A flower display fridge is usually the biggest piece of equipment a florist buys. It has to keep your stock fresh, show it off to customers, fit through your door and suit the way your shop works on its busiest day of the year. This guide covers what makes a flower fridge different, how to choose the size, the features worth paying for, and how the seven models in our range compare.
Do you need a flower fridge, or will any display fridge do?
Flower fridges are glass door display fridges fitted out for florists. Ours have:
- A layout built for buckets. Six display levels per door, and on both brands the shelves sit on metal clips.
- A stainless steel floor that copes with water spills and wipes clean.
- Bright LED lighting that shows off colour and adds less heat than fluorescent tubes.
- A flower sign box on top, so the fridge looks like part of the shop.
We're still confirming the shelf clips and lighting on the new CCE700Flower.
Each of our flower models has a general purpose display fridge from the same maker in the same cabinet size, with the same number of display levels. The main published differences are the flower sign (both brands) and, on Crusader, a humidity fan control with a humidity gauge on all but the new CCE700Flower.
Most cut flowers keep longest just above freezing (about 0 to 2°C in storage), and research says florist coolers should stay below 5°C. A standard display fridge can work if it holds a steady temperature below 5°C. A domestic fridge brings three risks: fruit and vegetables give off ethylene, a gas that makes sensitive flowers age early; tropical flowers get chilled; and condensation forms when cold flowers meet warm air. For the full detail on settings, see our guide to flower fridge temperature and humidity.
Our flower fridges compared
| Model | Doors | Capacity | Size (W x D x H mm) | Max room temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crusader CCE605Flower | 1 | 430 litres | 605 x 665 x 2000 | 38°C |
| NovaChill SM600GFF | 1 | 590 litres | 685 x 800 x 2115 | 43°C |
| Crusader CCE700Flower | 1 | 600 litres | 700 x 790 x 2025 | 38°C |
| Crusader CCE1130Flower | 2 | 1000 litres | 1130 x 720 x 2025 | 38°C |
| NovaChill SM1300GFF | 2 | 1320 litres | 1382 x 800 x 2115 | 43°C |
| Crusader CCE1630Flower | 3 | 1500 litres | 1710 x 720 x 2055 | 38°C |
| NovaChill SM2000GFF | 3 | 2050 litres | 2079 x 800 x 2115 | 43°C |
All except the new CCE700Flower plug into a standard 10 amp power point and have fan-forced cooling, automatic defrost, a fully adjustable digital temperature controller, LED lighting, lockable doors and castors. We're still confirming these details for the CCE700Flower with the supplier.
Single, double or triple door?
Single door
A single door fridge suits small shops, home studios, cafés and gift shops that sell a few buckets of flowers, and garden centres with a flower stand. The Crusader CCE605Flower is the narrowest in our range at 605mm wide. The Crusader CCE700Flower is the larger Crusader single door, with 600 litres in a 700mm wide cabinet. A single door fridge also makes a good second fridge. The supplier's brochure lists the CCE605Flower as adjustable from 0°C to 16°C, so it can run warmer for tropical flowers, which don't like the cold.
Double door
Two doors is where most suburban florists land. There's room for everyday stock plus made-up orders, and two people can reach in at once on a busy morning. Choose between the Crusader CCE1130Flower (1000 litres) and the NovaChill SM1300GFF (1320 litres).
Triple door
Three doors give you a full wall of flowers. They suit busy florists, wedding and event florists and supermarket floral stands. The NovaChill SM2000GFF holds 2050 litres, the most in our range.
How to work out the size you need
- Count your buckets on your busiest week, not an average week. Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and wedding season are when you run out of room.
- Measure your tallest buckets and stems and check them against the shelf spacing you'll use. NovaChill shelves can be moved to make taller levels; for Crusader shelf spacing, ask us.
- Allow for made-up bouquets and orders. Wrapped bouquets take up more room than buckets of loose stems.
- Measure the space and the way in. These fridges are 2 metres or more tall and up to 800mm deep. They're delivered by tailgate truck to the front of your premises, so check doorways, corners and ceiling height before you order.
If you're stuck between two sizes, the bigger one is usually the better buy. One two door fridge costs less than two single door fridges, and you'll grow into the extra space.
Features worth paying attention to
- Adjustable temperature. The NovaChill flower fridges and the Crusader CCE605Flower, CCE1130Flower and CCE1630Flower have fully adjustable digital controllers, so you can set the temperature to suit the flowers you stock. You can also change it with the seasons, or run a second fridge warmer for tropicals (ask us whether a model can hold the temperature you need).
- Room temperature rating. Shops get hot, especially with afternoon sun on the front window. The NovaChill models are rated for rooms up to 43°C and the Crusader models up to 38°C. If your shop isn't air-conditioned, or you're in Queensland, the NT or WA, the higher rating gives you more margin.
- Keeping the glass clear. The NovaChill flower fridges have heated glass doors, which help stop the outside of the glass fogging up on humid days. That way customers can see the flowers. The Crusader CCE605Flower, CCE1130Flower and CCE1630Flower have double-glazed doors, with a fan that blows warm air over the glass to help stop condensation.
- Insulation. The NovaChill range has 60mm wall insulation, which helps hold a steady temperature when the shop warms up.
- Self-closing doors. The doors on the NovaChill models and the Crusader CCE605Flower, CCE1130Flower and CCE1630Flower close themselves. That saves cold air when staff have their hands full.
- Colour. The Crusader flower fridges come in black or white at the same price.
- Sliding doors. Crusader lists sliding doors as an option on the two and three door models. They're handy if there isn't room for hinged doors to swing open. Ask us before you order.
- Warranty. NovaChill gives 4 years parts and 2 years labour. Crusader gives 1 year labour, 2 years parts and 3 years on the compressor. NovaChill's warranty asks you to clean the condenser monthly to keep the condenser fan motor covered.
Crusader or NovaChill?
Both are solid choices for a florist. Door for door, the Crusader CCE605Flower, CCE1130Flower and CCE1630Flower cost less and take up less floor space than the NovaChill models, and the Crusader range comes in black or white. The NovaChill range holds more per door than those three and has heated glass, a 43°C room rating and a longer parts warranty. If your shop runs hot or the front window gets the sun, start with the NovaChill. If space and budget are tight, one of those three Crusaders makes more sense.
Running costs
A flower fridge runs day and night, so it's worth knowing what it'll cost. Use our fridge running cost calculator with the fridge's energy use and your electricity rate. The supplier's brochure lists energy use per 24 hours as 2.45 kWh for the CCE605Flower, 4.40 kWh for the CCE1130Flower and 10.60 kWh for the CCE1630Flower. For the CCE700Flower and the NovaChill models, ask us and we'll get the figure from the supplier.
Before you order
- Tell us what temperature you'd like it set to.
- Choose your sign: flower signage or plain white is chosen at the time of order.
- Plan where it goes: out of direct sun, away from heat, with space around the cabinet for air to flow.
- Check the delivery route into your shop.
Flower fridge FAQs
How long do flowers last in a flower fridge?
There's no set number of days. It depends on the variety, how fresh the flowers were when they arrived and the temperatures they've been kept at since they were cut. Most cut flowers last much longer in the fridge than they would on the shop floor.
What temperature should a flower fridge be set to?
For most cut flowers, research favours a steady temperature below 5°C, but not right on 0°C, because fridges swing a little around their setting and some flowers freeze just below zero. Most flower fridges we supply are set at around 6 to 8°C, but every florist and location in Australia is different. If your fridge can hold a steady colder setting, most cut flowers will last longer. The controllers on our flower fridges are fully adjustable (we're still confirming the CCE700Flower), so you can fine-tune it to suit your stock. Tropical flowers need it warmer. Our temperature and humidity guide has a chart for popular flowers.
Can I keep tropical flowers in the same fridge?
It's best not to. Anthuriums, heliconias, gingers and many tropical orchids can be damaged by the cold. Keep them out of the fridge or in a second fridge set warmer.
Do you deliver?
Yes, Australia-wide. Delivery is to the front of your premises by tailgate truck. The freight charged on our website covers metro Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, within 20 km of the city centre. Elsewhere costs extra, and we confirm it with you before dispatch.
