What are the different types of refrigeration for restaurants? Refrigeration is important when it comes to keeping your perishable ingredients safe and fresh to eat. With so many options, it is not easy to know exactly the one that will be right for your business.

A good first step is deciding whether you prefer a reach-in or walk-in refrigerator. While the choice may seem easy, there are various factors to consider when making a decision.

Reach-In Refrigeration

When it comes to reach-in vs. walk-in there are a few different things to consider. Here are some reasons why reach-in refrigeration may be the perfect fit for your business.

• Not enough space in your kitchen. Reach-in refrigerators and freezers have smaller footprints. This is why kitchens have several different units at various locations, so staff has the ability to grab the required ingredients quickly without having to go too far from their station or spend time searching for them in a large walk-in unit.
• Flexibility is important to you. Reach-ins are easier and smaller to install than walk-ins and can be put in whatever position you need them to be put in. If you are thinking about changing the layout of your kitchen in the future, you can take comfort in knowing that reach-in units are easier to move.

Walk-In Refrigeration

If you are considering walk-in refrigeration instead, it may be the right fit for you if:

• Your business serves a lot of guests at a single time. Few things are more annoying to guests than ordering a meal only to find out that the kitchen doesn’t have the ingredients available. Restaurants with high front-of-house seat counts should always have large amounts of ingredients in the kitchen. This helps them to avoid running out of them in the future. A walk-in of good size will allow enough space to do just that in an organized fashion.
• Your business has certain requirements for cold storage. Walk-ins, unlike reach-in units, are available in standard sizes and are much more customizable. You can create a well-built unit for your kitchen’s unique needs.
• Your business plans on purchasing perishables in bulk. A great way to save money when securing supplies for your restaurant is to buy everything in bulk. However, this also requires your business to have a lot of storage. Walk-in units offer this additional room to keep your ingredients fresh until they are ready to be used.

The biggest thing is you shouldn’t be afraid to mix and match. When it comes to your restaurant equipment, you should always consider valuing simplicity in your restaurant equipment and limiting your kitchen to only what you really need.