Being in the hospitality industry, you need to cover all angles to make sure that you deliver good quality service to clients every time, and that starts with good equipment. Upright refrigeration is a non-negotiable when you’re dealing with bulk fresh produce that needs to be stored properly to keep their quality, so you can use them for preparing food for your guests. In fact, it should be one of the first appliances that you invest in when you’re putting together your commercial pantry and kitchen.
But if you’re a first timer in this business, you might now know exactly what to look for in good quality upright refrigeration. This is why we’ve listed everything you need to know to choose the right appliance for your hospitality business.
Tips on Choosing an Upright Fridge
You’ll need a fridge that’s more powerful than your ordinary fridge at home since you’re going toned more controlled temperatures in a hot environment, not to mention that the fridge will be opened and closed constantly while your kitchen is running. Here are some things you should consider when choosing upright refrigeration:
Think About Your Space: You can’t have a huge fridge take up most of your kitchen space, so you need to take measurements to ensure that your upright fridge will fit the space that you allocate it for. An upright fridge is also more space saving than a chest or counter fridge, so it’s your best option if you’re working with a small commercial kitchen.
Think About Our Operations: How much fridge space do you need anyway? Are you going to store a lot of fresh produce? Will you need the fridge to keep finished products? Each appliance in your kitchen should work according to how you want to run your operations. This will help you decide on the capacity of the upright fridge that you need. Narrow, single-door fridges usually have a capacity between 400 and 600 litres while bigger ones can carry up to 1,200 litres.
Think About Energy Efficiency: Just like choosing your fridge at home, you need commercial upright fridge that will save as much energy as you can. This is where good brands matter because they will most likely offer you the most energy efficiency that you can find in the market.
Think About Quality: Your upright fridge will be placed in an intense working environment, so it’s only wise to invest in something that will take the beating and still last you for many years. Look at the materials used, the compressor, the different parts and of course, the warranty included for maintenance and repairs. You don’t want to be spending money and jeopardising your operations just because your upright fridge keeps breaking down. And just imagine the horror of having a whole fridge full of produce be ruined because your fridge stopped working overnight.
Think About Your Budget: As a start-up, you might not have the luxury of an unlimited budget. But you can still invest in a good upright fridge without spending a lot. If you know how much you can afford, it would be easier for you to narrow down your options.
Benefits of Using an Upright Fridge
You can choose from different types of commercial fridges, but there are many benefits to opting for an upright one:
- It Offers More Storage Space: You’ll see upright fridges in most commercial kitchens because they help save floor space and maximise wall space. This is especially beneficial if you have a small kitchen.
- It’s Very Accessible: Another great benefit to having an upright fridge is that you can place it near your prep area or other parts of the kitchen that need quick access to certain ingredients. This can help your team save time during service.
- It Has Adjustable Shelves: If you choose wisely, you can get an upright fridge where you can customise the shelves according to the space that you need for different products. This will help you save more space and ensure that everything is organised properly, so your team won’t have a hard time locating ingredients while running your kitchen.
Types of Upright Fridge
If you start shopping for upright fridges, you’ll most likely see three options on the market today: single-, double-, and multi-door fridges. HE2020 offers some of the best upright stainless fridges that you’ll see for commercial kitchens. The company has a range of upright fridges that can cater to your requirements, whether you need a single- or multi-door fridge or you want something that can help you store more than 1,200L worth of produce.
Aside from the number of doors, you also need to consider whether you’d want sliding, half or swing doors. This will depend on the space that you’re working with and how you operate as a brigade. If you can, try to observe different kitchens at work and see what type of upright fridge the team that works closest to your own uses.
The Bottomline
Each equipment you use for your commercial kitchen will dictate the quality and efficiency of your service. With so much on the line, it’s a must that you invest in good quality tools and equipment that will allow your team to be more efficient in their jobs without burning them out. A high-quality upright fridge is a good place to start.
Keep these tips in mind and find a supplier that can offer you the best quality fridges in the country. Get in touch with us at HE2020 so you can tell us about your business requirements, and we can show you our range of options to fit those exact needs. We can guarantee that our products will be a wise investment for your business.