Hoshizaki refrigerator buying guide:
which series fits your kitchen?

Typical for: Restaurants, cafes, hotels, staff restaurants

The Premier is the best-selling Hoshizaki series and the choice for most hospitality businesses. It offers professional quality with stainless steel inside and out, GN-compatible racks and R290 refrigerant. Temperature range: +1°C to +10°C. Available as single and double door models.

• Stainless steel inside and out
• GN 1/1 and 2/1 compatible
• R290 refrigerant
• Energy class A or A+
• Available in 1 and 2-door

Typical for: Butcher shops, bakeries, fish processing, kitchens with high ambient temperatures

The Snowflake is the heavy-duty line for environments where a standard refrigerator would struggle. More robust compressor, extra-ventilated condenser and reinforced door hinges. Designed for frequent opening, high ambient temperatures (up to +43°C climate class 5) and intensive production.

• Climate class 5 (up to +43°C ambient temperature)
• Reinforced door hinges
• Extra robust compressor
• Ideal for 80+ door openings per day
• Reinforced insulation

Typical for: HACCP-regulated kitchens, care facilities, chains with central monitoring

The Advance adds digital features to the Snowflake base: HACCP-compatible temperature logging, alarm system for temperature deviation, USB export of log data and optional network connectivity. For businesses where temperature recording is mandatory.

• HACCP temperature logging built-in
• Alarm on temperature deviation
• USB export of log data
• Optional network monitoring
• Snowflake base (climate class 5)

What is the difference between Hoshizaki Premier and Snowflake?

The Premier is the standard professional refrigerator for restaurants and cafes: reliable, energy-efficient and GN-compatible. The Snowflake is the heavy-duty variant, built for demanding conditions such as butcher shops, bakeries and kitchens with intensive use. The Snowflake has a more robust construction, better temperature stability with frequent door openings and withstands higher ambient temperatures.

Do Hoshizaki refrigerators use R290 refrigerant?

Yes. The latest Hoshizaki refrigerators use R290 (propane) as refrigerant. R290 has a GWP (Global Warming Potential) of just 3, compared to 1430 for R134a. This makes Hoshizaki refrigerators significantly more environmentally friendly and future-proof under F-gas regulations.

Which Hoshizaki refrigerator is best suited for a butcher shop?

For a butcher shop we recommend the Snowflake series. Butcher shops have intensive cooling demands, high ambient temperatures and many door openings per day. The Snowflake is specifically designed for such demanding conditions and maintains temperature more stably than the Premier with frequent opening.

How many GN containers fit in a Hoshizaki refrigerator?

This depends on the size. A standard single-door Hoshizaki refrigerator (approx. 600 litres) holds 20-24 GN 1/1 containers on the included racks. Two-door models offer twice the capacity. All models are compatible with GN 1/1 and 2/1 gastronorm containers as standard.

How long does a Hoshizaki refrigerator last?

With proper maintenance, a service life of 12-15 years is realistic. Hoshizaki is known for its robust compressors and stainless steel interior. Regular maintenance (cleaning the condenser filter, inspecting door seals, checking refrigerant pressure) is the most important factor for a long service life.