Commercial kitchens are the fundamental core of hospitality venues. They are where your back-of-house team prepares the culinary delicacies and beverages that keep your customers coming back.
To ensure your kitchen operates efficiently, you need to have the right equipment. Under bench fridges can be the perfect addition to just about any hospitality space.
To get the most out of your under bench fridge, you need to take into consideration your kitchen layout. That’s why we’ve provided you with 5 tips to get the most out of these fridges, put smiles on your team’s faces and achieve superior workflows.
1. Proximity to relevant areas
Your under bench fridges should be positioned in the optimal location within the kitchen, relative to where they will be required. For example, an under bench fridge underneath or near your preparation stations might contain raw fruits and vegetables compared to fridges located near cooktops and ovens that might contain meat, finishing sauces and garnishes.
If your kitchen has a pastry section, under bench fridges in that area could contain dairy products or fruit.
This same principle applies to under bench fridges in the front of house.. If you are preparing coffee or smoothies, an under counter fridge can be conveniently used to hold milk and fruit.
Ensuring your under bench fridges are properly located and contain the most important ingredients for each section of your venue is critical. It ensures that your kitchen workflows are optimised, and essentially saving your staff members precious time during busy service periods.
This means better service and happier customers. Making the most of limited space is what under bench fridges are all about, and carefully placing your fridges helps you achieve this.
2. Use your fridge as a bench
A unique advantage of an under bench fridge is its ability to be used as a countertop workspace. Bromic’s range of under bench fridges can be used as benchtops, with the exception of the 1-door UBC0140 model.
Extra preparation space is always required in any busy kitchen environment and with an under bench fridge, it’s made possible. Whether your team wants to prepare ingredients or store countertop appliances like microwaves and blenders, an under bench fridge has the versatility to function in your kitchen layout.
Bromic under bench fridges come with castors, or small wheels at the base of the units. These castors allow Bromic fridges to easily be moved in and out of under bench locations. When your fridge isn’t in an under bench location, it can still fit seamlessly in your kitchen layout as a free-standing bench top.
For more information on selecting a fridge with maximum versatility, check out our complete guide to choosing the right under bench fridge for your venue.
3. Ensure adequate ventilation
Proper ventilation is crucial for the optimal performance and longevity of your under bench fridge. Bromic’s under bench fridges require 150mm of clearance between the fridge and the surrounding wall or cabinet.
Maintaining minimum clearance is easy when first setting up the position of your under bench fridge. It’s important to regularly check that your under bench fridge is maintaining minimum ventilation clearance in case it moves slightly over time.
This is just one part of making sure your fridge is properly ventilated. You should also regularly check and clean ventilation areas to ensure your fridge continues to function properly.
4. Cool zones
Creating temperature zones in your kitchen helps your appliances function more efficiently. Try to separate your under bench fridges from heating appliances like ovens.
This approach has many benefits for your business. When your appliances are separated into thermal zones, your appliances don’t need to expend as much energy to maintain their intended temperature.
This helps your appliances function better for longer. It can also save you money with reduced energy consumption. With 1 in 11 hospitality businesses expected to fail in the next 12 months, reducing expenses wherever you can, is essential.
These thermal zones can also lead to smoother workflows in your kitchen. Having stoves and ovens in close proximity is generally preferable to having fridges in between them.
Under bench fridges are very flexible in where they can be placed in your kitchen. They are therefore the perfect area to begin creating cool zones in your kitchen. Try to cluster your fridges where possible, separate from hot cooking areas.
While you’ll need to balance thermal zones with easy access to ingredients, these zones can help create a more cost-efficient, well-oiled kitchen.
5. Door clearance
When finding the perfect location for an under bench fridge in your kitchen, be sure to leave room for door clearance. This is critical information you can get from the manufacturer of your fridge.
If your under bench fridges are going to be frequently used, it’s important that you have considered the space required to open and close doors easily without interference from other benches and equipment. If possible, you should also have adequate space for doors to be opened whilst staff walk behind the person getting something out of the fridge.
Having adequate door clearance is about more than smooth workflows. It’s also an important part of safety in your kitchen. An overly cluttered kitchen without enough door clearance can result in trips and falls, which can cause serious injuries.
Bromic under bench fridges help to tackle issues around door clearance with self-closing doors. Our range features self-closing doors, meaning doors aren’t left open and causing obstructions in your kitchen. Self-closing doors also help to avoid temperature fluctuation and help make your fridges more energy efficient.
Use these 5 tips to carefully plan under bench fridges in your kitchen layout. With the right approach, you can save space, maximise energy efficiency and promote workplace health and safety. You’ll soon be using under bench fridges to get the most out of your team and boost your business.
Browse Bromic under bench fridges
Bromic’s under bench fridge range is the perfect choice to fit into your kitchen layout. Our fridges are highly versatile with castors for easy movement, and the ability to use most fridges in the range as a benchtop.
Under bench fridges are the perfect way to make the most of your commercial kitchen space. For ultimate flexibility, we have 1, 2, 3 and 4-door options available.
Browse a range of Bromic under bench fridges today and find the perfect appliance to add to your business.
