Drinks coolers are among the most popular and best-selling pieces of bar equipment available on the market, and are a common sight in bars, clubs, pubs and restaurants across the western world.

Most bar equipment suppliers tend to stock two different varieties of drinks coolers: freestanding and built-in. The lines below aim to establish a comparison between the two, highlighting the unique traits and characteristics each one possesses and explaining how they may impact their usage and functionality.

Freestanding Drinks Coolers

As the name indicates, freestanding drinks coolers are designed to be able to stand on their own. These types of coolers tend to be larger than their built-in counterparts, and are commonly seen in larger and more spacious bar rooms. These coolers have the advantage of providing more storage than the built-in variety, and allowing for easier access to the drinks; however, they do also take up more space, which may be an issue for bar managers or landlords with less real estate available. Still, bars or pubs with plenty of room and which tend to see a high level of demand for bottled or canned drinks may want to invest in a freestanding cooler.

Built-In Drinks Coolers

Built-in drinks coolers are the most common type found in most bars and pubs, and are among the best-selling types of bar equipment. When compared to freestanding coolers, these tend to be smaller, and specifically designed to fit underneath counters or worktops, thus maximising the available space behind a bar. The flipside is that these types of coolers tend to hold fewer drinks when compared to the free-standing variety, which may pose a problem for bars and pubs which experience high demand for these types of drinks.

Ultimately, then, the choice between built-in and free-standing coolers comes down to space and trade volumes for each establishment. Both are best sellers for bar equipment suppliers, and will make for an excellent way for bar managers or landlords to store chilled drinks!