The heat is always on in a busy commercial kitchen, and I mean that literally. It’s a huge job to keep your ingredients safe and working well when ovens, grills, and ranges are always on. This is when commercial refrigeration stops being just “equipment” and starts being the most important part of your business.
A home refrigerator might be fine for a family of four, but it can’t handle the heavy-duty needs of a professional food business. Here are the reasons why you need to buy professional-grade coolers and freezers to be successful.
1. Better food safety and compliance
Food safety is the most important job of any cooler or freezer. The “danger zone” is the range of temperatures between 4°C and 60°C (40°F and 140°F) where bacteria can grow. Commercial units have strong compressors that can quickly lower the temperature, even when the doors are opened and closed dozens of times an hour.
Businesses in Canada must follow health rules at all times. Professional units have alarms and precise digital temperature monitoring, so you won’t ever fail an inspection or, worse, give a customer unsafe food.
2. Improved efficiency and workflow
In the kitchen, time is money. Placing refrigerators in the right places, like under-counter units at prep stations or walk-in units for bulk storage, cuts down on the distance staff has to walk.
- Reach-ins make it easy to get to ingredients you use a lot.
- Prep tables keep toppings cold right where they are put together.
- Walk-ins make it possible to store a lot of things in an organized way that keeps the main kitchen floor clear and free of clutter.
3. Buying in bulk saves money
Having a lot of space in your freezer is great because it lets you buy in bulk. In Canada, companies that sell commercial refrigeration often say that the high cost of a big walk-in freezer is quickly made up for by the money saved by buying inventory at wholesale prices. When you have room to safely store 500 pounds of protein or seasonal fruits and vegetables, your profits go up.
4. Long-lasting Made for the “Hustle”
There is a lot of stress in commercial kitchens. It’s not meant for the hinges and gaskets on a home fridge to be opened 200 times a day. Commercial units are made of high-quality stainless steel, heavy-duty shelving, and motors that are strong enough for industrial use and will last for years of constant use. They are also easy to “deep-clean,” which is important for keeping the workplace clean.
5. Specific Cooling Needs
Different products need different places to live. A meat locker and a bakery need different levels of humidity. Commercial refrigeration makes it possible to:
- Blast Chillers: To quickly cool down hot food so it can be stored.
- Dual-Zone Units: To keep fruits and vegetables fresh and meats frozen solid in the same space.
- Display Cases: To keep the temperature stable while showing off products to customers.
For your cooling needs, choose CoolMaster
It’s important to have the right cooling partner whether you’re building a new restaurant or upgrading your current one. CoolMaster is a company that helps businesses all over Canada design and set up the best refrigeration system for their needs.
Are you ready to make your kitchen work better? For expert advice on walk-in units and custom commercial refrigeration, call CoolMaster today at coolmaster.ca.