Not so long ago, the commercial fridge was just an upright cabinet. These days catering refrigeration is available in a huge variety of shapes and sizes to answer the needs of the modern caterer.
For example, under-counter fridges allow chefs to store chilled ingredients right where they need them, in the cooking and prep areas of the kitchen.
There are also refrigeration cabinets designed to sit directly under cooking appliances; pass-through models that allow staff to load and unload from either side; prep counters with refrigerated ingredients trays on top; variable temperature cabinets and drawer systems; cold air curtains that give direct access to chilled food, without the need of a door: modern refrigeration design is incredibly flexible.
Environmental concerns led to CFCs being phased out, from both the refrigerant and the insulation and new techniques are making the cabinets ‘greener’ than ever. Recently many manufacturers have developed refrigerators that use hydrocarbon refrigeration, which has an ODP (ozone depletion potential) of zero.
Refrigeration is the only catering equipment category that is available via the ECA (enhanced capital allowance scheme) on the Carbon Trust’s Energy Technology List.
If you’re buying refrigeration the scheme is well worth investigating as it gives significant financial incentives to companies buying energy saving equipment from the list. Check out ECA Energy scheme for more information.
Buying Tips
A typical restaurant of up to 50 covers will probably need the equivalent of two double door refrigerators and two single door freezers. At the other end the the scale, a production kitchen serving 750 meals will need the equivalent of 15 single door refrigerators and six freezer cabinets.
Modular coldrooms (or walk-ins) can be designed to fit the available area and so provide a flexible storage solution. They vary in size enormously. A typical fast-food outlet may need one room measuring around 8.5 square metres, whilst a large institution could need three or four units, giving a total of 50 to 80 square metres of floorspace or more.
Drawers are usually more expensive than doors but can save energy, since less cold air is lost when a drawer is opened compared to a door. Many chefs prefer drawers because of the ease of access.
Commercial Refrigeration – Buy Online!
The above is taken from Eat Out Magazine’s Catering Equipment Buying Guide
