Views: 6245 Author: NTSmart Publish Time: 2024-10-10 Origin: NTSmart
Walk-in refrigerators are essential for most restaurant operations, ensuring the safe storage of valuable inventory. Despite their importance, they are often overlooked. Choosing the right unit is a crucial aspect of kitchen design that can enhance operational efficiency and save costs. While prefabricated units might offer upfront savings, custom-built refrigerators, tailored to your kitchen's specific needs, typically perform better in the long run.
Prefabricated vs. Custom Walk-In Refrigerators
Manufacturers commonly offer prefabricated units for two key reasons: quicker delivery (often referred to as “quick ship”) and cost savings due to mass production. However, these standard units often fail to optimize space utilization. Every square foot of your kitchen matters, and the right walk-in refrigerator should maximize revenue-generating space.
Are Standard Walk-In Refrigerator Sizes a Good Fit?
Consider a typical 10’ x 10’ prefabricated unit. With walls 4 inches thick and an additional 2 inches for airflow clearance, you're left with a 6-inch wall thickness. If you install 24-inch deep shelving around the interior, the center of the unit will have about 5 feet of unused space—space you still pay to cool but can't use for storage.
The Advantage of Custom-Built Walk-In Refrigerators
Now imagine a custom-built walk-in refrigerator that’s 8 feet wide instead of 10. With the same shelving and clearance setup, this unit only leaves 3 feet of open space, just enough for staff movement. This design cools only the necessary space, reducing costs associated with the compressor, evaporator, and long-term energy use.
Custom Sizing: Maximizing Space and Profitability
Your kitchen’s layout may not suit a standard unit. A custom refrigerator allows you to tailor the unit’s dimensions to the available space and shelving requirements. For example, if you only need 18-inch deep shelving, a 7-foot wide unit would save more space and minimize cooling costs. Though custom units may have a higher upfront cost, they often deliver significant savings over time by reducing unnecessary cooling and maximizing usable storage space.
Contact Us for Expert Consultation
For more details on designing the perfect walk-in refrigerator or any commercial kitchen equipment inquiries, contact us at benny@ntsmart.com.
content is empty!