When you compare commercial fridges and freezers, you'll see them described as fan forced, static or fan assisted. It describes how the cold air moves around the cabinet, and it makes a real difference to how evenly the fridge holds temperature, how quickly it recovers after the door opens, and how much defrosting it needs. Here's what each type means and which suits your business.
Static cooling
In a static fridge or freezer, the cold surface (a cold wall, plate or coil) sits inside the cabinet, and air moves around it naturally. Cold air sinks and warm air rises, with no fan pushing it. You'll find static cooling in many chest freezers and some budget upright fridges.
Pros:
- Simple, with fewer moving parts
- Quiet
- Gentle airflow, so uncovered food dries out more slowly
- Often cheaper to buy
Cons:
- Slower to recover after the door opens
- Less even temperatures, with warmer and colder spots
- Ice builds up on the cold surface, and many models need manual defrosting
Best for: chest freezers, and back-of-house storage that isn't opened often.
Fan assisted cooling
Fan assisted cooling is static cooling with a small fan added to move air around the cabinet. It evens out the temperature compared with plain static cooling, but the cold surface is still inside the cabinet, so ice can still build up. It's common in some drinks fridges and bar coolers.
Pros: more even temperatures than static, and still simple.
Cons: ice build-up, possible manual defrosting, and slower recovery than fan forced.
Best for: drinks fridges and light-use storage.
Fan forced cooling
In a fan forced fridge, air is blown through a cooling coil (the evaporator), usually hidden behind a panel, and pushed around the whole cabinet. The fridge pulls down quickly, holds an even temperature from top to bottom, and recovers fast after the door opens. Fan forced models usually defrost automatically.
Pros:
- Even temperatures throughout the cabinet
- Fast recovery after door openings, which suits busy kitchens and display
- Automatic defrost on most models
- Copes better in hot rooms. Many kitchen models are rated for rooms up to 43°C.
Cons:
- Moving air dries uncovered food faster, so keep food covered
- More parts, such as fans and defrost components
- Usually a little more expensive to buy
Best for: busy kitchens, display fridges, drinks fridges opened all day, and hot environments. Most upright fridges and upright freezers in our range are fan forced.
Which should you choose?
| If you... | Choose |
|---|---|
| Open the fridge constantly during service | Fan forced |
| Need a display fridge customers open all day | Fan forced |
| Work in a hot kitchen or shop | Fan forced, with a high room temperature rating |
| Want bulk frozen storage you don't open often | Static (most chest freezers) |
| Need light-use back-of-house storage on a budget | Static or fan assisted |
For most commercial kitchens and shops, fan forced is the safer choice. It holds food at a steady 5°C or colder even when the door is opened often. Static cooling still makes sense for chest freezers and storage that's rarely opened.
FAQs
Is fan forced or static better for a commercial fridge?
For busy kitchens, display and drinks fridges, fan forced. It keeps a more even temperature and recovers faster after the door opens. Static is fine for chest freezers and light-use storage.
Does a fan forced fridge use more power?
Not necessarily. The fans use a little power, but fan forced fridges recover quickly and defrost automatically, which keeps them efficient in heavy use. Compare the energy use (kWh per 24 hours) of the models you're considering with our running cost calculator.
Why does food dry out in my fan forced fridge?
Moving cold air draws moisture from uncovered food. Cover or wrap food, and keep it out of the direct path of the fan.
Do static fridges need defrosting?
Many do. Ice builds up on the cold surface, and once it gets thick the fridge works harder. Defrost as the manual recommends, and never chip ice off with a sharp tool.
