Congratulations on your new residential walk-in fridge or future walk-in for your home!
Whether you have a fridge or freezer or combo, there are many elements that remain constant to keep your food safe and organized.
Temperature - Always insure your refrigerator is set between 38-40 degrees F. for optimum food safety and longevity. Freezers should be set at minus 10 degrees F. They can hold ice cream beautifully and the defrost cycle will not compromise food safety. Make sure to have an accurate temperature display with an alarm monitoring system. If you have a built-in blast chiller, you can shock freeze hot foods before placing them in the freezer or blast chill hot items going into the fridge to avoid reducing the temperature inside your walk-in. Walk-ins are not meant to cool down hot foods quickly. They are meant to accept room temperature. cold or frozen foods.
Shelving - The first decision is the shelving itself. Do you want stationary shelving or mobile carts that you can move in and out of your walk-in? If your walk-in is installed in an area other than your kitchen, it would be a good idea to survey your space to see if the cart can move in and out of the kitchen when you entertain. The shelving should be rust proof if you choose wire shelves. If you choose plastic shelves, it's a good idea to order them with antimicrobial. Check out this site to learn more: MICROBAN. Stability is extremely important. You also have the option with some brands to add removable shelf mats which is a great idea for easy clean up and cleanliness. Many brands of mats can be washed in the dishwasher. Make sure the shelves are easily adjustable for maximum flexibility. Weight per shelf is important and most brands out there hold hundreds of pounds per shelf.
Spacing -You must allow space between shelves and stored food products. 2" is a standard gap to maintain between food products and above and below shelves. . The lowest shelf should be 6" above the floor and the top shelf should allow food to be 2" from the ceiling. Air flow is very important for longer and safer preservation of food.
Location - In order to avoid cross contamination, raw meats/seafood should be placed on the lower shelves. If you have all raw meats on one shelf, it is recommended to place poultry on the bottom, beef & pork above and seafood on top. Prepared foods, dairy, fruits and vegetables should be placed above all raw meats. Another option is to place all raw foods in the back of the walk-in on its own rack and prepared foods / fruits and veggies in the front. Never put food directly on the floor.
Organization - Storing food in categories makes it easier to see how much of each food type you have available. Labeling and dating the food enables you to utilize the "first in first out" inventory method. You can add the expiration date based on USDA recommendations for frozen foods (mainly for quality). USDA Recommendations
Cleaning - Of course cleaning your unit inside ( and the coils) is important. Using the mats is very helpful since they’re removable and many are dishwasher safe.
Wine/Beverages: If you have room, you can also have a walk-in set for wines and beverages. A self contained unit is practical as well as a preservation machine.
We offer START TO FINISH SPECIFICATION SERVICE to help design the ideal walk-in for your home. Inquire about your walk-in: Curated Website