

A walk-in refrigerator is one of the most coveted commercial refrigeration appliances on the market. With a walk-in refrigerator, it is easy to find the food products you need at your restaurant. Storage is seemingly endless, and you can use the shelves and racks in your walk-in refrigerator to organize all of the different products that you use regularly. It is important to remember, though, that cooling a larger space requires an enormous amount of consistent energy. If you have kitchen staff members that will be entering and exiting a walk-in refrigerator unit on a regular basis, the cooling component will have to work even harder to keep the room at the appropriate temperature. Unless you have massive cold storage needs, a smaller model may be more appropriate.

Glass Front Refrigerator Units

A glass front refrigerator unit is a perfect for any environment where visual merchandising is important. Most often, glass front commercial refrigeration appliances are found in serve-your-self type restaurants or cafeterias. If your restaurant serves pre-made sandwiches, pre-packaged salads, wraps, or even full meals, then a glass front refrigerator near the checkout counter may be a great addition to your operation. Glass front refrigerators are also very attractive and stylish, and they are perfect for restaurant kitchens that are visible to customers.

Energy Efficiency

If you are conscious of the environment or want to save money on your electric bill each month, you might consider investing in commercial refrigeration units that use energy efficient methods to keep food at the proper temperatures. Buying energy efficient appliances can also help you receive tax breaks or grants from the government, and this can be especially beneficial in the restaurant industry. These appliances are often designated with the Energy Star label.

Refrigerated Display Cases

If you want to attract customer attention and entice them to buy desserts or other cold food items, you might want to consider investing in a refrigerated display case for the front of your restaurant, café, or delicatessen. While similar to a glass front refrigerator, these commercial refrigeration units feature attractive lights and shelves for displaying your merchandise to hungry customers. Refrigerated display cases are also usually only counter-top height, so they fit into the front of the house design in a variety of restaurant applications.

No matter what your needs, you can find high quality commercial refrigerators to keep food cold, extend the life of the food you purchase, and make sure that your guests and customers stay healthy.

An article published on behalf of Mr. Jeff Breeden, offering the latest information and resources in commercial cooking and restaurant service at CooksDirect.com.

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