Choosing the best commercial refrigerator for your commercial kitchen can be a difficult task, there are many different brands that have solid reputations with many happy customers. You’ll be considering the basics; like size, materials, cost. Often, these decisions will be relatively easy to make. You’ll know that you want a two door unit because you need as much capacity as you can get but you can only fit a one door unit in your operation. You may decide that you want all stainless inside and out because you value the durability and easy clean-up you will have, and you have seen one too many non-stainless steel interior marred by acidic ingredient spills. But knowing if you should get a commercial refrigerator with a top mounted compressor or a bottom mounted compressor is a little more complicated. First, if you’re talking to a manufacturer that has top mount refrigerators, you will hear a lot about why that’s they way to go. The same will happen though when you speak with someone that has bottom-mount refrigerators.
Here are a few pros and cons about each type of commercial refrigerator that may help you make the right decision for your institutional kitchen:
Top Mount Commercial Refrigerators - Pros:
Cabinet Temperature – compressors generate heat, and with a top mounted unit, this goes out of the unit rather than into the box.
Staying clean – because the compressor is off the floor, dust and debris are much less likely to get into the unit, so your compressor requires less frequent cleaning.
Less prone to damage – depending on the care taken by your cleaning crew, a bottom mounted unit may be damaged during cleaning where your top mounted unit is safely out of the way.
More inside space – unlike a bottom-mount unit, there’s no accommodation of refrigerant lines or insulation above the condenser, giving you have more interior space in a top mount unit.
Top Mount Commercial Refrigerators – Cons:
More frequent maintenance - steam, grease and other air-born fumes can be drawn inside and clog condenser coils requiring more frequent cleaning and maintenance.
Lower efficiency – heat rises and in a commercial kitchen, there can be a difference of as much as 15o between the floor and the ceiling so a top mounted unit.
Difficulty cleaning and servicing – because the compressor is on top, it’s more difficult to access for cleaning and service and if the entire unit needs to be removed for service it may require two service techs causing higher maintenance costs.
Bottom Mount Commercial Refrigerators - Pros:
Easy access for service and cleaning – no ladders are needed to reach the refrigeration unit so anyone can reach this for cleaning and service.
Less maintenance – air-born grease and steam won’t get into your refrigeration unit, so coils require less frequent cleaning and more efficient operation.
Efficiency – the condenser operates near the floor, the coolest area in a hot kitchen, so it’s working more efficiently than in the hot zone near the ceiling.
Easier access to bottom shelf – the floor of these units is elevated to accommodate the refrigeration unit so it’s easier to access anything that’s stored on the bottom shelf, less stooping or kneeling to get to the back and bottom of the cabinet.
Bottom Mount Commercial Refrigerators – Cons:
Reduced interior space - refrigerant lines run up the back of the cabinet and insulation above the condenser takes away space from the bottom of the cabinet both reducing your interior space.
Lower efficiency – heat can rise from the mechanical part of the refrigerator into cabinet reducing the overall energy used to maintain temperature.
Potentially dirty coils – because the condenser is near the floor, dirt and debris can be pulled inside the unit requiring more frequent cleaning of coils to maintain efficient operation.
When deciding which type of commercial refrigerator is best for you, consult the list above and then look to the placement of the unit in your kitchen. If you have a high ceiling then the temperature variation from floor to ceiling may not be an issue. If you’re near a cooking line, then steam, grease and air-born grease fumes should be a consideration. In a bakery with lots of flour and other dry ingredients getting into the air, and therefore onto the floor, a bottom mount unit may not be the right choice. If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call at 866-613-2617 and our customer service team will be glad to help you.
