Types of cake display fridge
- Counter-top displays: small glass units that sit on an existing counter, for cafes with a handful of cakes. Usually plug-in and often ventilated, so best for robust products.
- Free-standing cake displays: upright or curved-glass units with two to four shelves, 0.6 m to 1.2 m wide, for cafes and coffee shops.
- Patisserie serve over counters: the bakery standard. Low, glass-fronted counters with tiered shelves, rear sliding doors and a worktop, from 0.9 m to 2 m per unit, joined into a run with refrigerated, ambient and heated sections.
- Vertical patisserie displays: tall glass cabinets with four or five shelves for height and volume, often for gateaux and celebration cakes.
- Ambient and heated sections: not refrigerated, but part of the same run, for bread, viennoiserie and savouries.
Static or ventilated cooling
This is the decision that matters most. A ventilated display blows cold air over the product with a fan. It holds temperature evenly and copes with frequent door opening, but the moving air dries whatever it touches, so cream cakes crust, sponge hardens and glazes dull within hours. A static (gravity-cooled) display has a chilled coil above or behind the shelves and lets cold air fall gently, with no fan on the product. Humidity stays higher and cakes keep their finish. For cream, mousse, fresh fruit tarts and unwrapped pastry, choose static; for wrapped products, drinks and robust traybakes, ventilated is fine and cheaper.
Temperature and humidity
Cream cakes and other chilled products must be kept at 8 °C or below by law in England, and displays are set to +2 to +4 °C in practice. Chocolate work and some glazed pastry prefer the warmer end, around +4 to +6 °C, so a display with a wide setting range helps. Humidity of roughly 60 to 70 per cent is the aim for pastry; good static displays hold this naturally, and some add humidity control. Check that the display has a readable probe so staff can log the temperature for your HACCP records.
Size and layout
Measure the counter run you have, then plan the display around what you sell on a Saturday morning rather than a quiet Tuesday. Patisserie units are typically 0.9 m, 1.2 m, 1.5 m and 2 m wide and about 0.8 to 1 m deep; corner units turn a run round an angle. Two or three tiers give height and let customers see everything; too many tiers hide the back rows. Rear sliding doors let staff serve without reaching over the glass, and a worktop at the back keeps boxes and tongs to hand. Leave room for the compressor's airflow if the unit is plug-in.
Glass and lighting
Curved glass looks traditional and softens the counter; square (straight) glass looks modern and is easier to clean and replace. Either way, choose low-emissivity or double glazing where the shop is warm, to limit condensation. Lighting changes how cakes look more than any other feature: warm white LED strips under each shelf show cream, pastry and chocolate honestly, while cold blue-white light makes them look stale. LEDs also add far less heat to the cabinet than older tubes.
Plug-in or remote
Plug-in displays have the compressor built in: simple to install, easy to move, but they add heat and noise to the shop and each unit needs a socket. Remote displays are piped to a condensing unit outside or in a back room, which keeps the shop quieter and cooler and suits a long run of counters. For one or two displays, plug-in usually wins; for a full patisserie counter run, remote usually pays back.
Energy and running costs
A display runs all day, every day. Doors or night covers, LED lighting, efficient compressors and keeping the condenser clean all cut the bill. Keep displays out of direct sunlight and away from ovens and heaters, which force the compressor to work harder and spoil the cakes nearest the glass.
What affects the price
Width, the number of tiers, static or ventilated cooling, humidity control, curved or square glass, plug-in or remote, cladding and worktop finish, and whether the unit is a stock model or made to measure. Counter-top displays start at a few hundred pounds; a 1.5 m static patisserie counter typically costs several thousand pounds; made-to-measure runs with ambient and heated sections cost more and usually take four to eight weeks. We quote cabinet by cabinet after a free survey.
Cleaning and maintenance
Wipe shelves and glass daily, clean the drain and the condenser monthly, and have the display serviced at least once a year with your other refrigeration. A failing door seal or a dusty condenser is the usual reason a display stops holding temperature. Our maintenance contracts cover display refrigeration as well as cold rooms.
Buying checklist
- Static cooling and humidity control for cream and pastry.
- Set point of +2 to +4 °C with a readable probe.
- Width and tiers that fit your Saturday range.
- Rear sliding doors and a worktop.
- Warm white LED lighting on every shelf.
- Plug-in or remote to suit the shop.
- A written quotation and a maintenance plan.
Fitting out a bakery, patisserie or cafe? See our bakeries and patisseries page, our shop fitting page, or request a free quote.