How Can A Walk-In Cooler Make Your Work Life Easier?

The culinary industry is one of the most competitive marketplaces in the world, and anything that a restaurant can do to increase productivity or cut down on costs should be seriously considered. One of the easiest things a restaurant can do to help with their bottom line is to install a  walk-in refrigerator . Walk-in units are superior to standard or even industrial free-standing coolers for several important factors, and any restaurant is bound to achieve greater efficiency with a proper walk-in refrigerator. Walk-in fridges are designed specifically for commercial use, and many of their features are meant to solve a real and specific issue with the standard method of refrigeration. We've outlined below some of the best reasons why a walk-in cooler will make not only your life easier, but the life of everyone in your restaurant as well.

Space

Walk-in coolers  are exceptionally effective at maximizing the utility of space. Those in the restaurant industry understand the inherent value of this. Most commercial kitchens are already packed as tightly as they can be, and the addition of fridge space can drastically alter the layout of a poorly planned kitchen. Because of the orientation of walk-in units, their capacity-to-volume ratio is far higher than standard units. That essentially means that a walk-in cooler can hold more food in a smaller amount of overall space. This is crucial for taking advantage of every square inch in a commercial kitchen.

Organization

In many cases, a walk-in cooler is able to perform the same duties as several standard fridges working together. Not only does this cut down on space, but it makes organization significantly easier. With a walk-in cooler, you don't have to worry about anything getting pushed to the back, out of sight or out of reach. Not only that, but retrieving any specific item from a walk-in fridge is far easier than searching for that same item through the clutter of a normal standing cabinet fridge. The reason for this is that walk-ins tend to store things on narrower shelves that line the interior walls, much like a pantry or walk-in closet.

Efficiency

It may seem counter-intuitive, but many walk-in coolers actually require less energy to run than the equivalent space in standard coolers. The reason for this is due to the increased insulation in most walk-in refrigerators, which more effectively traps cold air. Walk-in coolers also tend to have more effective door seals, which means less cool air can escape. Walk-in units can be set to run at slightly warmer temperatures than less efficient fridges, since they don't have to work as hard to maintain those low levels. It's possible to increase efficiency even more with the addition of strip plastic curtains that prevent cold from escaping while the door itself is open.

Deliveries

One of the biggest hassles in the culinary industry is unpacking deliveries. This is especially true if your restaurant is open for business when the deliveries are usually made. Without a walk-in cooler, workers must scurry to quickly unpack all the chilled and frozen food before it can warm up in the hot kitchen. When a restaurant is open for business while the employees are busy unpacking, they won't be able to adequately serve the customers. A walk-in cooler completely removes this potential problem, since cold deliveries can simply be stored on the floor of the walk-in cooler until such a time as the staff can focus on unpacking and organizing.

Quality Control

Some cabinet style fridges don't include many of the features that a restaurant needs to maintain a certain level of quality. For instance, walk-in coolers nearly all have some form of digital  thermometer  that accurately measures the internal temperature. Others have built-in units that prevent the accumulation of frost. All of these functions are meant to make it easier on the staff to keep track of food quality.

Combination Units

The most effective  walk-in fridges   are built with a secondary walk-in freezer near the rear of the cooler. These combined units bring refrigeration and freezing into a single unit, further optimizing your space. Keeping everything that must remain cold in one isolated area is far more efficient that spreading out those things through several cooling units.