Commercial Freezer Buying Guide
Commercial Freezer Buying Guide
Chest or upright, display or storage — how to choose a commercial freezer, for a venue or the garage at home.
Not sure which suits you? Call us on 03 9783 6325.
A commercial freezer is bought for one of two jobs: store as much as possible (bulk back-of-house), or display frozen product to sell (ice creams, frozen goods). Which job you're doing decides chest or upright, and glass or solid — get that right and the rest is capacity.
This is also our most home-friendly range: a chest freezer in the garage is the classic way to store a side of beef, a season's fishing, or a bulk shop. The choice below works the same at home.
Every figure here is from our own range.
Chest or upright?
- Chest freezer — top-opening, holds the most per dollar, and loses the least cold air when opened (cold air sinks and stays put). The best value for bulk storage — back-of-house, or a garage at home. Trade-off: you dig for things at the bottom.
- Upright display freezer — full-height glass doors, shelves, everything at eye level. Built to display and sell frozen product front-of-house, or for easy-access organised storage. Uses a bit more energy for the convenience and the glass.
Simple: bulk storage, best value → chest. Display and sell, or easy access → upright.
Display or storage? (glass vs solid lids/doors)
- Glass-top chest — sliding lockable glass lid, so customers see the product (ice creams, frozen treats) — a display freezer that still holds bulk. 545L and 600L.
- Stainless-lid chest — hinged solid lid, better insulated, for pure back-of-house or garage storage. 439L and 537L.
- Upright glass-door — for merchandising frozen goods at eye level, 1 to 3 doors, 459L to 1560L.
Size and temperature
Chest freezers (−18 to −22°C)
| Model | Capacity | Lid | External L×D×H | Baskets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CF-550SS | 439 L | Hinged stainless, lockable | 1540 × 770 × 850mm | 2 |
| CF-650SS | 537 L | Hinged stainless, lockable | 1820 × 770 × 850mm | 2 |
| CF-620 | 545 L | Sliding glass, lockable | 1820 × 670 × 850mm | 6 |
| CF-720 | 600 L | Sliding glass, lockable | 2000 × 670 × 850mm | 7 |
Upright display freezers (−15 to −20°C)
| Model | Doors | Capacity | External W×D×H |
|---|---|---|---|
| UF-580H | 1 | 459 L | 700 × 750 × 2050mm |
| UF-1180H | 2 | 1012 L | 1370 × 740 × 2107mm |
| UF-1780H | 3 | 1560 L | 2060 × 750 × 2050mm |
Tap any model for live pricing, full specs and stock.
What to look for
- Lockable lid/doors — standard on the chests; matters for a garage or an unattended display.
- Baskets — the glass-top chests come with more baskets (6–7) to organise frozen stock; the stainless-lid bulk units fewer (2).
- Energy — a chest uses less than an upright for the same volume; a solid lid less than glass. For pure storage, a stainless-lid chest is the cheapest to run.
- Fit and weight — the big uprights are tall (2050mm+) and heavy; check the doorway and plan the lift, same as any upright refrigeration.
- Ventilation — give it air, and in a hot garage remember it works harder over summer.
Frequently asked questions
Chest or upright freezer?
Which freezer is best for a garage at home?
Glass top or solid lid?
How cold do they get?
Once submitted, we will email you promptly.