Refrigerated Salad Bars

Refrigerated Buffet Tables: What You Need to Know

Cold salad bars can be used in a wide variety of foodservice functions, from catering to supermarkets to restaurants. When serving fresh produce, operators must ensure food remains at a safe temperature until a guest can enjoy it. Refrigerated salad bars are most often used, as the name suggests, to provide a salad buffet for your guests that'll remain crisp and fresh without the operator needing to pull old veggies and throw them away every 45 minutes. A good salad bar is a labor-saving way to offer fresh produce to your guests, as every customer can serve themselves and you only have to worry about refilling the bar when it's empty – provided you have the right equipment for the job.

Refrigerated serving lines come in various styles, so every operation can find one to suit its needs. We carry units that actively refrigerate the cold storage area and units that utilize ice and insulation to keep the serving area at the correct temperature. With varying sizes, portability, and temperatures, our collection of refrigerated salad bars will keep your food safe and your customers happy. We answer common questions about refrigerated buffet tables below to help you find the optimal piece for your setup.

Common Questions About Refrigerated Salad Bars

Should I choose a refrigerated salad bar or a cold food bar?

Refrigerated salad bars utilize refrigerants and a compressor to remove heat from the cavity, while cold food bars use ice to absorb excess heat and maintain a cool storage area. Both of these approaches have benefits and drawbacks for foodservice operations – using ice means you don't have to plug the machine into a power source, making it far more portable and removing any utility cost. However, you then have to pay for ice and drain that melted ice somewhere, while having less control over the exact temperature at which your food is held. Additionally, you'll need a worker to replace the ice during the course of service or you risk your food becoming unsafe.

With a refrigerated salad bar, if you can plug the table in, you don't have to worry about anything but keeping your veggies refilled; however, this does run on electricity which adds to your utility bill. Normally, the expense of this type of table is very low compared to the electricity needed by cooking equipment, so it may not make a big dent compared to the expense of ice. While your electric refrigerated salad bar won't need to drain melted ice, you will have to perform regular maintenance on the compressor or hire a professional to keep it running at peak performance.

The primary determinants will be cost and mobility. If you run a single location restaurant, you can choose an easy location to install a refrigerated food bar and leave it there except for cleaning, but if you have a catering operation, a cold salad bar can be placed wherever you need it. Refrigerated units will also cost significantly more than a cold salad bar because they offer more features.

What other features should I look for?

Refrigerated salad bars have several variations that can potentially benefit your operation. Look for some of these on our products:

• Casters: Swivel and locking casters can ease positioning your refrigerated salad bar.
• Storage space: Cabinets beneath the cold storage area facilitate unit maintenance and food service.
• Removable grille: Provides convenient access to the compressor for quicker maintenance.
• Sanitation certifications: Offer proof to you and the health inspector that the machine you've chosen can be sanitized to a suitable degree.