NSF Refrigerator
 

Looking for NSF Refrigerator to cool down bbq meat correctly. Any types or styles that anyone could recommend?

Take a look at Arctic Air. Or, buy used. I bought a True and a Hobart.

I have a Randall. It has a digital temp guage on the outside of the door. I have had no trouble with it and it gets unplugged a lot when moving. Check out craigslist used is way cheaper.

I've got the Arctic Air, nice unit and it runs about $1,100.

Bought a double door Norwalk S/S fridge for $1k today. Also have a Beverage Air.

Look at Craigslist or find a local buyer/seller of used equipment. Their business is booming with the bad economy and failing restaurants. There is a lot of good used equipment out there at the moment. Great time to buy.

I have been checking craigslist and online auctions daily. Haven't seen any great deals as of yet. Most of the stuff similar to the artic air goes for $600-700 and I am wondering if its better to buy the new one and hopefully have the warranty and less hassle.

Does storing the refrigerator in a cold garage have any affects on it. I have a attached uninsulated garage that the refrigerator would be stored.

Keep looking. One will pop up eventually. Also look for a buyer/reseller locally. Prices will be a hair higher, cause they gotta make a profit, but still a lot cheaper than buying new. They tend to swoop in on restaurants that fail and buy very cheap, clean it up and mark it up. You can easily spend a third or fourth of new prices. It is crazy what the new ones go for.

Very little can go wrong with them. Occasionally a compressor goes bad and you are hosed, but most will run ten or fifteen years easily, with no problems.

You won't have problems in a garage. Most commercial kitchens are very hostile environments. The commercial units are built to stand up to extreme heat and cold and some moisture.

To cool food correctly, you might not want a refrigerator. It "might" take too long to cool. A freezer might be your best bet for fast cooling.

Also, putting a quantity of hot food in a small refrigerated space will certainly raise the inside temperature a good bit...making the compressor work harder to pull the temperature down. This is an excellent method for compressor failure if that's what you are looking for. Hot meat can even raise the temperature of a small walk-in unit.

Just trying to help.

FYI According to ServSafe don't put hot meat in refrigerator.
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ServSafe Certified

I cool my hot meat in 150 qt coolers with layers of ice in 2 1/2 gal bags. HD approved and HAACP approved. It will bring it down from 150° to 38° in less than an hour for ribs, chicken and brisket. Whole butts about 1 and 1/2 hours. I usually pull and cool them.

Air cool for an hour first. Max of 2 half pans at a time - 4 hours that means. Freezer with other product in can cause problems with partial thawing. I do not recommend either device for cooling.

Agree - good advice. And I can't do it in MI. SOPS that use fridge or freezer will not be approved.

Ding, Ding, Ding. We have a winner. Excellent advice and the only approved way unless you start playing with dry ice.

We use a small chest freezer for refrigeration.

It's not the only approved way. As long as you get it cool enough in the allotted time, it is approved.

What kind of idiot would put hot food in a freezer that has other frozen product in it? I get your point, but no one said to do that.

Guys - I think you hijacked my link. I am fine with all the information but ideally was looking for a recommendation on frig. But please keep going I enjoy learning about the craft.

Mark

I picked up a used small glass door merchandise cooler. Think soft drink fridge by the checkout line at the grovery store. It's NSF and isn't as big/heavy. And about $300.