Adande has commissioned Bristol based test house Refrigeration Developments & Testing Limited (RD&T) to carry out independent tests comparing the performance of Adande drawers to “Foster-Flex drawers” available from Foster.
Both Adande and Foster claim that their drawers offer customers useful storage in preparation areas with the ability to vary and control temperature. Both companies claim that their drawers are energy efficient.
Adande asked RD&T to independently test both these drawers to the appropriate European standard.
RD&T tested one new drawer from each company; an Adande VCS R2 and a Foster FFC3-1. Both were tested as chillers and both as freezers. All tests were carried out to the new European wide test standard for foodservice cabinets; prEN16825:2015(E).
RD&T focussed on what matters to customers; how much you can get in the drawer, whether it holds temperature when opened and how much energy it uses. The results were as follows.
How much storage does the drawer provide? – Using the test methodology an Adande drawer offers the customer 18% more storage volume than a Foster drawer.
Does it hold temperature as a freezer?
Set as a freezer, with a set point of -20°C, all measured test packs in the Adande drawer operated between -18.2°C and -20.6°C, demonstrating the stable temperature which is a feature with the unique, patented Adande design.
In the Foster drawer, with a set point of -23°C, the measured packs operated between -14.3°C and -23.0°C. RD&T noted that the compressor ran constantly in the freezer mode indicating that further reduction in internal temperature with different settings was unlikely to be possible.
The European test standard requires that in a freezer no measurement test pack (Mpack) can be warmer than -15.0°C (L1). If a pack is warmer than -15.0°C during the test the freezer does not pass the test. The Foster drawer did not pass the test. The Adande drawer did pass.
Does it hold temperature as a fridge?
As a fridge, with a set point of 3°C, all measured test packs in the Adande drawer operated between 2.8°C and 4.1°C, exactly as it is designed to do.
The Foster drawer had a set point of 0°C. However, during the test the measured packs operated between 1.0°C and 8.0°C.
The European test standard requires that in a fridge no measured pack can be warmer than 5°C (M1). If a pack is warmer than 5°C the fridge does not pass the test. The Foster drawer did not pass the test. The Adande drawer did pass.
Which is more energy efficient –Adande or Foster?
Both units were tested in terms of their Annual Energy Consumption (kWh/year). RD&T found the Adande drawer to be far more energy efficient than the Foster drawer.
As a chiller Adande’s drawer used the equivalent of 306 kWh/year, whereas the Foster drawer used the equivalent to 1018 kWh/year, over three times as much, despite the highest test pack temperature being 3.9°C warmer
As a freezer the Adande drawer used the equivalent of 761 kWh/year; whereas Foster drawer used the equivalent of 1970 kWh/year, over two and a half times as much, despite the highest test pack temperature being 3.9°C warmer.
Adande’s drawer achieved these results despite having more storage capacity and despite holding the temperature more evenly across the packs.
Nigel Bell, Executive Chairman of Adande, commented:
“These results clearly demonstrate why customers should choose Adande. Our drawers offer better storage space, hold temperature and save energy. They do that by using our patented “hold the cold” technology which is fundamentally different. Other drawers might look like an Adande but unless they use our technology they will not give customers the same benefits. In 2014 RD&T independently compared our drawers to those offered by Precision, with very similar results and the same conclusion.”
Copy & paste this link into your web browser for the full comparison report: dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/34865399/RDT821%20Comparison%20report%20%2822-3-16%29%20v2.pdf)
For further information contact: Marketing Manager, Maria McNevin ([email protected])
