Refrigeration units are ubiquitous in the foodservice industry. It is practically impossible to have a restaurant or commercial kitchen without some sort of refrigeration to keep your ingredients from going bad. But while they are an absolute necessity in food preparation, they often take up a lot of space—sometimes more than a restaurant can afford to spare, especially if multiple units (refrigerators and freezers) are required to properly store all of an establishment’s ingredients. Dual Temp refrigeration units often come in handy when trying to conserve floor space in the kitchen.
What is Dual Temp Refrigeration?
Dual temperature refrigeration is just about as straightforward as it sounds. It is, in essence, a multiple-section refrigeration unit in which each section maintains a different temperature. Typically, these units consist of one freezer section and one refrigerator section, although some less common models feature both refrigeration and heated storage in the same unit. This has fairly obvious benefits for restaurant owners, as it combines two levels of refrigeration in one unit, thus saving valuable floor space and decreasing utility costs. Dual temperature refrigeration is ideal for kitchens that do not require large amounts of refrigeration and would like to consolidate their refrigerated storage into one unit.
Benefits of Dual Temp Units:
- Saves floor space: As stated before, investing in a dual temp refrigeration unit is great way to conserve floor space. If your restaurant does not require excessive amounts of refrigerated storage, a dual temp unit may offer just enough storage space without taking up extra space in your kitchen.
- Efficient: Dual temp units are very efficient, and will save you money on your energy bills. Although many dual temp units contain two refrigeration systems, many of them still run off of a single power supply, ultimately reducing your energy usage as compared to running two full units.
- Lower upfront cost: Although not always the case, investing in a dual temp unit will be less of an initial investment than purchasing two separate units to accomplish the same task. Some dual temp units will come close to the cost of purchasing equivalent refrigeration with multiple units, but once the costs of shipping two separate units is factored into the comparison, the dual temp unit will likely end up being the less expensive and more convenient option in the long run.
- Reduces overall maintenance concerns: When maintenance is concerned, having less opportunity for issue is generally better for business. Ideally, dual temp units decrease eventual maintenance and servicing costs by limiting the potential for malfunction to one device. This can be a bit of a doubtful advantage, however, as much of your refrigeration is contained in one unit. If something goes wrong with your dual temp unit and you do not have backup refrigeration, you may be out a refrigerator until you it can be repaired. So while investing in a dual temp unit may be a good way to save money and floor space, restaurants that rely heavily on their refrigeration may be wise not to depend solely on a single dual-temp unit.
Types of Dual Temp Refrigerators:
- Single Section: Single section dual temp refrigerators consist of two half-sized refrigeration compartments stacked on top of each other in a single one-section cabinet. These models come with half doors (sometimes called “Dutch doors”) that allow each section to be opened independently. With this sort of “split level” single section units, the coldest cabinet is almost always on the bottom to allow for maximum efficiency. Single-section units typically operate using a single compressor, which keeps the initial cost of the unit down.
- Double Section: Double section dual temp units are pretty straightforward. They are essentially about twice as large as a single section unit, and feature a full-sized freezer and refrigerator positioned next to each other. Most double section dual temps feature two swinging doors: one for each section. Some select models, however, feature a combination of full doors, half doors, and even drawers. Double section models come in a wide variety of styles and configurations, and are generally the most versatile in terms of how much they are capable of storing without taking up huge amounts of space in the kitchen. Double section units typically require two full refrigeration systems, and while the cost may be lower than buying separate freezers and refrigerators, the savings will not be as significant as they are in the case of single-section units.
- Triple Section: Although not quite as common as double-section models, a triple section dual temp refrigerator may be all of the refrigerated storage that your kitchen needs. Available in both half door and whole door styles, these refrigerators offer the most storage space of any dual temp. Triple section dual temps are commonly offered in both double refrigerator/single freezer and double freezer/single refrigerator models to suit any kitchen’s specific needs. Seafood restaurants, for example, will likely require the additional freezer space, while other establishments such as sandwich shops that require less freezer space will tend toward models with the double refrigerator.
