Five outstanding benefits of refrigerated prep counters for chefs

You’ve seen refrigerated prep counters for chefs, sous-chefs and anyone working in the food industry. Many companies have them in their commercial kitchens, from high-end high street restaurants to local takeaways and cafes.

But what’s the hype all about? Are they really worth ordering and placing in your kitchen?

Well, yes. As with everything, it depends on your specific business processes, workflows and goals. We’ve put together five benefits of refrigerated prep counters for chefs, so you can decide for yourself.

Temperature control at the prep station

The primary and most obvious benefit of refrigerated prep counters for chefs is temperature control at the prep station itself. Of course, any good modern refrigerator should give you tight control over the temperature at which you store your food. And there’s always a place for a solid door storage fridge in any commercial kitchen.

However, where refrigerated prep counters come into their own is during fast-paced services where you need a lot of ingredients to hand immediately. For example, consider a pizza-making station at a takeaway or a salad prep area at a restaurant or café.

Without a refrigerated prep counter, your staff have to go to the fridge door, open it, move the ingredients around, take them out, deposit them at the prep area, and close the fridge door, all without bumping into someone or spilling anything. And all that before they can even start making the dish.

These stations have everything to hand underneath the prep counter, so almost all your processes are faster and significantly less hectic, provided they’re well laid out.

Faster service

Speaking of speed, that’s another benefit of refrigerated prep counters for chefs. Translate all that time you’re saving at the point of prep into faster service for customers waiting at their tables or at the end of the service counter.

With all their ingredients close to hand in the counter’s built-in fridge, a chef, sous-chef or staff member can put those dishes together much quicker than otherwise.

Faster service translates into happier customers, particularly in the hustle and bustle of today’s world. And happy customers tell their friends and family about your business, and come back for more at the first opportunity.

Sure, a refrigerated prep counter doesn’t work miracles. But, implemented with a little thought, it can most certainly help you cut your service times.

Cleaner and tidier food station

Refrigerated prep counters help your chefs or staff members keep everything in one place. And, in the fast-paced world of food prep, that’s massive.

As we’ve already touched on, not having to go rooting through the solid door fridge makes the prep process much more straightforward. Now, it goes a step further.

A refrigerated prep counter has storage space for the core ingredients and tools your staff need, including non-refrigerated space, if required. That means all the pre-prepared ingredients, bases, sauces and so on have somewhere to live within the unit.

Your chef or staff member could also quickly wipe down and disinfect the surface, put their used knives and cutting boards ready to be washed, and pull out some more in a matter of seconds.

In other words, you get a cleaner and tidier food station. This goes a long way. Your customers get faster service, your kitchen feels less cluttered, and food inspectors see a genuinely healthy workspace and work environment.

Smarter use of kitchen space

Space is a premium, especially in local food businesses. If you run a catering operation where you’re constantly prepping during service hours, a refrigerated prep counter for chefs is absolutely a smarter use of your kitchen space.

Of course, in many cases, you don’t have to throw away your big storage fridge or cold room. Those still have an integral and irreplaceable part to play.

However, prep counters with in-built fridges make a massive difference when it comes to using your space efficiently. They’re particularly effective in smaller kitchens for local restaurants, cafes, takeaways, delis, pizzerias and more.

They provide a smarter use of space because everything you need for that prep station is all in the same place. They’re also great because they mean your staff members don’t have to rush around the kitchen as much. Reducing such chaos can have a greater impact on workplace efficiency than you might realise.

Easier to train your staff

And finally, here’s a benefit of refrigerated prep counters that doesn’t get talked about enough: training your new staff.

When a new person joins your team, there’s naturally going to be a steep learning curve. That’s especially true if they haven’t worked in a food-related industry before.

A new staff member can easily make mistakes. They might struggle to find ingredients for their prep station or use the wrong ingredients. Every mistake could upset a customer or you, as their boss. And, in turn, that can make that individual flustered and stressed, leaving them making even more mistakes.

So, how does a refrigerated prep counter help? Well, everything that new staff member needs is there, all together in one place. You or your chef can train them without needing to explain the workflows of the rest of the kitchen (at least, not yet).

Narrowing their focus to what’s directly in front of them makes the initial training and learning curve much smoother.

Get your refrigerated chef prep counter from Fridgesmart

Fridgesmart is here to help. With market-leading price guarantees, warrantie, and delivery options, we’ve committed ourselves to helping businesses like yours thrive.

As we’ve discussed on this page, refrigerated prep counters can bring outstanding benefits to your business. If you relate to any of the pain points we’ve gone through, these units are for you.

And, if you’re unsure, why not get in touch by calling us on 01792 677169 or emailing hello@fridgesmart.co.uk? Chat with our knowledgeable yet friendly team about your business, and we’ll help you decide whether a refrigerated prep counter is right for you or if you’re better off looking at something else.

With commitment-free advice and UK-wide reach, we’re perfectly positioned to help. Reach out today, and let’s help your food business thrive.