A pass-through refrigerator is an upright reach-in with doors on both the front and the back. It is installed in a wall or between two work areas, so one team loads it from one side and another team unloads from the other. Hospitals, schools, banquet halls, cafeterias and large restaurants use one to move cold food from the kitchen to the serving line without staff crossing paths.
When it makes sense
If your prep area and service area are on opposite sides of a wall, or if servers keep walking into the kitchen to grab salads and desserts, a pass-through can cut traffic and save steps. It also keeps raw prep work on one side and finished plates on the other. If you only need access from one side, a standard reach-in is simpler; our reach-in refrigerator guide covers those.
Solid doors or glass doors
The Atosa PLUS pass-thru line comes in two door setups.
- Solid front and rear doors: the Atosa PLUS-R1-SD-R-PT 1-section has a stainless steel exterior and interior and a down-duct air flow channel to spread cold air evenly.
- Glass front, solid rear: the Atosa PLUS-R1-GS-R-PT 1-section uses a double pane glass front door so servers can see what is ready before they open it.
Solid doors hold temperature well and hide the contents. A glass front speeds up service and makes it easy to spot when a shelf is empty. A left hinge version of the glass front 1-section model is also listed, which helps when the door swing must clear a wall or counter.
One section or two
The 1-section models measure 28-3/4" wide, 33-7/8" deep and 82-7/8" high. For more capacity, the Atosa PLUS-R2-SD-S-PT 2-section and the Atosa PLUS-R2-GS-S-PT 2-section with glass front doors are 51-3/4" wide with the same depth and height.
Measure the wall opening carefully, and check the height of doorways and hallways on the way in. A tall unit can be hard to tip upright under a low ceiling.
Features to look for
All four Atosa models list a 35°F to 38°F temperature range, a full electronic controller, LED interior lights, self-closing doors with an automatic stay-open feature and magnetic door gaskets. They use a heavy duty Cubigel compressor with R290 refrigerant, mounted on top, which keeps it away from floor dust and spills.
How teams use it
In a banquet kitchen, cooks plate salads and desserts ahead of time and load them into the pass-through refrigerator from the back. When service starts, servers open the front and carry plates straight out. In a hospital or school, trays can be set up in the kitchen and picked up on the other side by service staff. A pass-through refrigerator works best when both teams agree on which shelves hold what, so nobody has to dig for an item mid-service.
Layout tips
Plan clearance on both sides so each door can swing fully open. Leave space above the top-mounted compressor for air flow. Keep the unit away from ovens and dish machines. Decide which side is the loading side and label shelves so both teams know where items go. Because a pass-through refrigerator is opened from two sides, check the gaskets on both sets of doors when you clean.
Quick checklist
- Confirm you need access from two sides
- Choose solid doors or a glass front
- Pick one or two sections and measure the opening
- Check door swing and hinge side on both sides
- Leave air space above the top-mount compressor
Laying out a new kitchen-to-service flow? Talk it over for free with our kitchen planning help team, or reach us at (646) 651-9580 between 9 and 6 Monday through Friday or 10 and 6 on Sunday. Your pass-through refrigerator ships free, and Shop Pay Installments offers financing up to $30K so you can pay over time.
Browse more in our reach-in refrigerators and freezers collection, or shop all refrigeration.
