A walkin fridge can help you store larger quantities of food at safe holding temperatures, allowing your staff to cook and prep more efficiently. These units are available in a wide range of sizes to fit the needs of your commercial kitchen, from a small storage space for extra ingredients to several hundred cubic feet of refrigeration capacity.

You’ll find both solid and glass door models for a variety of aesthetic preferences. Look for units with full-body insulation that maintains an interior temperature and prevents cold air from escaping through the doors or walls. Many walk-ins also include floors to contain condensation and protect your facility’s floors from mold or structural problems.

Insulation is key to energy efficiency. The quality of your walk-in’s insulation is determined by a rating system called R-Value, with the highest R-Value indicating the best insulating value. The best insulation for a walk-in is foamed-in-place polyurethane, which has a higher R-Value than alternatives like XEPS or polystyrene.

Walkin Fridge Solutions: Tailoring Cold Storage to Your Needs

A high R-Value is also necessary for the floor of your walk-in. The floor is designed to be able to support the weight of carts and shelves, and it helps keep hot food from falling into the cool storage area and raising the temperature. You should also consider the type of floor you want, with options like reinforced or insulated concrete to increase durability and reduce maintenance costs.

Finally, your walk-in refrigerator should have a self-contained refrigeration system. These systems have the coil and condensing unit all in one piece that drops into a pre-cut hole on the ceiling or wall of your walk-in. This eliminates the need for a separate evaporator unit, but the cooler must still be started by a licensed refrigeration contractor.