Reach-In Freezer Buying Guide

In most kitchens, reach-in freezers are just as important as reach-in refrigerators, because of the large amount of storage space they provide. Maintaining an organized and well-stocked reach-in freezer will not only cut down on wasted and spoiled food, but helps give your kitchen an air of professionalism. This type of freezer comes in four types: Single door freezers and two 1/2-door freezers , which have capacities between 19 and 24 cubic feet, double door freezers , which have capacities between 24-35 cubic feet and triple door freezers , which have a capacity of 72 cubic feet. The units that come with two half-size doors offer slightly less storage space, but allow less cold air to escape and maintain internal cabinet temperatures better. It should also be noted that reach-in freezers typically maintain a temperature range of between 0°F and –10°F, and are only available with hinged doors. Unlike refrigerated or freezer merchandisers, reach-in freezers are NSF-approved to hold pre-packaged food items and opened food items.

Freezer exteriors almost universally have a stainless steel front and aluminum-finished ends, back, and top, which ensures that sanitization will never be a problem. For every door on a reach-in freezer, there will be three shelves; so a single door freezer will have three shelves, a double door freezer will have six shelves and a triple door freezer will have nine shelves. Shelves on reach-in freezers are either vinyl, ABS, or epoxy coated to make them durable as well as easy to clean. Regardless of whether the doors are half-sized or full-sized, virtually all of them are both self-closing and gasketed, to prevent cool air leaking out. Hinged doors are equipped with stops to hold the door open past 120°, which makes loading and unloading easier. Some models come with two half-size doors as well; they do offer less storage space, but allow less cold air to escape and maintain internal cabinet temperatures better.

The location of the refrigeration unit is another option on reach-in freezer . The unit may be either top or bottom mounted. Bottom mounted units are more popular, and are useful when space above the reach-in is limited. This type of refrigeration unit does reduce interior storage space, however, and requires installation of a door about one-half the size the height of a regular door. Bottom-mounted refrigeration units are also best suited for especially hot kitchens; the hot air will rise out of the way of the low refrigeration unit, and since the refrigeration unit is not surrounded by hot air, it will not have to work as hard, thus prolonging the life of the unit and saving you money. Top-mounted refrigeration units usually increase the available storage are in the interior of the cabinet. Virtually all refrigerators offered here offer environmentally friendly, non-CFC oversized R404A refrigeration units. In comparison to reach-in refrigerators, reach-in freezers have more powerful refrigeration units, because they need to sustain a lower temperature. For instance, a 52 cubic foot freezer has a 3/4 HP compressor, but a 52 cubic foot refrigerator has only a 1/2 HP compressor. Almost every reach-in freezer will also utilize 2"-3" foamed-in-place polyurethane insulation, which helps maintain interior temperatures. Reach-in freezers also have larger fans that also have a baffler (extra cooling source located near the fan), designed to provide high velocity air movement, and thus, much colder temperatures.