Commercial Undercounter Refrigerators & Freezers

Q: Will an undercounter refrigerator fit under my counter?

Our line is 35 1/2 inches tall and 29 15/16 inches deep, so it fits a standard 36 inch counter and a 30 inch equipment line - with half an inch of height clearance. Counters are not always built to nominal height, so measure the finished underside rather than trusting the drawing. Check the door swing against the opposite line too: a solid door on a 27 inch cabinet swings most of the cabinet width into the aisle.

Q: What is the difference between an undercounter, a worktop and a chef base?

It is what the top is for. An undercounter is 35 1/2 inches tall and goes under an existing counter; the top is not a work surface. A worktop is a few inches taller with a reinforced stainless top and usually a backsplash, so it replaces a length of prep table. A chef base is shorter with a heavy marine-edge top built to carry a countertop griddle, charbroiler or fryer, with refrigerated drawers below. Counter already there, buy undercounter; building the counter, buy worktop; something hot going on top, buy a chef base.

Q: How cold does a commercial undercounter refrigerator get?

Ours hold 33 to 41F. That top figure matters: the FDA Food Code sets 41F as the maximum cold-holding temperature for time/temperature control for safety foods, so a cabinet running at the top of its range is at the legal limit with no headroom. Set it to 36 to 38F, which leaves you something to lose on a hot Saturday, and keep a thermometer in the cabinet rather than trusting the digital readout, which is measuring return air. Our freezers hold -10F to 10F, with 0F the conventional target.

(131 products)

Commercial undercounter refrigerators and freezers from 27 to 72 inches — low-profile stainless cabinets 35 1/2" tall that slide under a standard 36" counter, plus worktop units with a reinforced work surface on top. Led by our own Polarman line: 6.5 to 18 cu ft, 115 V, R290, stainless inside and out, on casters. Competitively priced with free nationwide shipping.

Commercial Undercounter Refrigeration Buying Guide

Undercounter refrigerators

A refrigerated cabinet 35 1/2" tall, built to tuck under an existing 36" counter. The top is under something, not worked on. Our Polarman line runs 27 3/4" to 71 3/4" wide, 6.5 to 18 cu ft, all on 115 V. Shop undercounter refrigerators →

Undercounter freezers

The same cabinet and the same capacity at each width, holding -10°F to 10°F instead of 33–41°F. More insulation and a bigger compressor, so 10 to 30 lb heavier — but you give up no volume choosing frozen over chilled. Shop undercounter freezers →

Worktop refrigerators and freezers

A few inches taller, with a reinforced stainless top and usually a backsplash, because the top is the work surface. A commercial worktop refrigerator replaces a length of prep table rather than hiding under one — the right choice when you are building the line rather than filling a gap in it. Shop worktop refrigerators →

Chef bases

Shorter again, with a heavy marine-edge top built to carry a countertop griddle, charbroiler or fryer battery, and refrigerated drawers underneath. A chef base refrigerator turns dead space under the cookline into cold storage exactly where the cook reaches. Polarman chef bases run 37 15/16", 50", 62" and 74".

How to choose a commercial undercounter refrigerator

Check fit before capacity. Our whole line is 35 1/2" tall and 29 15/16" deep. Under a 36" counter that is half an inch of clearance — measure the finished underside of your counter, not the nominal height.
Check the door swing, not just the cabinet. A solid door on a 27" cabinet swings most of the cabinet width into the aisle. In a galley kitchen that decides the unit, not the wall.
Read capacity per inch of line. Kitchen line is the scarce resource, and the sizes are not equally efficient — see the table below.
Set it in the middle of the range. 41°F is the FDA Food Code cold-holding limit, so a cabinet running at the top of its range has no headroom. Set 36–38°F and keep a thermometer inside the cabinet, not on the display.
Leave air behind it. Our compressors are rear-mounted, which keeps them out of the grease at floor level but means the cabinet cannot sit flat against a wall.
Doors or drawers. Drawers cost more and lose a little volume, but at a station where a cook works continuously they pay for themselves in motion. Full undercounter buying guide →

Capacity per inch of line

The useful question is not how many cubic feet a cabinet holds but how many cubic feet each inch of line buys. Run our own refrigerator line through it and one size stands out — in the wrong direction.

Model	Width	Capacity	Cu ft per inch	Step up from the previous size
PLM-UC-27S	27 3/4"	6.5 cu ft	0.23	—
PLM-UC-36S	36 7/16"	7.7 cu ft	0.21	+8 11/16" for +1.2 cu ft (+18%)
PLM-UC-48S	48 1/4"	12 cu ft	0.25	+11 13/16" for +4.3 cu ft (+56%)
PLM-UC-60S	61 1/4"	15.5 cu ft	0.25	+13" for +3.5 cu ft (+29%)
PLM-UC-72S	71 3/4"	18 cu ft	0.25	+10 1/2" for +2.5 cu ft (+16%)

The 36" is the only size that gives you less per inch than the 27" does — it is a two-door cabinet in a narrow body, so a centre mullion and a second door frame eat most of the extra width. Buy it when you have a 36" hole and nothing else fits. Otherwise the 27 and the 48 are the value points, and 27 → 48 is the best step in the line.

Polarman undercounter range

All 115 V / 60 Hz / single phase, R290, stainless inside and out, rear-mounted compressor, four casters with two brakes, adjustable PVC-coated wire shelves rated 88 lb. Same 29 15/16" depth and 35 1/2" height across every model.

Model	Type	Width	Doors	Capacity	Weight
PLM-UC-27S	Refrigerator	27 3/4"	1 solid	6.5 cu ft	199 lb
PLM-UC-36S	Refrigerator	36 7/16"	2 solid	7.7 cu ft	245 lb
PLM-UC-48S	Refrigerator	48 1/4"	2 solid	12 cu ft	280 lb
PLM-UC-60S	Refrigerator	61 1/4"	2 solid	15.5 cu ft	331 lb
PLM-UC-72S	Refrigerator	71 3/4"	3 solid	18 cu ft	380 lb
PLM-UC-27FS	Freezer	27 3/4"	1 solid	6.5 cu ft	210 lb
PLM-UC-36FS	Freezer	36 7/16"	2 solid	7.7 cu ft	273 lb
PLM-UC-48FS	Freezer	48 1/4"	2 solid	12 cu ft	302 lb
PLM-UC-60FS	Freezer	61 1/4"	2 solid	15.5 cu ft	353 lb
PLM-UC-72FS	Freezer	71 3/4"	3 solid	18 cu ft	386 lb

Refrigerators hold 33–41°F, freezers -10°F to 10°F. Every unit carries 1 year labour, 2 years parts and 5 years on the compressor part.

Commercial undercounter refrigerator FAQ

What is the difference between a commercial and a residential undercounter refrigerator?

They share a name and almost nothing else. A commercial unit is NSF listed for sanitation — coved corners, removable gaskets, cleanable surfaces — and built to hold temperature with the door opening dozens of times an hour in a kitchen sitting at 85–95°F. It is stainless inside and out and rides on casters so it can be pulled for cleaning. A residential undercounter is built for a quiet 70°F kitchen; in a food-service kitchen it fails early and, in most jurisdictions, fails inspection. Price is not a reliable signal — some residential units cost more.

What size undercounter refrigerator do I need?

Start from the line you have, not the capacity you want. One station and one cook is a 27 3/4" cabinet at 6.5 cu ft. A real cookline station or a bar with volume is the 48 1/4" at 12 cu ft, which is the best value in the line. A long run under a continuous counter takes the 61 1/4" or 71 3/4" at 15.5 and 18 cu ft. Where the stations are apart, two small cabinets usually beat one large one — cold storage is worth most at the station that uses it, and two machines mean you are never fully down.

Will an undercounter refrigerator fit under my counter?

Our line is 35 1/2" tall and 29 15/16" deep, so it fits a standard 36" counter and a 30" equipment line — with half an inch of height clearance. Counters are not always built to nominal height, so measure the finished underside rather than trusting the drawing. Check the door swing against the opposite line too: a solid door on a 27" cabinet swings most of the cabinet width into the aisle.

What is the difference between an undercounter, a worktop and a chef base?

It is what the top is for. An undercounter is 35 1/2" tall and goes under an existing counter; the top is not a work surface. A worktop is a few inches taller with a reinforced stainless top and usually a backsplash, so it replaces a length of prep table. A chef base is shorter with a heavy marine-edge top built to carry a countertop griddle, charbroiler or fryer, with refrigerated drawers below. Counter already there, buy undercounter; building the counter, buy worktop; something hot going on top, buy a chef base.

How cold does a commercial undercounter refrigerator get?

Ours hold 33–41°F. That top figure matters: the FDA Food Code sets 41°F as the maximum cold-holding temperature for time/temperature control for safety foods, so a cabinet running at the top of its range is at the legal limit with no headroom. Set it to 36–38°F, which leaves you something to lose on a hot Saturday, and keep a thermometer in the cabinet rather than trusting the digital readout, which is measuring return air. Our freezers hold -10°F to 10°F, with 0°F the conventional target.

Do undercounter refrigerators need a special electrical circuit?

No. Every Polarman undercounter refrigerator and freezer runs on standard 115 V, single phase, 60 Hz. Size the branch circuit off the amp draw on the machine's data plate at the margin your local code requires — not off a web listing, ours included.

Should I buy solid doors or drawers?

Solid doors are cheaper, seal better and hold temperature best. Drawers cost more and lose a little capacity to the drawer boxes, but a cook can pull one with one hand instead of bending and searching a shelf — at a sauté or grill station where someone works continuously, that motion saving usually pays for the difference. Glass doors belong front of house: glass is a far worse insulator than a foamed solid door, and under a hot cookline the unit works harder for the same temperature.