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How to Choose: Commercial Undercounter Refrigerator Buying Guide
The commercial undercounter refrigerator is a great way to save space in the kitchen and increase efficiency. With a spacious work surface and refrigerated goods under the counter, you can reduce the frequency of walking and the total time needed to prepare food or dishes, making it a perfect choice for compact kitchens such as bars, cafes, bistros or convenience stores. There are many different models of undercounter refrigerators, so how to choose the right one for you, Chefmax will provide you with guiding advice.
Table of Contents
1. Commercial undercounter refrigerator or freezer
If you operate a restaurant, deli, sandwich or other food service establishment, then a commercial undercounter refrigerator is definitely a great addition to your kitchen. This unit provides a stainless steel sanitary countertop for food preparation, along with a refrigerated/freezer base underneath for storing produce, condiments, lunch meats or other ingredients in your refrigerator so you can increase efficiency in your kitchen. There are usually a variety of models and capacities to choose from to meet your different needs. You will typically want to consider the following when shopping.
If you operate a restaurant, deli, sandwich or other food service establishment, then a commercial undercounter fridge is definitely a great addition to your kitchen. This unit provides a stainless steel sanitary countertop for food preparation, along with a refrigerated/freezer base underneath for storing produce, condiments, lunch meats or other ingredients in your refrigerator so you can increase efficiency in your kitchen. There are usually a variety of models and capacities to choose from to meet your different needs. You will typically want to consider the following when shopping.
Glass/Solid Door: You can choose between a solid door or a glass door. Solid doors are usually the most common type and have good insulation, which makes them more energy efficient than glass doors, while sealing and cooling will be better, but glass doors provide the user with a good view to inventory stored products without having to open the door. If you plan to place the unit inside your restaurant kitchen, a solid door may be a good choice for you. If your refrigerator will be used in a convenience store or other self-service location, then you may want a refrigerator with a glass door.
1/2/3 door, Drawer type door or more: Single doors usually measure 36″ and under, double doors usually range from 36″ to 72″, and three or more doors are 72″ and over, making them ideal for full-service commercial restaurants. However, different manufacturers often vary slightly, so you can choose a configuration that fits your kitchen based on the size of your restaurant. In addition to this you can also choose drawer style doors, the design reduces your available space but they are more conducive to storing many different foods or ingredients, thus avoiding stringing, if you are a salad bar or other fast food business owner then you may want to choose this unit. Alternatively, you can customize an undercounter refrigerator with both doors and drawers to fit your specific needs.
Commercial undercounter refrigerators are usually available in different height configurations, with the most common height being 36 inch including casters or returns, which is usually the standard height and the most common, so it is a good choice for most kitchens. Other than that it is common to have a 34 inch which meets ADA guidelines and is usually level with all of the equipment in your kitchen. All undercounter refrigerators 35 feet or shorter are classified in this category, and the design is ideal for places where there is not enough space under the countertop to install a standard or ADA-compliant refrigerator, and these units are often also referred to as built-in refrigerators. Other sizes range from 27″ to 93″, and for more specialized sizes you can contact our professional kitchen designers. Most undercounter refrigerators are between 30-60 inches deep, with slightly different storage space for deep and shallow rows. You will need to consider how much space you have available in your kitchen and how much capacity you intend to store inside the unit.
Side-mounted: This is the most common design, mainly dissipates heat through the front, side and back, the overall heat dissipation function is much better than the other two, but the storage area and capacity will be slightly smaller, of course, it also depends on your holding habits, if you are not very demanding in terms of storage, this is undoubtedly your best choice.
Back: The rear compressor design usually looks more aesthetically pleasing than the side-mounted one. The heat is mainly dissipated through the left and right sides, so you need to allow some space for both sides when you install it. With a rear-mounted compressor design allows you to optimize storage space, allowing you to keep your food in plain view and improve access. If you have enough space in your kitchen, you can choose the rear-mounted design.
Undermount: Heat is dissipated mainly through the bottom and the back. Usually the bottom support legs are replaced with a compressor set, so it has more storage space. However, this design is close to the floor, so it tends to draw in more dust and debris, resulting in poor airflow and therefore requiring more cleaning. This design is usually more suitable for assembly line kitchens.
2. Worktop Refrigerators and Freezers
The worktop refrigerators and commercial undercounter refrigerator models are identical in function, but the countertop refrigerator worktop comes with a backsplash on the back to prevent you from contaminating your walls with splatters when cutting vegetables, fruits or other ingredients, and the design also provides great convenience for cleaning.
3. Chef Base Refrigerator
These units are versatile units for any kitchen and more importantly, the chef can put different ingredients into the drawers within reach without having to go back and forth in the kitchen, providing the chef with an additional drawer cooler. The units are also stronger and have better weight capacity, so you can place the countertop gas range or commercial grill on top of the chef base refrigerator and get the ingredients you need underneath, saving time in cooking.
Summary
Commercial undercounter refrigerator are an excellent choice for any compact kitchen, and I’m sure you have a clear idea of what you need from reading the above, so contact Chefmax, for kitchen refrigeration equipment you can trust!