Small Commercial Fridges

In practice, anything that fits a single bay: a one-door under-bench unit, a compact upright, or a countertop cabinet. The dividing line is the footprint rather than a specific volume figure.

The internal capacity for each unit is on its own product page, and our specifications page explains how we list it. Where you need the next step up, see medium commercial fridges.

Because of what the fridge is being asked to do. A commercial unit is built for a hot ambient temperature, constant door openings and fast temperature recovery; a domestic one is built for a cool kitchen and occasional use.

The result in a venue is a domestic fridge that reads the right temperature on a quiet morning but cannot hold it through a rush, and then fails from work it was never rated for. Our commercial fridges range is built the other way round.

Under bench where you have a counter and want the cooling at hand height for whoever is working. Upright where floor space is tight but there is height available, because a compact upright holds more for the same footprint.

Both are worth considering against a commercial bench fridge, which gives you a work surface on top of the cooling. That is often the best use of space in a small kitchen.

Yes, and it catches people out more often with small units than large ones, because a compact fridge is more likely to be pushed into a cabinet or a tight alcove.

Front-breathing models are designed to be built in; others need clearance at the back or sides, and the figure comes from the manufacturer for that model. Check the manual on the product documents page before the cabinetry is built.

Many will, but the mounting and the power supply need thinking about rather than assuming. A fridge in a moving vehicle has to be secured, and the shelving has to hold stock in place when the vehicle turns.

Tell us the application when you enquire so we can flag anything relevant. A countertop prep fridge is a common choice for carts because the cooling and the prep surface are one unit.

Put it somewhere that is not already hot, keep the ventilation clear, and keep the door closed — which in a small fridge means organising the stock so staff are not searching for it. A glass door helps with the last one: glass is double glazed and may hold cold slightly less well than a solid panel, but staff can see the stock without opening the door, and a door that spends less time open loses less cold air.

Beyond that, the refrigerant and the insulation do the work. See commercial energy efficient fridges for the units built specifically around running cost.

Most small venues do, and the usual pattern is to keep the small unit as the service fridge and add bulk storage behind it rather than replacing it. A compact fridge in reach of the pour point stays useful however much capacity you add.

When that point comes, large commercial fridges or a commercial cool room take the bulk storage. Talk to us before you buy a second small unit if the growth is already visible.