Have you ever wondered what the real difference is between a walk-in freezer and a walk-in cold room? Which is best for your commercial kitchen? We have a look at the key differences as well as some of the benefits and advantages that each option offers.
The difference
To look at, walk in freezers and walk in cold rooms are very similar, and in fact they can be hard to tell apart, the main difference of course being the temperatures. A freezer will always freeze food, with temperatures of -18C to -22C. A walk-in cold room, on the other hand, is more of a fridge, and it may have one of two temperatures zones: either between 2C and 12C (chiller temperature) or between -2C and +5C (somewhere between a domestic fridge and domestic freezer). Some walk-in chillers offer both zones in one unit.
Walk-in freezer
Walk-in freezers offer excellent deep freeze. The benefit of owing an appliance such as this is that you can store food safely for months or even years, and a lot of food too. A walk-in freezer is great for large catering and restaurant businesses, but unnecessary for most small cafes or restaurants. If you install a walk-in freezer there are additional health and safety factors that you need to consider such as entrapment, which can cause life threatening injuries. Make sure your walk-in freezer is well lit and can be opened from the inside, and include this on your risk assessment.
Walk-in Chiller
A walk-in chiller is an excellent choice for most medium to large hotels, pubs or restaurants. Kitchens are hot places, so even food that you would normally store outside the fridge at home is worth leaving in the walk-in chiller (i.e. butter, eggs). With a choice of temperature zones and often the choice to have two temperature zones, a walk-in chiller is an excellent solution and can take away the need to have any more fridges in your kitchen. Walk in cold rooms such as those at www.fridgefreezerdirect.co.uk/cold-rooms/integrated-cold-rooms can be customized to your needs.
So quite simply, one is colder than the other. The stock you need to keep and how fast you sell certain dishes or use certain produce will help determine which is the best solution for you.
