Quick Answer
A glass lid chest freezer is a display freezer with a sliding or hinged glass top, so customers can see and pick up wrapped ice cream, lollies and frozen food themselves. UK prices run from about £680 for a 198 litre flat glass model to £850–£1,550 for 150–620 litre curved glass lid freezers, and around £2,000 for 1,000 litre supermarket-style units.
Caterzone supplies glass lid chest freezers and ice cream freezers to UK convenience stores, cafés, farm shops, kiosks, campsites, petrol forecourts and leisure centres. A glass lid freezer is an impulse sales tool as much as storage: customers see the lollies, choc ices and tubs without opening anything, which is why the major ice cream brands supply them to retailers.
This guide covers glass lid display freezers for self-service sales. If you need a solid-lid chest freezer for back-of-house bulk storage, see our commercial chest freezer guide, and if you are serving scooped ice cream, see our scooping cabinet guide. Below: curved versus flat glass, sliding versus hinged lids, sizing, temperature ranges, running costs, UK rules, and the Tefcold, Elcold, Combisteel and Blizzard models we stock.
What is a glass lid chest freezer used for?
A glass lid chest freezer stores and displays pre-packed frozen products that customers serve themselves: wrapped ice creams and lollies, take-home tubs, frozen ready meals, pizza, chips, frozen desserts and bagged ice. The glass lid shows the product, the chest shape keeps cold air in the well when the lid is open, and baskets let you group lines and keep best sellers on top.
It is different from a solid-lid chest freezer, which is cheaper and better insulated but hides the stock, so it belongs in a store room. It is also different from a scooping display cabinet, which holds open pans of ice cream at a softer temperature for staff to serve. A glass lid freezer typically runs colder than a scooping cabinet, at around –18°C or below, because the product is sold frozen and wrapped.
Many Tefcold models are listed as ice cream freezers because the thermostat can also be set warmer. The Tefcold IC201SCEB, for example, can hold around –14°C for ready-to-serve ice cream or go down to –24°C for other frozen food.
Curved glass or flat glass lid?
Curved sliding glass lids slope towards the customer and give a wider view of the product, which is why ice cream brands favour them. The Tefcold NIC501SCEB has curved sliding lids that slope to the front, a rounded top trim and curved corners suited to branding. The Elcold Focus range uses frameless curved sliding lids with internal LED lighting, and Blizzard's curved glass lid freezers from 220 to 620 litres all have lockable curved sliding lids and LED lighting.
Flat sliding glass lids are a little cheaper and give a flat top surface. The Tefcold IC201SC is a 165 litre flat glass lid freezer at £813.60, and Combisteel's 198 litre glass lid chest freezer is £676.90. Flat glass suits stores where the freezer sits under a counter overhang or where staff stack promotional material on top, though you should never block the glass completely.
Hinged glass lids, as on the Tefcold ST range, are another option. Tefcold points out that customers are less likely to leave a hinged lid open than a sliding one, which helps energy use and reduces ice build-up. Sliding lids are easier for customers to use one-handed and allow two people to browse at once.
What size glass lid freezer do you need?
Glass lid freezers are quoted in gross and net litres; net is what you can actually fill. As a guide:
- 100–200 litres: a café counter, small kiosk or campsite shop selling a dozen or so lolly lines. Examples: Tefcold IC201SCEB (157 litres), Elcold Focus 193 litre, Blizzard 220 litre.
- 250–400 litres: convenience stores, farm shops and leisure centres selling ice cream plus take-home tubs. Examples: Tefcold NIC501SCEB (367 litres net), Tefcold ST401 hinged glass (350 litres), Blizzard 320 and 420 litre.
- 450–650 litres: busy stores also selling frozen meals and pizza. Examples: Combisteel 461 litre, Blizzard 520 and 620 litre.
- 850–1,000+ litres: supermarket-style islands with dividers, such as the Combisteel 1,005 litre curved glass lid freezer.
Measure the floor, including space for the lid to slide and for customers to stand. The Combisteel 1,005 litre model, for instance, measures 2,124mm wide by 952mm deep, while a 157 to 200 litre unit is typically well under a metre wide. Summer demand for ice cream can be several times winter demand, so many shops size for the peak and switch a freezer off, or use it for frozen food, in winter.
Glass lid chest freezer comparison
| Freezer | Capacity | Key specs | Best for | Guide price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combisteel glass lid chest freezer | 198L gross | Flat glass, –18 to –24°C, R600a, no baskets | Tight budgets | £676.90 |
| Blizzard curved glass lid | 220L | Curved sliding lid, LED, 13A plug, baskets | Cafés, kiosks | £770 |
| Tefcold IC201SC | 165L net | Flat sliding glass, –24 to –14°C, climate class 5 | Small shops, warm rooms | £813.60 |
| Tefcold IC201SCEB | 157L | Curved sloping lids, fan-assisted condenser | Lolly and ice cream sales | £852 |
| Combisteel curved glass lid | 461L | Static, lockable, 35°C max ambient | Convenience stores, forecourts | £976.90 |
| Tefcold ST401 | 350L net | Hinged double-glazed glass, digital display | Corner shops | £1,088.40 |
| Tefcold NIC501SCEB | 367L net | Curved sliding lids, climate class 5 | Delis, cafés, petrol stations | £1,172.40 |
| Elcold Focus 193L | 193L net | Frameless curved lids, LED, –23 to –16°C | Premium brand display | £1,264.80 |
| Combisteel supermarket island | 1,005L | R290, –18 to –23°C, 3 dividers | Supermarkets, large stores | £1,989.90 |
Which climate class do you need?
Climate class shows the hottest room the freezer is designed to hold temperature in. Climate class 4 models, such as the Elcold Focus and the Tefcold ST401, are rated for rooms up to 30°C. Climate class 5 models, such as the Tefcold IC201SC and NIC501SCEB, are rated up to 40°C, which Tefcold recommends for warm surroundings. Combisteel quotes a maximum ambient of 35°C for its 198 and 461 litre models.
This matters more for glass lid freezers than most, because they often sit near shop windows, entrance doors or in kiosks and conservatories where summer temperatures climb fast. Glass also lets in more heat than a solid insulated lid. If the freezer will stand in sun or a hot room, choose climate class 5 and keep it out of direct sunlight.
Leave space around the cabinet for the condenser to breathe, and keep it away from heaters and other refrigeration exhausts. Most of these units have castors, including the Tefcold, Elcold and Blizzard ranges, so they can be pulled out for cleaning.
What does a glass lid freezer cost to run?
Ice cream freezers sold in Great Britain carry an energy label rated A to G with a declared annual energy use, as they are classed as refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function. Compare the kWh per year figure when you shortlist; at around 25p per kWh, a freezer using 1,000kWh a year costs about £250 to run.
Glass lids lose more heat than solid insulated lids, so a display freezer will usually cost more to run per litre than a storage chest freezer. Features that help include fan-assisted condensers (on the Tefcold IC-SCEB and NIC-SCEB ranges and the Elcold Focus), LED rather than fluorescent lighting, and natural refrigerants such as R290 and R600a. Day to day, keep lids closed, do not fill above the load line, and defrost manual-defrost models before ice reaches a few millimetres thick. Ice on the lid frame or around the top of the stock usually means lids are being left open or the seals need attention.
Under GB F-gas rules, new hermetically sealed commercial fridges and freezers can no longer use HFC refrigerants with a global warming potential of 150 or more, so most current models use hydrocarbons.
What are the UK rules for frozen display?
Frozen food should be held at –18°C or colder; that is the standard for quick-frozen foodstuffs in the UK and what your environmental health officer will expect for frozen ready meals, pizza and similar products. Ice cream for self-service sale should also stay hard frozen in the wrapper. If you set a Tefcold or similar unit warmer for scoop-ready ice cream, keep that freezer for ice cream only.
Check and record the temperature at least daily using the freezer display or a separate thermometer, and keep the records with your food safety paperwork. Never load above the load line marked inside the cabinet, because product above it will not stay at temperature. Products that have thawed should not be refrozen and sold.
Most glass lid freezers run on a standard 13A plug; the Blizzard models are plug-and-play. PAT test them regularly, and use an F-gas certified engineer for any refrigeration repairs.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a glass lid chest freezer cost in the UK?
At Caterzone, glass lid chest freezers start at about £680 for a 198 litre model. Most 150 to 400 litre curved or flat glass lid freezers cost £770 to £1,300, 500 to 620 litre models £1,245 to £1,540, and 1,000 litre supermarket islands around £2,000.
What temperature should an ice cream freezer be?
For wrapped ice cream and frozen food sold from the freezer, aim for –18°C or colder. Many ice cream freezers can be set as warm as –14°C for scoop-ready ice cream, but only do that if the freezer holds ice cream alone.
Is a curved glass lid better than a flat glass lid?
For impulse sales, usually yes. Curved lids slope toward the customer and give a wider view of the product. Flat glass lids cost a little less and give a flat top, which suits tight spaces or counter overhangs.
Can I use a glass lid freezer for bulk storage?
You can, but a solid-lid chest freezer is cheaper to buy and run for stock that customers do not see. Use glass lid freezers on the shop floor and solid-lid freezers in the store room.
Why is ice building up in my display freezer?
Ice usually forms when lids are left open, the freezer is overfilled above the load line, the room is too warm for its climate class, or lid seals are damaged. Defrost the freezer, check the seals, and remind staff and customers to close the lids.
Where to buy a glass lid chest freezer in the UK
Caterzone stocks glass lid chest freezers and ice cream freezers from Tefcold, Elcold, Combisteel and Blizzard. Browse our freezer collection, or go straight to the Blizzard 220 litre curved glass lid freezer at £770, the Tefcold IC201SCEB at £852, the Tefcold NIC501SCEB 367 litre at £1,172.40, the Combisteel 461 litre curved glass lid freezer at £976.90, or the Blizzard 520 litre at £1,245. For a hinged lid, the Tefcold ST401 is £1,088.40, and for larger stores the Combisteel 1,005 litre supermarket freezer is £1,989.90.
For back-of-house storage, read our commercial chest freezer guide, and if you are adding chilled cakes and desserts, our cake display fridge guide. For help choosing the right size for your shop, call Caterzone on +44 7787 069044 or email info@thecaterzone.co.uk.
