Posted by
Tara Webber
When everything is working like it should in the restaurant and foodservice business, you don’t need to worry about a thing. You don’t have to think about how important it is for the dishwasher to quickly wash and sanitize several loads in a few minutes; you don’t bother worrying about whether the grill is hot enough, and you certainly don’t think about what a disaster it would be if one of your refrigerators or freezers were to break down.
But, if you ever want to find out just how vital a properly functioning refrigerator or freezer is to your business, wait until one stops functioning properly; you'll learn very quickly.
And at that point you'll be looking straight down the barrel of numerous costs, potential health hazards and maybe even the loss of long-time customers.
You don’t have to tell a chef or manager how important it is to keep food cold. But hundreds of times a day, as workers open and close the doors, the refrigerator’s temperature settings are affected. This, of course, has the potential to spoil food, cost the business money and endanger customers — all of the same problems that occur when a unit completely breaks down.
For this reason, it’s incredibly important that your refrigerator has a good rapid temperature recovery to maintain proper temperature control.
Design
The first guard against causing temperature fluctuations is to make sure you have a unit with proper air circulation. Designs that push cold air around in a circular pattern, such as in Traulsen and Hoshizaki models, are the best for keeping cold air inside your unit. Units that push the cold air from the back to the front are the least efficient. They allow cold air to escape each time the door is opened.
In addition, you want to look for units with air ducts that allow for proper airflow and don’t require any clearance (this way you won’t have to worry about loading the unit properly).
Sensors and refrigerator temperature control
In addition to having a unit with the right kind of air circulation, be sure to find a unit that has advanced sensors that will be able to detect even the slightest variations in temperature. Modern sensors are very sophisticated and investing in a refrigerator with an advanced sensor is a major step toward keeping the food you serve fresh.
Many might be wary of the price tag that comes with good airflow and high-tech sensors. But the savings incurred with a refrigerator that has rapid temperature recovery can really add up over time. Traulsen has estimated that over a 15-year life span, a unit with proper temperature recovery can save its owner as much as $780. You might save even more. If you factor in the stress and worry that’s involved with spoiled food, you can begin to really understand the importance of such a feature.
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