Some Factors to Consider When Choosing a Bottle Cooler

Bottle coolers are an essential item for every pub and restaurant, and there is a choice of several different makes and sizes. One of the things that will help to decide what size of bottle cooler you have is simply the amount of space that you have in the backbar. If you do not have very much room the choice will probably be limited to a single door bottle cooler.

Of course, you can get a single door bottle cooler in a choice of heights, so if you have the space, a tall one with four, five, or even six shelves will hold the most bottles and allow you to display more types of drink than an under counter one. 

One of the most important things about a bottle cooler is that it has to be able to maintain a constant temperature and cope with the door constantly being opened and closed as bottles are taken out and stock replenished. It has to be tough enough to cope with the wear and tear that comes from the way that it is used, yet it also has to have a maximum amount of glass in order to display the products to best advantage.

Effective lighting is also an important factor for displaying the products and the overall aesthetics. A single door bottle cooler needs to look good behind the bar, and there is actually a noticeable trend today for operators requiring bespoke finishes to match the décor of the bar or restaurant, and in some cases the company branding. Another important factor is to have adjustable shelves so that different brands of drinks can be displayed. Bottle coolers should also have variable thermostats so that the operator can set the temperature to between 4°C and 10°C to suit the environment and customer preferences, and also take account of any specific requirements of the drinks themselves.

Of course, another factor is energy efficiency. You want a bottle cooler that has high insulating glass, and LED lights for maximum efficiency. You can also get bottle coolers with “wire on tube” condensers today which are not only highly efficient, but also virtually maintenance free, since it is almost impossible for them to be blocked with dust like conventional condensers.

The Problems with Single Door Bottle Coolers

Bottle coolers are an essential item for every bar or restaurant that sells bottled drinks. There are a number of things to take into consideration when purchasing a bottle cooler, not the least of which is the amount of space that you have available. If you only have a narrow space you will obviously have to opt for a single door bottle cooler, but you can obtain these in a height of around 6'6" which will accommodate five shelves full of bottles.

One disadvantage of a single door bottle cooler is that it will have to have a hinged door as opposed to a sliding door. A hinged door means that a bottle cooler is not so energy efficient as one with sliding doors because a hinged door lets out the cold air every time the cooler is opened. The other disadvantage of a single door bottle cooler with a hinged door is that it takes up more space in the backbar because every time the door is opened it can interfere with other staff moving up and down the bar to serve. This can be a problem when the bar is busy because the door can actually be opened several 100 times during the course of a day. 

Furthermore, if you only have space for a single door cooler it will need refilling more often than a double or triple door bottle cooler which again means letting more cold air out of the cooler as it is loaded, and of course gets in the way of other staff. If you have the space, a sliding door bottle cooler is much better for all those reasons.

You can also get under counter single door coolers, but these will obviously hold less stock than a larger one, which means even more refilling. Another consideration here is longevity. It is simply a fact that a hinged door will not last as long as a sliding door, so a hinged door bottle cooler will have to be replaced more often. There is also the matter of display, because with a single door bottle cooler you simply cannot display as much stock as with a double or triple door cooler.

What to Look For When Choosing a Bottle Cooler

Bottle coolers are an essential item for every bar, but the trick is to match the right application with the right aesthetics. Optimising the space that you have available is also key, so you need to look for one that is just the right size, and in many cases that may only be a single door bottle cooler, rather than a double door or triple door.

Another consideration is whether to have hinged doors or sliding doors. If you don't have much space in the backbar, hinged doors can get in the way of other staff passing up and down the bar during busy periods, so sliding doors are easier. You also need to consider how many times the doors are opened during a shift, because in a busy venue they can be opened hundreds of times in a shift, and sliding doors have much greater endurance than hinged doors. Sliding doors also don't let the cold air out every time they are opened and a bottle is taken out. 

Nice LED lighting will display the product at the backbar, which is necessary to make the bottles look attractive to the customer. It is also cooler which is ideal in a bottle cooler as it helps to save energy and keep electricity bills down.

Another consideration is the life of the doors. If you are buying a single door bottle cooler, or even a larger one, you want welded construction rather than extruded doors. If you look at bar staff opening a hinged door, where does most of their weight go? On the door! So it's important that the door can take the weight. Even so, sliding doors will outlast hinged doors every time, although you can't have a sliding door on a single door bottle cooler.

You also need to look at the condenser. Wire-on-tube condensers are virtually maintenance free since it's harder for them to become blocked by dust like conventional condensers, which is important because most bottle coolers are built in, so it can be difficult to gain access to clean them.