Commercial refrigeration has many uses across a range of industries, meaning there are now a wide range of commercial fridge and freezer products on the market which all have their own unique advantages. With businesses such as supermarkets, warehouses, restaurants, office buildings, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and many more requiring their own commercial fridge and freezer systems, it can be difficult to determine which product is right for you.
At JR Cooling we want to help you find the perfect industrial refrigeration solution for your business, find out about the range of commercial cooling systems on the market today, as well as which one best fits your specific needs, specifications and ventilation requirements.
Cold Rooms
One of the most popular commercial refrigeration services, cold rooms are walk-in refrigerated storage spaces that are generally smaller than 3,000 square feet, making them the largest refrigerator on this list. They can either function as walk-in freezers or refrigerators and can even be specialised for different industries based on its temperature range, meat cold rooms for example.
Cold rooms have a much greater capacity than most other types of refrigerator due to their large size, making them ideal for larger kitchens, food production and storage facilities who need to store more produce. Most cold rooms also use an electromechanical thermostat which keep it at the customer’s desired temperature. Having such an accurate level of temperature control can be beneficial for seasonal businesses, who need to store things at different temperatures throughout the year.
Walk-in coolers are also more convenient than standard reach-in refrigerators as you can keep food organised and in its place, making it easier to get what you need from the fridge faster than if you had to move objects around in a smaller fridge, which is great for fast-paced kitchen and service environments. Larger companies can also organise products more efficiently by having multiple cold rooms to store each category of products, having one cooler for meat, one for fresh produce and one for drinks all set at their ideal temperatures for example.
Finally, commercial cold rooms can save floor space as they come in a range of shapes and sizes, and can even be custom-built to fit the dimensions you require. They can also be modified internally to feature your desired layout of shelving units, giving you more valuable use out of your space. This makes them ideal for businesses who need a lot of fridge space but don’t have room for lots of chunky, less efficient reach-in commercial fridges.
Blast Chillers
Similar to a cold room, except blast chillers are specifically designed to quickly reduce the temperature of already hot or warm food, preserving its quality. This can significantly optimise the preparation process and cooking timescales of a busy kitchen by allowing food to be pre-prepared at less busy times and served later, saving businesses both time and money.
It can also help to reduce unnecessary food waste. The quick cooling process reduces deterioration from bacteria and preserves vitamins and flavour in compliance with government Food Safety Standards. As larger quantities of ingredients can be purchased, prepared and chilled for storage the business will be able to sell more of its produce and waste less food overtime.
The fast chilling process can also prevent food shrinkage, retaining a food product’s moisture by reducing the natural evaporation that takes place when food is left to cool in a natural environment.
Blast Freezers
Blast freezers are the same as blast chillers, except instead of cooling they are designed to freeze food in a very short amount of time to maintain its cellular structure. This allows businesses to cool and freeze larger volumes of food at a much faster rate than a conventional commercial freezer.
It’s reliable temperature control ensures your goods stay at a temperature of at least -18°C or below. It’s safe and dependable temperature control system means that it’s contents can be stored for a period of 3 to 18 months depending on the product. This means seasonal fruits and vegetables, fish and meat products, and even tissue and cell cultures, vaccines and other medicine can be effectively preserved for extended periods of time.
Due to the speed at which it freezes its contents, the crystallisation process which occurs when food is frozen in conventional freezers is bypassed, maintaining the product quality and taste more accurately than a standard commercial freezer system can.
Display Fridges
A display fridge is a commercial refrigerator with a glass door designed to display food to customers and give them access to chilled products. You commonly see them in sandwich shops and convenience stores to display fresh bakery products and drinks.
Displaying items in a fridge with a glass door shields the products from physical contact with customers, keeping fresh produce hygienic and safe for consumption. Allowing customers to see the products in front of them also acts as a good marketing technique, encouraging impulse sales and advertising your products to customers while they are in your store to increase sales. The internal lighting also helps to make food look more appetising to customers, encouraging them to purchase it.
The design is also more energy efficient, as the refrigerator doesn’t need to be opened to see what’s inside which can let cold air out. This reduces the strain on the compressor and maintains a steady internal temperature inside the refrigerator, making your display fridge last longer.
Undercounter Refrigerators
Like it says in the name, under counter refrigerators are small-sized, compact appliances designed to fit under a kitchen counter or desk. They are ideal for office settings and small kitchens who don’t have a lot of room for a large commercial refrigerating system.
They come in a range of designs and finishes to compliment any style of kitchen, and can even be designed to blend in with surrounding counters and cupboards. Perfect for small businesses who need the same intense, commercial-grade cooling power of a standard size reach-in refrigerator.
Bar Fridges
Bar fridges are compact, portable, commonly cuboid in shape and come with a glass door to allow customers to see their contents – think of a mix between an undercounter refrigerator and a display fridge.
The small size, front ventilation and easy to move design makes it perfect for use behind a bar area. They usually have quite a large capacity, so they are able to store various drinks and supplies that a standard bar needs. Like display fridges, the glass door is also an effective way of advertising the products inside to customers at the bar.
Refrigerated Prep Tables
The final commercial refrigeration system on this list is a refrigerated prep table. This fridge system is contained within a kitchen prep table, equipped with casters for easy manoeuvrability; it is an ideal solution for a busy kitchen with limited space.
These fridges commonly have large temperature ranges, making them suitable for the storage of many types of produce, one of the key reasons why this option is favoured by most restaurant and food service businesses. This is the perfect solution for companies who don’t want to compromise food preparation surfaces with large floor to ceiling refrigerators.
Now you should hopefully have some sort of idea of the commercial fridge system best suited to your businesses, but if not don’t worry! Simply get in touch with a member of the team here at JR Cooling for expert advice, guidance and a free quote for your business’s bespoke commercial refrigeration solution today!
