A cold room is not simply a large refrigerator. It holds a large share of a kitchen’s or shop’s stock at any one time, and the choice of room affects energy costs, ease of work and what happens if something breaks down – for years to come. In this guide, we explain what to look out for when choosing a cold room: wall thickness and materials, the refrigeration unit, the door, shelving, temperature monitoring and after-sales service. We use Kide cold and freezer rooms as examples.
In short: six questions to ask before you buy
- What will you store, and at what temperature? This determines the wall thickness, refrigeration unit and shelving.
- Might the room ever need to move? A modular room can be dismantled and taken to a new location.
- Where does the refrigeration unit’s heat go? Does it stay in the room or is it ducted out?
- Should all rooms depend on one refrigeration system? Separate systems spread the risk.
- How often is the room entered, and with what? This determines the type of door.
- Who will come to help if the room warms up? After-sales service is as important as the room itself.
A modular cold room is equipment, not a building
A good cold room is assembled from factory-made sandwich panels that are joined together with cam-lock (eccentric hook) fasteners. The lock is turned with a key and pulls the panels tightly together – with no glue, foam or screws. Such a room can later be dismantled, packed up and taken to a new location. If you move to new premises or expand production, you do not have to leave the room behind or demolish it.
For example, in the Kide Universal room every panel can be used as either a wall or a ceiling, and the room can later be extended in both directions. Kide Everest panels are joined with stainless steel eccentric hooks with a pulling force of over 200 kg – the joint stays tight even after years of use.
Wall thickness must match the use
The wall of the room is its insulation. The greater the difference between the room’s internal temperature and the surrounding space, the thicker the wall needs to be – otherwise the refrigeration unit is constantly overloaded, the electricity bill grows and condensation may form on the outer surface of the walls.
- Chiller room (above-zero room): wall thickness at least 80 mm.
- Freezer room: wall thickness at least 100 mm.
The Kide Universal room is available with 60, 80 or 100 mm panels, and the Everest room with 60–150 mm. According to the manufacturer, an 80 mm panel has a thermal transmittance of U = 0.28 W/m²K and a 100 mm panel 0.23 W/m²K – the thicker wall lets through almost a fifth less heat.
Find out what the wall is made of
Two panels of the same thickness are not necessarily equal. Ask the seller:
- What foam is inside the panel? PUR (polyurethane) and PIR (polyisocyanurate) are common. PIR foam has better fire resistance. The foam density also matters – Kide panels contain CFC- and HCFC-free PIR foam with a density of 40 kg/m³.
- How thick is the sheet-metal facing? Thin sheet dents more easily when trolleys or crates are pushed against the wall. The interior surface of the room must be food-safe and easy to clean.
- What is the floor like? Will hand trucks be driven into the room, and how heavy are the goods on the shelves? The reinforced Kide M9 floor bears 4000 kg/m² and can take hand trucks of up to 400 kg.
- How are corners and joints finished? Rounded sanitary profiles where the floor meets the wall are easier to clean.
Refrigeration unit: where does the heat go?
A refrigeration unit does not produce cold – it removes heat from the room. That heat has to go somewhere, and this is exactly what is worth thinking through before you buy.
Monoblock unit
A monoblock is a compact refrigeration unit installed in the wall or ceiling of the room. It comes factory-charged with refrigerant and ready to use – only the power supply needs connecting. Installation is quick and simple, for example the Kide EMB on the wall or the Kide EMR on the ceiling of the room.
The catch, however, is that a monoblock releases the heat removed from the cold room into the space where the room stands. In a small kitchen or storeroom this can noticeably warm up the space – and the warmer the space, the harder the unit has to work. If the heat needs to be ducted out of the space, choose a unit that allows this. For example, the Kide EMC and Kide EMF monoblocks have a centrifugal fan that ducts the warm air up to 10 m away. This is not possible with a standard monoblock.
Split unit
A split system has two parts: the evaporator is inside the room and the condensing unit is installed outside, for example on the façade or roof. The advantages:
- the heat stays outside the building – the kitchen or storeroom does not get warmer because of the cold room;
- the noise stays outside – the compressor does not hum in the kitchen or sales area;
- more capacity – a split unit also suits larger rooms.
Installing a split unit requires refrigerant piping and the work of a refrigeration technician. The Kide ESC is factory-charged for up to 10 m of piping. In city centres, where the noise of an outdoor unit disturbs the neighbours, the quiet Kide ESS, with a noise level of 25–32 dBA, is a good fit. You will find all Kide units in the Kide refrigeration units category.
One large system or several smaller ones?
With several cold rooms, it seems logical to build one large central refrigeration system. But this is not always a good idea. If the only refrigeration unit breaks down, all the rooms lose cooling at once – and all the stock has to be moved somewhere else quickly.
It is often more sensible to give each room or group of rooms its own refrigeration system. If one unit fails, only one room is out of action and the stock can be moved to the neighbouring room while the repair is carried out. Separate systems are also easier to maintain and, if necessary, replace.
If there are many rooms in one building and you do not want the heat to stay inside, take a look at the Kide Waterloop solution. Each room has its own small refrigeration unit, but their heat is carried out of the building via a shared water loop.
The door – the most heavily used part
The door is opened dozens or hundreds of times a day, so it has to be high quality: strong hinges or rails, replaceable seals and, in a freezer room, a heated frame so that the door does not freeze shut. For example, the Kide P40 door has double-chamber EPDM rubber seals, and the door leaf thickness is chosen according to temperature – 60 mm for a chiller room, 100 mm for a freezer.
Think through the type of door as well:
- Hinged door – the most common choice for restaurant and shop cold rooms when there is room in front of the cold room for it to open.
- Sliding door – when there is little space in front of the room or the opening is wide. The Kide QP sliding door runs on an upper guide rail and does not depend on the floor.
- Upward-opening door – for heavy traffic and pallets. The Kide SR high-speed roll-up door withstands up to 1000 openings a day and can be opened, for example, by radar or remote control; for larger openings a sectional door is a good fit.
- PVC strip curtain – if the door stays open for long periods while goods are brought in or out, a strip curtain keeps the cold air inside the room. This is especially important in a freezer room.
- Window – if you want to see into the cold room or work room without opening the door. The Kide VT window is designed for above-zero rooms and work rooms.
You will find all doors and accessories in the Kide cold room doors category.
Remote monitoring – always know what is happening in the room
A cold room may hold thousands of euros’ worth of stock. If the refrigeration unit stops on a Friday evening and nobody notices until Monday morning, the stock may be ruined. With remote monitoring, you can check the temperature on your phone or computer at any time and receive an alert if the temperature starts to change sharply or goes outside the permitted range. This lets you react before the stock is spoiled, and the temperature history is also kept for food safety inspections.
Choose shelving to suit your goods
Shelving is worth planning when you buy the cold room, not after installation. The more stock you have, the more important it is that the shelves make good use of the space:
- Load capacity – crates of drinks and large quantities of meat need sturdier shelves than light goods.
- Construction and material – stainless steel, aluminium or plastic shelf boards; shelves must withstand cold and humidity.
- Cleaning – some shelf boards can be removed and washed in a commercial dishwasher, which makes hygiene easier.
- Layout – shelves must not block air circulation around the evaporator. A ceiling-mounted unit leaves the walls free for shelving.
The Kide Easy is a complete solution in which the cold room, a Kide monoblock unit and shelving come in a single package.
After-sales service is as important as the cold room
A cold room runs around the clock and holds a large share of your stock. So before you buy, ask who will maintain the room and the refrigeration unit, how quickly a technician will arrive and whether spare parts are available.
Our partner Haktek OÜ has been maintaining professional kitchen equipment since 1997 and holds licences for refrigeration, electrical and gas work. For contract customers, Haktek OÜ is on site the next working day after a fault, and 24/7 in Tallinn and Harju County. Its technicians serve the whole of Estonia from regional centres in Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu and Rakvere. Read also how to choose a maintenance partner for kitchen equipment.
Frequently asked questions
How thick should a cold room wall be?
At least 80 mm for a chiller room and at least 100 mm for a freezer room. A thinner wall lets more heat through, the refrigeration unit works harder and electricity consumption rises.
Can a cold room be moved to another location later?
Yes, if the room is built from modular panels with cam-lock (eccentric hook) fasteners. Such a room can be dismantled, packed up and reassembled at the new location, or extended.
Should I choose a monoblock or a split unit?
A monoblock is simpler and quicker to install, but it releases heat into the room where the cold room stands – if the heat needs to be ducted out, choose a model that can be connected to ductwork. A split unit has its condenser outside, so the heat and noise stay outside the building.
Should several cold rooms share one common refrigeration system?
Not necessarily. A separate refrigeration unit for each room or group of rooms spreads the risk: if one unit breaks down, only one room loses cooling, not all of them.
Which door is right for a cold room?
A hinged door usually suits restaurant and shop cold rooms, a sliding door where space is limited and a high-speed roll-up door for heavy traffic. If the door stays open for long periods while goods are moved, a PVC strip curtain helps.
Ask for a quote
Kide cold rooms are made to your project – dimensions, wall thickness, floor, doors, shelving and refrigeration unit are chosen to suit the intended use. We prepare the project, calculate the right refrigeration unit and carry out installation and maintenance. You will find the full range in the Kide cold and freezer rooms category.
Ask for a quote – we will help you choose the right cold room and take care of installation and maintenance. All products come with a warranty of at least 2 years. Contact us.
Read also: How to choose a blast chiller? · How to plan a professional kitchen? · How to choose a maintenance partner for kitchen equipment?
Author: Gert Laineste, Haktek Seadmed. Haktek has been selling, installing and maintaining professional kitchen equipment since 1997.
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