No restaurant or any food-serving business is complete without a refrigeration unit or two. Sometimes more, if the demands call for it. When choosing commercial refrigeration equipment for your restaurant, your menus, busiest day, and space availability should be taken into consideration.
Commercial refrigeration appliances are offered in different sizes, styles and capacities. If it’s your first time shopping for units, the choices could get overwhelming. You may be wondering:
- • Among the options in the market, which equipment fits best for your requirement?
- • What things should be avoided when choosing refrigeration units?
- • Which providers in Australia offer the best warranties for their commercial kitchen equipment?
Choose Stainless Steel Kitchen Equipment
Commercial fridges and freezers are commonly built with stainless steel. This is because stainless steel can last for decades and only needs minimal maintenance. This material is resistant to corrosion, repetitive use and everyday wear and tear. A lot of kitchen equipment brands offered two stainless steel finishes: 1.) traditional stainless steel which retains the classic look of the material; and, 2.) black stainless steel which appears more modern and edgy.
Fridges versus Freezers
Commercial refrigeration equipment are divided into two categories: fridges and freezer units. Fridge units are used to stock items like produce, dairy, condiments and beverages while freezers are for items that need to be frozen such as meats, ice cream, seafood, wild game, and the like. There are refrigeration units that have both freezers and fridges. There are also equipment designed to only have a freezer or a fridge.
About Commercial Fridge Units
Commercial fridges are offered in different capacities for different purposes. 
Bar fridges are commonly used in restaurants, casinos, pubs bars, cruise lines, airports and convenience stores. They are used to store and organise drinks, drink garnish, and light snacks. Bar fridges are designed to be compact and easy to stash over the counter, under it or in smaller spaces in a business. They commonly feature internal light to keep items visible so that they're easy to grab. There are also fridges designed to hold specific beverages. For instance, there are wine and canned beverage fridges with interiors designed to hold the shapes of these drinks.
Some fridge units are ideal for specific space requirements. Upright fridges let you store items vertically, saving you floor space. Workbench fridges are units commonly used in sandwich shops, pizzerias and delis. They are dual purpose. The unit itself is used to store foods while the solid, durable top of a workbench fridge is used for food preparation. This fridge’s design makes it easier for chefs and staff to reach ingredients from the fridge while they are working.
Commercial Freezers for Restaurants
Just like fridges, commercial freezers are also offered in upright design or workbench style. Upright commercial freezers are often sold in one to four-door options. Then there’s chest freezers. Contrary to upright freezers, chest freezers are used in restaurants for stocking and freezing items in bulk. These types of freezers are horizontally designed. They’re reliable pieces of equipment to freeze seasonal items, meat and make-ahead meals.
Restaurants also use display freezers. As the name suggests, you can store and display items in this freezer. These units are often enclosed by tempered glass allowing a full view of the items inside. Usually, their display is illuminated, with clean aesthetics and a convenient door handle. The noise levels are low to none. When used in a commercial kitchen, a display freezer makes it easier for chefs and staff to grab what they need.
If your restaurant has limited floor space, then you may look into underbench freezers. These are much shorter units that fit under the counter. Undercounter freezers are offered in many designs and finishes, some with solid doors, others have glass styles. Options of fridges only undercounter-style refrigeration units are also available.
Other Types of Refrigeration Units
The traditional upright and chest freezers have other successors which are often used by specialty restaurants. For example, there are sushi and salad tops refrigeration units which are commonly utilised by restaurants serving those dishes. Refrigeration equipment for gelato and ice creams are also available for shops serving these particular desserts.
Walk-in refrigerators (sometimes called refrigerated storage rooms) are used by big-scale restaurants and hotels. It's basically a refrigerated room where you can do shelving, storage, and organisation of temperature-sensitive items. These are commonly used by large-scale hotels and food-serving businesses.
Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Offered at Federal Hospitality Equipment
Most commercial refrigeration units offered by Federal Hospitality Equipment are made of stainless steel. There are wide options for small and big businesses. All units are covered by warranties. We have clearance items and pre-loved commercial kitchen equipment offered at a huge discount, most of which are covered by extended warranties. Our collection includes the most trusted brands in Australia and New Zealand, including our own.
Federal Hospitality Equipment is your go-to source for a wide range of commercial kitchen equipment, including bain marie and bar fridges Australia offers. With comprehensive warranties provided, you can have peace of mind with your purchase. We have showrooms in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Auckland. We can help you narrow down your restaurant's options for you. Just call our friendly team at 1300 659 409.
