5 Key Considerations When Buying A Commercial Fridge
No food or restaurant service will ever be complete without a commercial fridge. It’s one of the must-have equipment you should include in your capitalization expenses if you want your food business’s operations to function smoothly. Like in your home, it’s in the commercial fridge where all your perishable goods will be stored. Design-wise, the fridge may also be the focal point of your commercial kitchen.
With that in mind, there are so many factors that can shape your decision as to what commercial fridge to purchase. This is a big decision, given how commercial refrigerators are also pricier. This fact is the reason why a business should consider a commercial fridge that’s as aesthetically pleasing as it’s functional and durable.
Read on below to discover those key considerations, so you don’t make the mistake of buying the wrong commercial fridge, wasting business resources along the way.
Door Configuration
Restaurant owners don’t always see eye to eye when it comes to door configurations. The choice here boils down to personal preference and placement in the kitchen. There's no right or wrong door configuration, which you can choose from either of the following:
- French Door Fridge: characterized by having two fridge doors at the top and one or two freezer drawers at the bottom.
- Side-by-side Fridge: It’s like the French door configuration, only that there isn’t a drawer at the bottom for the freezer. Instead of being at the bottom, the freezer occupies half the side of the entire refrigerator, with the fridge on the other.
- Top Freezer: It has a larger fridge at the lower level and a smaller ice box on top for the freezer.
- Bottom Freezer: It’s where the freezer is at the lower level, with more generous freezer space than the top freezer.
Right Capacity
Like the door configuration, this second factor is a matter of preference. There's no fixed right or wrong refrigerator capacity. Rather, you should be able to have the size that can hold and withstand your food service business’ daily operations, to keep your business thriving and successful.
Moreover, several factors can potentially shape the decision as to size. These include:
- Size of your restaurant or food service;
- Space you’ve allocated in your restaurant kitchen for the fridge;
- Delivery schedule or regular inventory of delivered goods;
- Quantity of perishable food items or ingredients used frequently for food preparation.
Energy Efficiency
As is the case for all other equipment and appliances you’ll install in your kitchen, don’t forget to factor in energy efficiency. You wouldn’t want to have a fridge consuming so much more energy than it should. Modern refrigerators are developed to be more efficient versions of their older counterparts, so be sure you’re making the most out of those features.
Remember that you’re running a business. This means you have to maximize all areas of efficiency to reduce expenses and increase profit-earning potential.
Condenser Location
The location of your commercial fridge in your kitchen also shapes other decisions, such as condenser location. After all, the condenser is the workhorse of your refrigerator. It does all the work to ensure your fridge stays at the right temperature to avoid spoilage and waste.
With this, there are two main types of placements for the condenser: top-mount or bottom-mount. The former doesn’t collect as much dust as bottom-mount condensers do while also not releasing as much hot air when you open the fridge door as is the case for bottom-mount condensers. On the other hand, the latter may be easier to clean and maintain than top-mount condensers.
Organizational Features And Design
One of the biggest factors affecting your kitchen’s daily operations is how well organized it is. A restaurant kitchen will surely be very busy, especially during the peak hours of operations. The last thing you’ll want is to go through a big mess in your kitchen before finding the right ingredients or tools you’ll be using.
You can apply many strategies to keep your commercial kitchen well-organized, starting with your refrigerator. You must go through your fridge’s organizational features and design. It should have the basic compartment and layers you envisioned and desired to have in a refrigerator.
Conclusion
With the list of considerations you’ve just gone through, now shopping for a commercial fridge will be a tad bit easier on your part. You can use this list to help narrow down the possible commercial fridges you choose from. Most importantly, make sure you’re buying only from a reputable brand. It doesn’t matter if it’s pricier or not, or if it’s brand new or used; what matters most is, after gathering all the important considerations that matter to you, the fridge you’re setting up in your food service kitchen is of top-notch quality. Despite daily wear and tear, it should last you through so many years.
