Although a conventional refrigerator freezer may prove to be sufficient for a small family, it definitely doesn’t cut it for a commercial facility, such as a restaurant, a cafe or any other hospitality business that serves food. For that reason, most commercial food serving businesses use either upright or chest freezers. That being said, having excessive storage space allows you to freeze seasonal jams and berries, take advantage of bulk food specials, make ahead-meals, and store large meat or wild game orders.
But should you opt for an upright or a chest freezer? There is no obvious choice, because it’s all very circumstantial. If you have a relatively small kitchen, then a compact upright freezer is probably the better solution. On the other hand, if space is not an issue, perhaps a large chest freezer will better suit your needs. Other things that might have an impact on your choice include capacity, budget, energy efficiency, and convenience.
Both types come in various sizes, and even if they are of the same size, there is a capacity difference between them. A compact upright freezer will typically have less usable space than a chest freezer of the same size, simply because it has compartments. But on the plus side, upright freezers enable you to organize your items much better as you don’t need to dig inside them in order to get what you need, which is the case with chest freezers.
When it comes to energy efficiency, you should look for freezers with an energy saving star rating. Chest freezers are typically more energy efficient than upright ones, but upright freezers have a smaller footprint. Additionally, consider whether you have more vertical or horizontal space available. Upright freezers obviously fit better in cases when horizontal space is limited, and chest freezers fit better where vertical space is more limited.
Lastly, consider whether features such as automatic defrost are important to you. Automatic defrosting definitely adds a layer of convenience to the freezer, as manual defrosting can take several hours. This feature is typically listed on the freezer spec sheet, but if it isn’t and it matters to you, ask your dealer whether it’s included or not.
That being said, shop only from reputable dealers that sell freezers meant for commercial purposes and offer servicing and installation if you find it complicated to do it yourself. You can find plenty of wholesalers online, order from one and have the freezer delivered to your facility in just a couple of days, or even less.