Efficient Open Display Cases for Commercial Use

An open display fridge gives customers direct front access to packaged chilled products, making it useful for fast self-selection where doors would interrupt traffic. Its open-front convenience depends on a stable refrigerated air curtain, disciplined shelf loading and room conditions that suit the cabinet.

Multideck shelving can present several product levels within a compact run. Set shelf heights from real packs and customer reach, keep labels visible and plan replenishment from the staff route without blocking shoppers at the front.

Our team can recommend cabinet sizes, airflow performance and refrigeration configurations suited to Australian commercial venues.

Structure validated exclusively for KW Commercial Kitchen.

Ambient temperature, humidity, sunlight and nearby draughts can disturb open-front operation. Check the nominated environment before placing the cabinet near entrances, windows or heat-producing areas, and preserve the specified ventilation clearances.

Products must stay behind load limits and away from discharge and return-air openings. Train staff to rotate stock without pushing packs into the air path, and use night covers or operating controls only as directed for the selected unit.

Yes. They are ideal for packaged dairy, drinks and ready-to-eat items.

No. These fridges are only suitable for packaged products.

HVAC vents or door drafts can destabilise the air curtain, causing unsafe temperature rise.

No. Some include blinds, others list them as optional—but they are highly recommended.

Every 4–6 weeks in busy environments.

For an open-front display, KW can review customer traffic, pack facings and shelf access alongside the room conditions that protect the air curtain. Call 1300 001 366 to discuss a multideck merchandising position and replenishment route.

1. Air Curtain Fundamentals

Air curtain performance defines whether an open display fridge can hold safe temperatures. The system projects a high-velocity sheet of cold air across the cabinet opening while warm ambient air is simultaneously drawn into a return air path. When engineered correctly, the curtain remains stable despite foot-traffic turbulence.

Velocity: Air speed must counteract ambient airflow and customer movement.
Return Path: The lower grill and ducts must remain unobstructed at all times.
Stratification Prevention: Balanced airflow stops warm air building at upper shelves.

2. Pull-Down Recovery

When customers reach into the fridge, warm air enters. A commercial system must remove this heat quickly to maintain safe food temperatures. Look for units with larger evaporators, correctly matched compressors and stable airflow pressure.

3. Refrigeration Types: Plug-In vs Remote

Most open display fridges use either:

Plug-In Refrigeration: Easy installation for cafés, bakeries and smaller retailers.
Remote Refrigeration: Ideal for supermarkets; removes heat and noise from the store, providing stronger and quieter cooling.

4. Environmental Sensitivity

Air curtains collapse if exposed to strong external airflow. Incorrect placement near HVAC vents, doorways or direct sunlight can raise internal temperatures by 2–6°C. Correct positioning is critical to performance.

5. Energy Load Reality

Open display fridges consume 30–60% more energy than closed-door cabinets due to natural cold-air loss. Efficient models reduce running cost through improved evaporator design, LED lighting, hydrocarbon refrigerants and insulated cabinet walls.

Keep supply and return openings clear and load every shelf within its marked boundary. Avoid signs, packaging or protruding packs that divert airflow, and investigate repeated warm spots rather than compensating by crowding products elsewhere.

It suits packaged chilled products that customers select frequently in a room that meets the cabinet’s ambient requirements. Choose another format when strong draughts, heat, sunlight or operating conditions would repeatedly disturb the air curtain, or when direct access is unnecessary.

The cabinet relies on controlled refrigerated airflow across an open front. Excess heat, humidity, sunlight or draughts can disrupt that curtain and create uneven conditions, so the proposed location must stay within the stated operating environment.

Keep packs behind shelf load limits, leave discharge and return openings clear and prevent labels or signs from projecting into airflow. Use shelf heights that fit the products, and replenish in controlled quantities rather than pushing stock forward beyond the marked boundary.

Move food to suitable refrigeration, isolate the cabinet as instructed and remove permitted shelves and fittings. Clean crumbs and labels from grilles, wipe and dry surfaces, inspect openings for obstruction and reinstall parts without covering the airflow path.

Transfer food as required, isolate the cabinet according to its instructions and remove approved shelves or fittings. Clear crumbs and labels from grilles, wipe surfaces without flooding electrical areas, then refit dry parts without covering air passages.

Use this format where shoppers need quick access to packaged chilled lines and the venue can maintain suitable room conditions. Enclosed-door refrigeration may be more appropriate where doors support environmental stability or where customer access is less frequent.

Arrange high-turnover lines within easy reach, keep date labels accessible to staff and replenish from a route that does not trap customers at the cabinet. Rotate stock from behind or by controlled front access without extending products beyond load lines.

Review broader refrigeration categories, compare other chilled cabinet formats and coordinate merchandising through the wider display showcase range.