How to Choose the Best Commercial Refrigerated Drawers for Your Kitchen
How to Choose the Best Commercial Refrigerated Drawers for Your Kitchen
The hospitality sector is the heart of British culture, where chefs craft culinary experiences that become cherished memories shared with friends and loved ones. Every dish you plate, every service you run, is an opportunity to create something memorable. Your equipment should support that mission, not stand in the way of it. But with so much choice on the market, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming.
For years, Adande has worked alongside chefs, crafting commercial fridges that improve workflow, reduce energy consumption, and ensure consistent results.
Traditional upright refrigeration remains common, yet our refrigerated drawer technology delivers superior results with better efficiency and energy savings.
What to Consider When Choosing Commercial Fridge Drawers
Choosing the right refrigerated drawers isn’t just about keeping food cold, it’s about improving workflow, optimising space, and reducing waste. Here are the key factors to consider.
Space Efficiency & Workflow
Space is always at a premium in professional kitchens. Oversized uprights and cabinets slow down service and use up a lot of space. Refrigerated drawers integrate directly into workstations, putting ingredients at arm’s reach, no more running to distant fridges during service.
Craig Edgell, Head Chef at Buoy & Oyster, explains: “Buoy and Oyster kitchen is a compact kitchen with 6 sections operated by 5 chefs. We have a small working space and can do 350+ covers. But with the help of Adande refrigeration, it allows us to be clean, tidy and efficient.”
Temperature Flexibility
Modern kitchens need versatility. You might need frozen garnishes in the morning and chilled sauces for evening service. Winter menus transition to spring, requiring different storage conditions.
Most Adande fridge drawers offer flexible temperature ranges from -22°C to +15°C, switching from fridge to freezer in less than 40 minutes. For operations wanting both simultaneously, combo units provide a fridge-only drawer on top and a flexible drawer below.
Energy Efficiency: The Cost of Cold Air
Every time a chef opens a traditional commercial fridge, cold air floods the kitchen floor. The compressor kicks in. Your electricity meter spins faster. This happens over 200 times during a single service, day after day.
Adande’s patented Hold-the-Cold technology solves this. When you open refrigerated drawers, cold air stays inside rather than escaping. Our customer Whitbread has saved 46% on energy use by switching to Adande commercial fridges.
For sustainability-focused operations, our H-range fridge drawers (HCS1, HCR2, HCS2) achieve A+ energy ratings.
Organisation & Customisation
GN pan racks accommodate multiple pan sizes from 1/9 to 1/6 GN and beyond, letting you create layouts that suit your ingredients. Dividers section off ingredients precisely, and drawers can stack two 100mm GN pans vertically for backup stock.
Many chefs use cleaned plastic container tubs alongside our organisational accessories to create their ideal layout!
Food Safety & Blast Chill Options
Any VCS unit can have the blast chill function, transforming refrigerated drawers into a fridge, freezer, and blast chiller all in one, making it easier to comply with food safety regulations.
Four dedicated cycles ensure perfect results:
- Cycle 1: 90-minute soft chill
- Cycle 2: 90-minute hard chill
- Cycle 3: 120-minute soft chill
- Cycle 4: 120-minute hard chill
The Problem with Traditional Commercial Fridges
Traditional upright commercial fridges and walk-in coolers show clear limitations:
Massive Energy Waste: Cold air pours out every time doors open, forcing compressors to work overtime. In busy service, this happens hundreds of times, driving up costs.
Space Inefficiency: Some refrigerated cabinets do not offer a great food capacity in comparison to footprint.
Limited Flexibility: Traditional units are fixed, either fridge or freezer. Changing needs means purchasing additional equipment.
Temperature Inconsistency: Frequent door openings create hot spots and cold spots, compromising ingredient quality.
How Adande Refrigerated Drawers Solve These Challenges
Energy savings & sustainabilty
Hold-the-Cold technology keeps cold air in the drawer, not on your kitchen floor. Whitbread saved 46% on energy by switching to Adande commercial fridge drawers.
Craig Edgell at Buoy & Oyster confirms: “We are a fully induction kitchen with Adande built into our cooking suite… This allows for energy saving and less footwork as everything is to hand.”
Ingredient Preservation & Waste Reduction
Stable temperatures mean fresher ingredients and less waste. “The chill on the Adande fridges is so efficient, much better than cabinet doored units as the cold air stays in the drawer area, keeping produce chilled and fresh,” says Craig.
Workflow Efficiency
Refrigerated drawers put ingredients exactly where they’re needed beneath prep stations, integrated into cooking suites, positioned at every station. No interruptions, no wasted steps. “Most definitely!” Craig responds when asked about workflow improvements. “With Adande refrigeration, it allows us to be clean, tidy and efficient.”
Which Adande Commercial Fridge Drawers Are Right for Your Kitchen?
Our range is organised around how chefs actually use refrigeration and available space. Model names indicate configuration:
- VCR = Rear engine
- VCS = Side engine
- VCC = Compact deep capacity design
- VLS = Shallow depth, slightly less than the VCS
- H = Fridge-only unit with A+ energy rating
- Numbers = Drawer stacked quantity (1=single, 2=double, 3=triple)
Cassette Units
Best for: Custom kitchen designs, new builds, renovations
Built directly into workstations by kitchen designers for seamless integration. The ultimate solution for purpose-built kitchens. Cassette units always have a flat base included in the design.
Prep Station Units
Best for: Prep areas, garde manger, pastry sections
Double-stacked refrigerated drawers topped with solid work surfaces, complete prep stations with ingredients immediately below.
Undercounter Units
Best for: Retrofitting existing kitchens, service stations, bars
Single or double fridge drawers that slide beneath existing countertops, adding capacity without consuming floor space. Popular for operations upgrading refrigeration.
Compact units
Best for: High-volume frozen storage, QSR operations
Deep single drawer excellent for bulk frozen goods like fries, onion rings, or pre-portioned desserts. Serious frozen storage in a compact footprint. With a 450 mm width, this is a perfect unit to add to the end of your cookline. Ask our team about fry basket stations being added on top!
Bulk Storage Range
Best for: Large-volume operations, hotels, central prep
Three refrigerated drawers stacked vertically, fitting up to 120 kg capacity. Maximizes vertical space for high storage requirements.
Chef Bases
Best for: Beneath combi ovens and grills
Single fridge drawers with thick heat shields designed to support hot cooking equipment above; keeping ingredients cold directly beneath Unox ovens, Rational combi ovens, or grills.
Saladette
Best for: Sandwich stations, salad bars, pizza prep
Side-engine double drawer with top capacity for six 1/3 GN pans. Perfect for ingredient-intensive stations requiring speed and accessibility.
Temperature Options for Every Need
Flexible Range: Most Adande commercial fridge drawers operate from -22°C to +15°C, switching between fridge and freezer in under 40 minutes.
H-Range (A+ Energy Rating): Fridge-only units (HCS1, HCR2, HCS2) for maximum sustainability.
Combo Units: Stacked drawers combining fridge-only top drawer with flexible bottom drawer—both functions in one footprint.
Real Results: Buoy & Oyster Case Study
Buoy & Oyster in Margate operates a compact kitchen serving 350+ covers with 5 chefs and a kitchen porter. They use VCR1 cassette units built into their cooking suite and two VCS2 undercounter units.
On ingredient quality: “Due to the size of the draw, we keep all our prep organized… the refrigeration is so compact it allows for direct chill, keeping ingredients chilled to desired temperature.”
On food waste: “Yes, the chill on the Adande fridges is so efficient… Keeping produce chilled and fresh.”
On energy: “We are a fully induction kitchen with Adande built into our cooking suite… This allows for energy saving and less footwork.”
Overall: “Adande is the future of refrigeration. They have listened to chefs’ needs and manufactured a product that allows us to keep our standards high with cleanliness and efficiency. Seriously treat yourself, you won’t go wrong.”
Why Choose Adande Commercial Fridges?
For decades, we’ve worked exclusively with chefs, operators, and kitchen designers, developing our patented Hold-the-Cold technology that revolutionized commercial refrigeration by keeping cold air inside fridge drawers rather than flooding kitchen floors.
Working alongside hospitality professionals has allowed us to understand kitchen dynamics, workflow challenges, and the constant need for reliability and efficiency.
As Craig Edgell summarizes: “These Adande fridges can be built into the suites to allow more space and for more efficiency. Without a doubt some of the best equipment I have used.”
Transform Your Kitchen with Adande Refrigerated Drawers
The difference between struggling and thriving kitchens often comes down to having the right equipment in the right places. Adande commercial fridge drawers put ingredients where you need them, save significant energy, reduce waste, and improve workflow.
Whether designing a new kitchen, renovating, or upgrading inefficient commercial fridges, there’s an Adande refrigerated drawer solution for your needs.
Contact our team today to discuss your requirements, arrange a demonstration, or speak with specialists who can optimise your space for maximum efficiency.