Salad prep or pizza prep
A prep fridge holds chilled ingredients in pans at working height and keeps backup stock in the cabinet underneath, so whoever is building sandwiches, salads or pizzas never has to leave the station. SKOPE lists 16 of them across its ProSpec and ReFlex ranges.
ProSpec salad prep
Twelve ProSpec models take GN 1/3 pans across the top. They come in three widths: 1,290 mm with two doors and 225 L, 1,820 mm with three doors and 372 L, and 2,210 mm with four doors and 478 L. Each width is offered with a standard top or a drop-in collar, and in standard and right hand versions, so you can match the unit to the bench run and the side staff work from. The two and three door models are 720 mm tall and the four door models 850 mm. Depending on the model, SKOPE lists a range of 1 °C to 4 °C or -1 °C to 5 °C.
ReFlex salad and pizza prep
ReFlex adds two salad prep units, 1,270 mm wide at 217 L and 1,800 mm wide at 357 L, both 1,110 mm tall. Its two pizza prep units are 1,800 mm and 2,285 mm wide and hold 523 L and 711 L. The pizza models are 800 mm deep, 100 mm more than the salad units, which gives a deeper top to work on. All four ReFlex units are listed at 1 °C to 5 °C.
Getting the most from a prep station
A prep fridge has the hardest life in the kitchen, because its pans sit open to warm air for hours at a time. A few habits make a big difference:
- Close the lid between rushes. Cold air holds in the pan well far better under a closed lid, and the fridge recovers faster when the next orders land.
- Do not heap the pans. Food piled above the rim sits outside the chilled zone and warms up quickly.
- Probe the food, not the display. FSANZ requires chilled food to be kept at 5 °C or below. Check the temperature in the pans with a probe thermometer during service, not only the reading on the controller.
- Keep it clear of the oven. A pizza prep beside a deck oven, or a salad bench next to a char grill, battles radiant heat all day. Leave the vents clear and give it as much distance as the layout allows.
Before you order
Measure the bench run and decide which end the refrigeration should sit at, since that decides between the standard and right hand ProSpec versions. Count the pans you fill at the busiest service: two doors carry fewer pans than four, and running out of space on top means staff walk to the coolroom mid-rush. Check the door swing in a narrow kitchen, the plug against your outlets, and the route in. A 2,285 mm pizza prep needs a clear path through the back door and around any corners.
Supply, installation and service
Sam supplies the prep fridge and installs it across Perth. He places and levels it so the pans sit flat and the doors close cleanly, checks the clearances and power, then runs it down and probes it before he leaves. Ask Sam if an old prep bench needs taking away. If you would rather install it yourself, a SKOPE prep fridge can also be sent by courier.
Prep fridges need regular attention because flour, crumbs and grease find their way into the condenser and the pan well. Sam services and repairs SKOPE prep fridges for $75 + GST to attend and $180 + GST an hour plus parts, and fixes the price of any repair before starting. See commercial fridge and freezer repairs, preventive maintenance or everything else SKOPE makes.
