How to Choose the Right Size Commercial Fridge for Your Business

Step 1: Calculate Your Volume Requirements

Fridge capacity is easy to misunderstand as it’s not measured the same way as domestic appliances. Shelves alone don’t tell the full story. Most professional kitchens actually use Gastronorm fridge capacity to make sure the fridge will hold everything it needs to.

Gastronorm, or GN for short, is an international standard that sizes trays and containers used across prep benches, ovens and fridges. A fridge listed as 1/1 GN compatible has space for full-size trays to slide straight in without transferring food. Larger upright fridges may support 2/1 GN pans, which doubles the surface area per shelf, reducing handling time during prep.

As a practical, but loose, guide, a café with moderate turnover may be fine with a single door upright mode. However, a busy 100-seat restaurant running lunch and dinner services usually needs at least a double-door upright fridge to manage prep, backup stock and peak service volume without overloading the shelves.

Step 2: Measuring Your Kitchen Space

Once you know your capacity needs, you need to then think about the physical space. Knowing accurate commercial fridge dimensions will help you avoid layout issues that disrupt workflow or breach safety standards.

Start with the basics. Measure the width, depth and height of the available gap, accounting for any skirting boards, wall guards or pipework that can reduce the usable space.

You also need to think about the door swing. Hinged doors need clearance to open fully without blocking walkways or workstations. In tight kitchens, sliding door fridges or reversible doors can solve congestion issues and keep the line moving smoothly.

And lastly, consider your staff’s movements. The fridge should sit where your chefs, cooks or prep staff can access ingredients quickly without crossing high traffic zones during service. Poor placement can really slow down the kitchen.

Step 3: The Critical "Ventilation Gap"

Ventilation is something most people don’t think about when buying a fridge but can quickly shorten its life if you get it wrong. Understanding how to measure for commercial fridge clearance is as important as measuring the fridge itself.

Being larger, commercial fridges can generate a lot of heat. Without airflow, that heat just builds, forcing the compressors to work harder and consume more power. This doesn’t just lead to higher power bills, but more breakdowns and inconsistent temperatures internally, too, which is not good for storing food.

Top-mounted motors need clearance above the unit to effectively release heat, whereas bottom-mounted motors need airflow near the floor. This keeps compressors away from hot cooking zones. Although each has different clearance needs.

As a general rule, include an extra 10 to 20 centimetres of space in your measurements around the ventilation points and never fully box a fridge in without proper vents. You should also confirm any manufacturer specifications before installation, too.

Step 4: The Delivery Check (Don't Forget the Doorway)

Many businesses learn the hard way that even if the fridge fits in the spot you have chosen, it may not fit through the door! Keeping in mind commercial fridge sizes and how to get it to its new location is going to save you a lot of last-minute chaos.

Measure every access point the fridge is going to need to pass through. This includes the height and width of entrances, back doors, hallways, corners and kitchen doorways. Even a few centimetres can make a big difference.

Castors are another often-forgotten detail. Wheels add extra height but make cleaning and repositioning far easier once installed. Always include castor height in your final measurements.

Upright vs. Underbench: Which Fits Your Workflow?

Just like home fridges, different fridge styles suit different kitchen layouts. Choosing the right one depends on how space and storage work with service flow, not just the commercial fridge dimensions.

Upright fridges are very effective if you have a lot of vertical space. They give you a lot of high internal volume with a relatively small footprint, making them good for bulk storage, prep rooms or backup stock. If you have the room, double and triple-door uprights can give you more volume, if needed.

Underbench fridges spread storage horizontally. They give your team lower capacity, but do integrate very well with the cooking line, also doubling as another prep surface on top. If speed and accessibility really matter more than volume, this might be a good option.

Most commercial kitchens will actually have a mix of both upright and underbench kitchens to give them the balance of storage space and efficiency.

Explore Commercial Refrigeration at AGC Equipment

If you’re looking for a new commercial fridge, there’s a lot to think about. With these tips on how to balance real-world use with commercial fridge sizes and layouts, you can make a list of what you need.

AGC Equipment stocks a wide range of commercial refrigeration solutions to make finding what you need easy. Explore our range of slimline single door units, high capacity uprights, underbench fridges, display models and more suited for every kitchen.