A kitchen freezer room is a central part of commercial kitchens in the food industry. It’s designed to safely and hygienically store ingredients and food item stocks used in restaurants and other food businesses. No wonder choosing the right walk-in freezer room is quite a challenge!
Now, this quick post will guide you in looking for and purchasing the right walk-in cold room for your business’ food stocks.
Mind these considerations so you can invest in the right type of cold storage facility.
Determine your storage capacity needs.
Understand your storage capacity needs so you can select a walk-in freezer room with ample space for all your items. Estimate your storage requirements and leave room for extra items that may otherwise require cold storage. Keep in mind that 1 cubic foot of freezer space can hold approximately 28 pounds of food.
Note that a walk-in freezer that’s too big for your food storage needs will waste energy and money.
Allow ample space and location for the freezer room.
Choose a location with ample space for your kitchen freezer room. Ensure that the freezer room won’t take up almost all the space from your commercial kitchen. You may have the freezer room installed near a backyard or a loading bay so that you can directly place the food items in the cold storage facility right after your suppliers deliver them.
Also, ensure that your space and location have enough ventilation. Good ventilation allows your walk-in freezer room to operate at its best. Insulation should also be added to the room, so allow some space for that, too.
Decide on the right shelving.
Shelving your food items properly is necessary so that you can easily organize your food ingredients and do a proper inventory as well. Hence, think of how you will install the shelving even before you buy the freezer room itself. Divide your food items and classify them into zones, then see if they will fit nicely into your prospective freezer room model.
Look for freezer room features relevant to your business needs.
Cold rooms, especially the walk-in ones for kitchens, are loaded with tons of features. However, make sure that the one you’ll purchase has all the essential features needed to serve its purpose in your business. Pay special attention to the refrigeration system used. Other potential features that may be helpful for your business include:
- Automatic defrost
- Self-closing doors
- Weather-proof roofs
- Rebated doors
- Manual or automatic lights
- Emergency escape or panic buttons
- Ramps
Select an energy-efficient model.
An energy-efficient kitchen freezer room may seem costly upfront, but it’s going to save you a lot of money in future operational costs. That’s because the freezer uses only a sufficient amount of energy to operate perfectly.
For instance, built-in LED lights are becoming a standard feature today since they’re more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs. Also, consider shelving in a way where air can freely flow around the freezer and avoid obstructions as much as possible.
Consider scalability in the future.
Each business has the potential to grow in the future. Hence, you should think of scaling up right at this moment. It’ll be hard and costly to replace an existing small freezer room when your business accelerates in growth. That’s why consider your kitchen’s future storage requirements right now and select a slightly larger freezer room that can accommodate additional food items soon.
Wrapping it Up
Walk-in freezer rooms for kitchens are huge business investments. So, keep these key considerations in mind when purchasing and installing a freezer room for your food business. The right freezer room will largely depend on your unique business needs, so plan carefully and decide wisely!
Burton Industries 