There are all kinds of bar fridges used in the catering industry, from under counter bar models to large commercial back bar fridge models that are designed to stay out of site but keep all drinks cool. Depending what sector of the service industry you work in, commercial fridges can look very different.
Here is a list of the types of fridges that you may encounter when looking for a fridge for your business:
Mini fridges: When you say “bar refrigerator” to the man on the street, most likely he will be thinking of the small mini fridges that are mainly designed for home use to keep beers or small bottles of soda cool. These models lack a noisy compressor that makes conventional kitchen fridges so noisy, making them perfect for the hotel industry where these small fridges are used in hotel rooms for guests to enjoy the mini bar without the hassle of the compressor risking waking the guests up at night.
These miniature bar fridges can be found in most large convenience stores, but of course more robust commercial models can be bought from business catering sellers; these models tend to hold a lot more than models designed for home.These models are also frost free, which makes them very easy to maintain and take care of – something of a relief for workers everywhere!
Moving onto the more business end of the market, for bar owners and restaurateurs there are large, robust bar fridges orientated specifically for their needs and requirements. These models tend to come in a stainless steel or sleek black finish, to reflect the fact that they will sometimes be customer facing:
Back bar fridges are the kind that you would normally associate with a visit to a pub or bar. Sitting just behind the bar staff, these fridges usually have a range of features that make them easier to maintain and take care of in a commercial environment:
The condenser unit normally pulls out to make the fridge easy to service, and the doors tend to be reinforced to take all the wear and tear that a busy bar can throw at it!
Back bar refrigerators almost universally are perfectly square at the edges; having these flush cabinets means that multiple units can be placed beside each other – a godsend for some of the smaller bars out there.
Inside a professional grade refrigerator there will normally be two levels of shelves and a lower level for bottles of wine or juice to be stored. The top of a commercial bar refrigerator will normally be in stainless steel as well, which allows it to double up as a counter top.
When looking for a bar fridge for sale, you will also find that there will be a choice of doors before buying. The doors will either be glass or solid, which allows the bar owner to match the fridge with the ambience of the establishment. Other models of bar fridge may have slide doors instead of swing doors; obviously having slide doors can be a benefit in a small bar or a busy bar where there are a lot of people milling around, and the swing door models can frequently get in the way of people passing. Most commercial bar fridges allow the owner to change the swing direction on the doors for this very reason.
As you can see, there are quite a lot of decisions to be made when it comes to selecting a good bar fridge to match a business premises, but thankfully there are a wide range of models and variants when it comes to buying time so a bar or hotel owner will be able to find one that meets their requirements.
You may also enjoy:
- Choosing Between Makes of Commercial Fridges
- The Best Use of Mini Fridges in the Bar Trade
- Considerations for a Bar Cooler | How to Select a Bar Cooler from the Various Types Available
- Getting a Small Drinks Cooler for the Bar Area | Have Drinks Within Easy Reach and In Open View
- Different Types of Ice Maker for the Catering Industry | Buying a Ice Maker for Bars and Restaurants