Overcrowding in your restaurant? An industrial walk-in freezer might be the perfect solution for your refrigeration woes. Refrigerators that are too full might result in poor cooling and dangerous food conditions because of a lack of air circulation. A walk-in refrigerator or additional reach-in refrigeration is an option if you’re looking to remedy a lack of storage in your home. For your convenience, we’ve included a list of factors to consider when purchasing a commercial refrigerator walk-in freezer vs reach-in, reach-in freezer.
How Will You Make Use Of Your Refrigerator?
When picking between a reach-in and a walk-in refrigerator, keep in mind that one does not have to replace the other completely. Reach-in units are the types of refrigerators restaurants are using. However, walk-ins are not the same thing. Because they are intended to keep food at a safe temperature, reach-ins and walk-ins are great for storing merchandise. However, they aren’t meant to cool down hot food. A walk-in or reach-in refrigerator temperature may rise significantly if hot food is placed inside, putting everything in that unit at risk of severe bacterial growth and contamination. Using an ice paddle or blast chiller to cool hot food before putting it in the refrigerator can help keep your food safe while also extending the life of your fridge.
Walk-Ins Vs Reach-Ins Installation Requirements
Even though walk-in coolers are helpful in restaurants, they take longer to install than reach-in coolers. A level floor is required for installation; if not, an insulated base must be constructed. Walk-in units may be installed outdoors, which is excellent for receiving goods since they take less room. In certain restaurants, walk-in coolers are located near the back door, which may need extra weather-related concerns. In contrast to smaller walk-in coolers, many big walk-in coolers need a professional installation crew, adding upfront expense.
At A Glance: Walk-Ins Vs Reach-Ins
Walk-In Coolers
Pros
- Customisable to fit nearly any space
- Open layouts for easy organisation
- Outdoor installation removes excess heat and noise from the kitchen
- Supports more bulk storage, which can save money on deliveries
- Uses less power when used in place of multiple reach-ins for storage
- Can be placed indoors or outdoors
Cons
- Higher initial costs
- May require professional installation
- Installation area requires more prep work
- Climate and seismic activity are considerations in some regions
- Requires extra equipment, such as strip doors, air curtains, and shelving
- Some have extended lead times for customisation
- Reach-ins are typically still needed for use with a walk-in.
Reach-In Refrigeration
Pros
- It takes up less space, with compact under-counter models available
- Comes with shelving
- ADA models available
- Provides convenient access to ingredients
- Most models are more affordable than walk-ins
- Simple installation
- ENERGY STAR models available
Cons
- Most models have only limited customisation options
- Limited storage capacity; only available with one to three sections
- Most reach-in refrigeration is self-contained, which adds heat and noise to the room
- Shorter average lifespans than those typical of walk-ins
Conclusion
Between walk-in freezer vs reach-in, reach-in freezer valuing simplicity in your restaurant equipment, and limiting your kitchen to what it needs, is essential. Sometimes, however, the answer is both!
Reach-in and walk-in refrigeration have distinct benefits. Many kitchens ultimately decide to incorporate a combination of the two into their design to utilise the storage capabilities of walk-ins and the convenience and flexibility of reach-ins.
