Buying a walk-in cooler for your business is a big decision. Don’t let all the calculations and considerations put a “chill” on the process! From their compressors and doors to their shapes and sizes, walk-in coolers are extremely complex pieces of restaurant equipment. The Restaurant Guru blog is here to help with a list of the main factors to consider when purchasing a walk-in freezer.

How much storage space is needed? Walk-in coolers come in standard or custom sizes. Sizes range from as small as 4’x5’ to walk-in units that are room-sized. In figuring capacity, on average, 1-cubic foot of open storage area will accommodate about 28 pounds of solid food. Shelving is an integral part of walk-in refrigeration storage systems. Welded wire shelving with a polymer coating is generally the best choice for walk-ins, allowing cold air to circulate around food products. Keep shelves at least 6" off the floor for ease of cleaning and low enough to prevent the food from touching the ceiling. Mobile cabinets or storage racks provide alternatives to fixed wire shelving.

Once you have space needs figured out, it’s time to think about how you will maintain the chill within your walk-in cooler. Holding foods in a safely chilled or frozen state to avoid cross contamination and keeping products at correct temperatures are a walk-in cooler’s primary food safety functions. Temperature monitoring and recording can help operators comply with HACCP guidelines, and can be especially useful in storage of pre-made foods. Designate separate sections of a walk-in cooler for raw and ready-to-eat products to minimize threat of cross-contamination. Place at least one accurate thermometer in the warmest part of the walk-in freezer to measure the air temperature. It is best to have several placed throughout the unit.

Walk-in accessories will keep your restaurant equipment at peak performance. An air-circulation system that allows a walk-in to draw in cold outside air when the exterior temperature is colder than the interior box temperature is available for your restaurant equipment. An air door or vinyl curtain strips may be mounted above walk-in entrances to make sure proper temperatures are maintained, as well as to protect units from insect infestation.

Ensure that your floors and ceilings are in the right condition for proper load bearing and ventilation and you are ready to install a walk-in cooler!