Commercial Freezers

Commercial Freezer Buying Guide

A commercial freezer holds frozen product at −10°F to 10°F, with 0°F the usual target, and recovers quickly after the door has been opened during service. As with commercial refrigerators, the format of a restaurant freezer matters more than its size: a commercial upright freezer behind the line, an undercounter freezer at the station, a chest freezer for backup stock, or a display freezer in front of customers.

Types of commercial freezers

Reach-in freezers

The commercial upright freezer, sometimes called a commercial stand-up freezer: the same 82 5/16" stainless steel cabinet as a reach-in refrigerator, so the two line up side by side. A 1-door commercial freezer holds 19–23 cu ft, a 2-door commercial freezer 35–49 cu ft, and a 3-door model 72 cu ft. Reach-in freezer guide and models →

Glass door merchandiser freezers

Lit glass doors that sell frozen product to customers. Polarman HGD merchandiser freezers run from the 25"-wide, 12 cu ft PLM-HGD12F to the 81"-wide, 72 cu ft PLM-HGD72FDV.

Undercounter freezers

At 35 1/2" tall and 29 15/16" deep, Polarman undercounter freezers fit beneath a standard counter and keep fries, proteins and desserts a step from the station.

Chest freezers and ice cream freezers

A commercial chest freezer stores bulk frozen product under a lift-up lid and works as backup storage rather than a daily-use unit. A commercial ice cream freezer is built to serve: Polarman sliding-lid display freezers show tubs and novelties to customers, and dipping cabinets hold ice cream at scooping temperature for serving. Shop ice cream freezers →

How to choose a commercial freezer

• Front or back of house? Customers pick from it: glass door merchandiser or ice cream display freezer. Staff only: reach-in or undercounter.
• Check the circuit first. A commercial freezer draws far more than the same-size commercial refrigerator — a 23 cu ft Polarman reach-in freezer draws 8 A against 3 A for the matching reach-in refrigerator. The Polarman reach-in, merchandiser and undercounter freezers above all run on 115V except the three-door PLM-81FDVS reach-in and PLM-HGD72FDV merchandiser, which need 230V.
• Measure height and doorways. Reach-ins are 82 5/16" tall; undercounters 35 1/2". Sizing guide →
• Keep it away from heat. A commercial freezer beside a fryer or oven runs longer and harder.

Use the filters above to narrow the commercial freezers for sale by type, door count, width and brand. Need a commercial refrigerator to match? See commercial refrigerators. If a unit stops holding temperature, see commercial freezer not freezing for the common causes.