You already know you need chilling. Whether a chilled machine can handle meals too depends on other things: how the product reaches the user, whether they can read the label before paying, and who keeps track of the dates. That is where a cold spiral differs from a cabinet people take their lunch from.
Chilling makes fresh food possible: dairy, salads, meals. Without chilling, a machine is stuck with biscuits and crisps. Why is covered in healthy vending. That is why many businesses search specifically for a refrigerated machine.
Often these are sites where people work at night or at weekends, as in care; see care facilities. Or a weekend shift that relies on the fridge from Friday to Monday; see food for the weekend shift.
| Chilled spiral machine | Locker machine | Smart fridge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dispensing | Product drops | Locker opens | Door opens, you help yourself |
| Read the label before buying | No | Sometimes, through the window | Yes |
| Choice per visit | One product | One locker | Whatever you want |
| Date checks | Per spiral | Per locker | At every restock, removing before the date |
| Suitable for | Dairy, drinks, sturdy packaging | Meals in fixed portions | Meals, salads, dairy, snacks and drinks |
What happens between kitchen and fridge, and who does which check, is covered in food safety in vending.
If you mainly want cold drinks and some dairy, a refrigerated vending machine does that well, and a cabinet may be more than you need. If meals have to go in, the way of dispensing matters more. In a cabinet you open, people choose for themselves and read the label, and nothing drops.
What a chilled fridge costs at your site depends on the number of people, the hours and the range. The factors are in what a smart fridge costs.
Rarely. A salad in a spiral has to survive a drop, which calls for sturdy packaging that limits choice. On top of that, the buyer can only read the label after paying.
Dispensing. With a refrigerated machine you pick a slot and the product comes out. With a smart fridge you open the door, take what you want and the fridge charges for what is missing. That matters most with fresh food, where people want to see what they are taking.
Our fridges are designed for food and drink. We do not offer other applications.
A smart fridge holds its own temperature. Whoever restocks checks temperature and dates at every visit. Agree in advance who steps in if the chilling fails.
Yes. It needs a power socket, a level spot and room to open the door. Daylight is not needed; visibility to the people walking past is.
Eight short questions about your site. We tell you which chilled machine suits what your people want to eat.
Takes about 90 seconds · no obligation · no contact details until the last step