A good prep station does more than keep ingredients cold. It helps your team move faster, keeps frequently used ingredients within reach and gives staff enough room to assemble orders comfortably.
That is why choosing a salad prep fridge should start with your kitchen workflow rather than simply looking for the largest refrigerator available.
The best setup balances three things: GN pan capacity, refrigerated storage and usable bench space.
Start With the Ingredients You Use Most
Think about your busiest service period. Which ingredients does your team reach for again and again?
For a salad bar, that could include lettuce, tomato, cucumber, cheese, proteins and dressings. Sandwich shops may need meats, cheeses, vegetables, spreads and sauces, while pizzerias often require a broader range of toppings.
Separate these into frequently used ingredients and ingredients that can remain in refrigerated storage until needed.
The ingredients used constantly should occupy the most accessible GN pans. Backup ingredients can stay in the refrigerated cabinet underneath.
This simple exercise helps determine how much pan capacity you actually need.
Match GN Pan Capacity to Your Menu
More pans can be useful, but only when your menu needs them.
Caterware offers commercial prep fridges with different configurations, including models with 5 × 1/3 GN, 9 × 1/3 GN and 13 × 1/3 GN pan layouts.
A five-pan configuration can work well for a focused menu with a small group of core ingredients. Nine pans provide greater variety, while thirteen positions can support operations where many chilled components need to remain immediately accessible.
Instead of asking which fridge holds the most pans, consider a more useful question: Which configuration lets your team complete the most orders without leaving the station?
That shifts the decision from capacity alone to productivity.
Don't Sacrifice Valuable Bench Space
Pan capacity is only half the equation.
Your team still needs enough room to open packaging, portion ingredients, assemble meals and complete finishing tasks. A large refrigerated counter can offer plenty of storage yet become frustrating if too little preparation surface remains.
Consider the food being prepared, too. Sandwich assembly may require uninterrupted counter space for filling and wrapping, while pizza preparation needs enough room to work comfortably with dough.
The right sandwich prep fridge should therefore balance convenient ingredient access with practical working space.
Keep Backup Stock Close
The top section of a prep fridge handles immediate ingredient access. The refrigerated cabinet underneath serves another important purpose: replenishment.
Keeping reserve ingredients directly below the workstation can reduce unnecessary trips across the kitchen during busy service.
One- and two-door models may provide enough storage for cafés and smaller sandwich shops. Higher-volume restaurants and takeaway businesses may benefit from additional refrigerated capacity.
The goal isn't necessarily more doors. It's fewer interruptions.
Consider the Whole Workstation
Before purchasing a refrigerated prep counter, measure more than the available floor space.
Consider aisle width, door clearance, nearby equipment, ventilation requirements and how employees move around the station. Lid and canopy design also matter. A glass canopy can work well in a customer-facing environment, while a back-of-house station may prioritise straightforward access and working room.
Temperature requirements should also be compared with actual kitchen conditions, particularly when the fridge will operate near cooking equipment or in a warmer environment.
Choose the Fridge Around the Work
The most effective prep fridge isn't automatically the widest model or the one with the most GN pans. It's the configuration that fits naturally into your daily service.
Start with your menu. Identify the ingredients that require immediate access, calculate the backup stock you need nearby and determine how much preparation space staff actually use.
When those pieces fit together, refrigeration becomes more than storage. It becomes part of a faster, more organised workstation—helping your team spend less time moving around the kitchen and more time preparing orders efficiently.
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