Designating a refrigerator as “commercial” is actually regulated by your local authorities. In order to qualify as a commercial-grade refrigerator, every compartment in the unit must keep a steady temperature at or above 32 degrees F. Thankfully, most commercial freezers and refrigerators have condensing units for increased efficiency.

A professional refrigerator can operate in restaurants, hospitals, and other business settings. Although similar, they’re different from a home kitchen in a few ways. Restaurant refrigerators, for example, are usually much bigger since they need to hold much higher quantities of food. It’s also important to think about the regulations about how to safely store restaurant refrigerators. Restaurant refrigerators may also feature less shelving space to make it easier for owners and chefs to stack food and ingredients -- the same goes for restaurant freezers. 

There are a number of different types of commercial refrigerators. You can get reach-in refrigerators with a stainless steel or glass door. Commercial refrigeration equipment also includes refrigerated prep tables and under-counter and worktop commercial refrigeration units. Walk-in refrigerators are also available.

Commercial merchandising refrigeration units will use considerably more energy to run than consumer refrigerators. Of course they’re much larger, however they’re required to maintain consistent temperatures for long periods of time. 

Not every piece of commercial equipment is an electricity hog. A small bar commercial fridge might not use as much electricity as your home refrigerator. But that's the exception, not the rule.

The big difference between commercial freezers and regular freezers is that commercial freezers are generally bigger, offer less shelving space, and are more regulated and reliable. They also don't often come with all the features that you might expect on a home model, like an ice-maker or door compartments. In a professional setting, the simpler the better.

• Turbo Air
• True Manufacturing
• Kintera
• Hoshizaki
• Traulsen

At Chefs' Toys, we offer a wide variety of popular restaurant equipment. Turbo Air sells restaurant freezers for many industries, including any type of restaurant refrigerator or freezer you could ask for. True Manufacturing and Kintera are also reliable brands that sell professional refrigerator units.