Have you ever noticed that little things done right can turn into big benefits? It’s definitely that way in the kitchen, so we have a short list of tips that will help you get the most out of your commercial refrigeration equipment. Teach your employees to follow these tips and you’ll see the benefits pretty quickly.
1. Turn the power off before leaving the door open to load or clean the refrigerator. Whenever staff is propping the door open for an extended period of time without turning the equipment off can make the condenser ice up and this will cause operational problems.
2. Resist the urge to lower the thermostat so that it is lower than the recommended temperature settings. Commercial coolers should usually be set at 38 degrees Fahrenheit so that they will hold food at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower so that you are holding food within safe temperature ranges.
3. Prior to moving hot items into the refrigerator, hot foods should be cooled safely. This will conserve energy because you won’t have the hot food elevating the temperature within your refrigerator so that it needs to work to cool everything down, but it ensures that foods pass through the temperature danger zones rapidly enough to eliminate any food safety risks.
4. Use several trays for food within your refrigerator to allow for cold air to circulate over all the products without any hinderance. Ideal trays are 4” deep or less so foods will chill faster.
5. Be sure that you cover all acidic foods including onions and tomatoes. The acid from these foods will circulate through the box and it will settle onto the coils causing deterioration.
6. Check the way you are storing foods to be certain that you are not blocking circulation within the refrigerator.
7. When placing refrigeration equipment in your kitchen layout be sure to keep this away from any food prep or commercial cooking equipment that is a source of heat like an oven or a commercial grill.
Following these easy tips will help you to get the best performance from your commercial refrigeration equipment and prompt staff to pay attention to food safety guidelines for food storage.
