Catering fridges are a must-have in the catering industry as they will ensure product quality and safety for the customers. During busy periods such as Christmas, cold storage becomes crucial as it allows you and your team to operate the kitchen effectively.
You may be wondering why a catering fridge and not something a little bit cheaper like your fridge at home or one with a lower price tag. Well, these budget buys can lead to tragic costs in the future for your goods and the kitchen.
This article will discuss some of the most important differences that professional commercial equipment provides over standard domestic items.
Size
Size does matter for more important reasons than the apparent increase in storage space. A catering fridge comes with a much bigger compressor than your home fridge. The compressor is what takes the hot air inside the fridge and releases it outside of the fridge.
How many times a day do you open your fridge at home? The answer is only a few a day, right? The fridges we keep in our homes only have a small bottle-shaped compressor at the back, and it's that size because it does not have to work as hard to get rid of the hot air.
Now think about your catering kitchen and how often the fridge door gets open. In a busy kitchen, it will be opened hundreds of times, letting more hot air in each time and increasing the chance of bacteria growth. This means that your compressor is working harder than the one you have at home. If you have a domestic fridge in your kitchen, it will malfunction at some point, resulting in lots of food waste.
Designed for Deep Cleaning
The standards of a modern catering kitchen are held high to keep food-related illnesses down. The Environmental Health Officers demand the best from the food industry, and commercial fridge manufacturers have caught up on it.
Catering fridges are designed for easy, deep cleaning in mind - exterior and interior. As we've stated, most are made from stainless steel and designed with removable shelves and door seals for precise cleaning.
Manufacturing Quality
We've already established that your fridge will get more use in your catering kitchen than in your domestic kitchen. The same goes for any appliance; the more use you have for it, the quicker it will deteriorate.
Commercial products, including catering fridges, are manufactured to withstand the frequent use of catering kitchens. Manufactured with high-quality stainless steel and iron, they are built to last in busy kitchen environments.
Coming back to the fridge doors being opened hundreds of times per day - do you think your domestic fridge hinges could handle that? Catering fridges have stainless steel hinges made for this type of use. Most of the time, they even have self-closing hinges, ensuring your fridge is always closed and making it easier for the compressor to control temperatures.
Precision
In the food industry, your products are expected to be made of the highest quality by all your customers. So you must ensure that you serve the correct temperature product, which can be challenging during big events.
All foods, hot and cold, come from the fridge at one point or another. A catering fridge will support your chef and allow them to coordinate the whole meal without jeopardising the end quality of the product.
Food quality
With all the possible malfunctions of a domestic fridge that we have stated above, when operating one, there is a high chance the food will not reach its correct temperatures, unfortunately creating food safety issues.
Catering fridges are efficient in keeping the goods at the correct temperatures, ultimately boosting the quality of your stored food. It will prevent your products from warming up every time the door is opened and protect from harmful bacteria, so your veggies have a nice crunch and your pastries never lose form. This will, in turn, reduce food waste and build a reputation for excellent, fresh food.
So will you invest in a Catering Fridge this Christmas?
Low price tags can be enticing, but if you look beyond the price tag, you may see some elements that look discouraging. Think of what the fridge is made from, what features and activities it will support, and if it's the right size for your catering needs.
Here at CRS, we offer a range of cold storage solutions for the catering industry. Our high-quality catering fridges are available for rent, lease or buy with unbeatable pricing without sacrificing quality. Want to learn more? Fill out the form for a free, no-obligation quote.
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