Polar Refrigeration G-series Double Door Back Bar Cooler review

Have you been searching for a reliable back bar fridge that keeps your drinks perfectly chilled, looks professional, and actually makes your life easier behind the bar?

What Is the Polar Refrigeration G‑Series Double Door Back Bar Cooler?

You’re looking at a commercial-grade back bar cooler designed specifically for busy bars, pubs, restaurants, and event venues. The Polar Refrigeration G-series 230W Double Door Back Bar Cooler Fridge 198 Litre, Black | GE998 is built to keep your beverages at the ideal serving temperature between 2°C and 8°C, while offering strong, secure storage and energy-efficient performance.

With a 198-litre capacity, double solid doors, 4 adjustable shelves, and a robust build, this fridge is created for professional environments where reliability and presentation both matter. Instead of worrying about whether your drinks are cold enough, you can focus on serving customers.

Key Specifications at a Glance

It helps to see the core features in one place so you can quickly judge if this fridge matches your needs. Here’s a breakdown of the main details.

This summary gives you a quick feel for what the fridge offers. From its compact footprint to its energy rating, it’s aimed at balancing performance with practicality in a commercial setting.

Cooling Performance and Temperature Control

You care about one thing above most others with a back bar fridge: do your drinks actually come out cold and consistent every time? This model is built around fan-assisted cooling, which is a major benefit for busy environments.

Fan-Assisted Cooling for Consistent Chill

Fan-assisted cooling means cold air is actively circulated throughout the cabinet instead of simply sitting at the bottom. That gives you more even temperature distribution, so the bottles on the top shelf stay as chilled as the ones below.

You don’t have to constantly rotate stock from the back to the front just to keep temperatures even. The cooling system is designed to keep the contents reliable and consistent, which is crucial when you’re serving high volumes.

Temperature Range from 2°C to 8°C

The working range of 2°C to 8°C covers most beverage needs, whether you’re storing beer, cider, soft drinks, mixers, or bottled water. You can keep drinks refreshingly cold without risking freezing or over-chilling.

You can adjust the temperature using simple digital controls, so you get the flexibility to fine-tune it based on your product range and your customers’ preferences.

Capacity and Storage Layout

If you run a busy bar, you know that capacity is everything. You want to stock enough for peak times without constantly refilling. This Polar back bar cooler aims to support exactly that with its 198-litre internal space and smart shelf layout.

198-Litre Capacity for Busy Service

A capacity of 198 litres gives you room for a substantial amount of bottled drinks. In practice, that translates to several cases of beer, cider, soft drinks, or a combination, depending on bottle or can size.

You can hold enough stock for a typical service without needing to head to the cellar or storeroom every 20 minutes. This really helps during evenings and weekends when you’re flat-out serving.

Four Strong Adjustable Shelves

The fridge includes four strong, adjustable shelves, giving you flexible storage options. You’re not stuck with a fixed layout, so you can:

• Lower shelves to accommodate taller bottles
• Raise shelves to store more rows of smaller cans
• Split space for mixed product types

Each shelf is designed to support the weight of fully loaded stock, so you don’t have to worry about bending or sagging under heavy glass bottles.

You can tailor the interior layout to match your actual product range instead of trying to force your products into a rigid configuration.

Design, Build Quality, and Durability

In a commercial environment, your equipment doesn’t just sit there gently. It’s opened, closed, knocked, and worked hard every day. This unit is built with that reality in mind.

Strong Steel Construction

The fridge uses incredibly strong steel construction, giving you a robust, hard-wearing cabinet. The exterior has a professional black finish that looks smart behind a bar and matches other back bar equipment easily.

You can expect it to handle regular knocks, continuous use, and the occasional bump from staff, trolleys, or deliveries without falling apart or looking shabby after a few months.

Compact Yet Practical Dimensions

With dimensions of 850(H) x 900(W) x 520(D) mm, this unit is compact enough to fit under most standard bar counters. The depth of 520 mm helps you save valuable floor space while still offering strong capacity.

You can slide it under a bar top or use it as part of a back bar setup without it dominating the area. This balance of size and capacity is ideal if your bar space is limited but you still need serious storage.

Ease of Use and Day-to-Day Operation

Your staff don’t have time to fight with complicated controls or poorly designed doors. This unit is designed to be straightforward and intuitive so your team can focus on customers, not equipment.

Simple Digital Controls

The fridge comes with simple digital controls that make it easy to set and monitor the temperature. You don’t need to guess or fiddle with old-fashioned dials.

At a glance, you can check that your fridge is running within the ideal range. If you need to tweak the temperature for different drinks or seasonal changes, you can do it quickly and accurately.

Auto-Close Doors for Convenience and Efficiency

The auto-close solid doors are a small feature that makes a big difference. In a busy bar, doors often get left ajar when staff are rushing. Auto-close helps prevent that.

You reduce the risk of:

• Cold air escaping and wasting energy
• Temperatures rising and affecting product quality
• Extra strain on the compressor as it tries to bring the cabinet back down to temperature

You get both better energy efficiency and more consistent cooling just from this one detail. It’s one less thing for your staff to worry about during service.

Security and Access Control

Bottled stock is valuable, and you may not always want everyone to have free access to it, especially outside trading hours. This is where the locking system comes in.

Lockable Solid Doors

Each solid door features an integrated lock, giving you extra peace of mind. When you close up at the end of the night, you can simply lock the fridge to prevent unauthorized access.

This is useful for:

• Reducing shrinkage or theft risk
• Keeping expensive stock secure
• Demonstrating that you manage alcohol stock responsibly

Having locks built in means you’re not relying on makeshift security or extra devices that get lost or forgotten.

Solid Doors vs Glass Doors

This model uses solid doors rather than glass. That choice brings some advantages:

• Better insulation and energy efficiency
• Less visible condensation or fingerprints
• A neater, more uniform appearance on a busy bar back wall

The trade-off is that you can’t see labels through the doors, but the bright interior LED lighting helps when you open them to quickly identify what you need.

Energy Efficiency and Running Costs

Your electricity bills are a real concern, especially when you run multiple refrigeration units. This model is designed to keep running costs under control without sacrificing performance.

Energy Rating A

The unit carries an Energy Rating of A, which indicates efficient power use. For a constantly running commercial fridge, every efficiency gain adds up over time.

You benefit in several ways:

• Reduced electricity bills
• Lower overall lifetime operating cost
• Less environmental impact from energy use

If you’re replacing an older, less efficient unit, you’re likely to notice a meaningful difference in running costs over time.

LED Interior Lighting

The fridge uses energy-saving LED lighting inside the cabinet. LED lights consume far less energy than traditional bulbs, generate less heat, and last longer.

You get a brightly lit interior that helps staff identify contents quickly, especially in darker bar environments, without adding unnecessary heat load or power use.

Interior Lighting and Visibility

Even though the doors are solid, you still benefit from thoughtful interior visibility features that help with quick service.

Bright LED Lighting for Quick Identification

The bright LED interior lighting is especially helpful when you need to grab drinks fast or restock shelves during service. You can immediately see:

• Which drinks are running low
• Where specific brands or flavours are located
• How best to rearrange stock for the next rush

This is particularly handy in bars with dim lighting, where standard bulbs might not cut through the gloom effectively.

Benefits for Staff Efficiency

Good interior lighting isn’t just about looks; it also helps your team work faster. When they can see everything clearly:

• They make fewer mistakes pulling the wrong drink
• They restock more efficiently
• They spend less time hunting for items

All this adds up to smoother service and happier customers.

Installation and Positioning

Getting your fridge set up in the right spot is important, especially on uneven floors or in older buildings where surfaces aren’t perfectly level.

Adjustable Feet for Uneven Floors

This unit comes with adjustable feet, which is a very practical detail. You can fine-tune the height and level the fridge properly, even when the floor isn’t perfectly flat.

A level fridge means:

• The doors open and close smoothly
• Internal components operate as designed
• Noise and vibration are reduced

It also helps your bar look more polished and professional, as the unit sits neatly under your countertop or along your back bar.

Under-Counter and Back Bar Integration

With its 850 mm height, this cooler is designed to sit under standard bar counters. You can integrate it seamlessly with your existing layout.

You might position it:

• Directly under your main serving counter
• Along a back bar wall with other refrigeration units or storage
• In a service area where staff can quickly reach drinks during busy periods

Because it’s only 900 mm wide, it’s adaptable to both small and larger bar setups.

Cleaning and Maintenance

A fridge that’s hard to clean quickly becomes a nuisance. This Polar unit aims to keep cleaning and general upkeep straightforward, so your hygiene routines are easier to maintain.

Easy-to-Clean Interior and Exterior

The strong steel construction with a smooth finish makes wiping down surfaces simple. Spills, condensation, and sticky residues from bottles are easy to clean.

You can:

• Remove shelves to clean them thoroughly
• Wipe down interior walls without awkward corners
• Clean the exterior quickly as part of your regular bar cleaning routine

Keeping the fridge hygienic is easier when the surfaces are designed with cleaning in mind.

Simple, Robust Design for Fewer Issues

The use of sturdy materials and straightforward controls reduces the likelihood of small parts breaking or failing. Fewer flimsy components means fewer repair calls.

Routine maintenance, like cleaning the condenser and checking the seals, is simple and helps extend the life of the unit. The more robust your equipment, the less downtime you face during busy trading periods.

Practical Everyday Benefits for Your Business

You’re not just buying a fridge; you’re buying smoother service and fewer headaches. This model supports that in several practical ways.

Faster Service During Peak Times

Because the fridge:

• Holds a generous amount of stock
• Keeps temperature consistent with fan-assisted cooling
• Uses bright LED interior lighting

your staff can grab drinks quickly and with confidence that they’re properly chilled. That translates directly into faster service, shorter queues, and more satisfied customers.

You spend less time worrying about whether your drinks are at the right temperature and more time focusing on upselling and customer experience.

Better Stock Management

With four adjustable shelves and well-lit storage, you can organise your stock more logically. Group products by type, brand, or popularity to make restocking and retrieval faster.

You’re more likely to:

• Spot low stock before you run out
• Practise good stock rotation for freshness
• Keep your bar area tidy and efficient

All of these contribute to smoother operations and better control over your inventory.

Who This Back Bar Cooler Is Best Suited For

Not every refrigeration unit is right for every setting. This one is clearly geared towards specific types of businesses and uses.

Ideal Environments

You’ll get the most value from the Polar G-series Double Door Back Bar Cooler GE998 if you run:

• Pubs and bars with moderate to high drinks turnover
• Restaurants with a dedicated bar or drinks station
• Hotels with bar areas or function rooms
• Clubs and music venues serving bottled and canned drinks
• Event spaces needing reliable, professional back bar storage

It’s designed to run all day in demanding conditions where reliability is crucial.

When This Model Makes Particular Sense

This fridge is especially well-suited to you if:

• You need a compact under-counter solution that still offers significant capacity
• You want solid doors for improved energy efficiency and a cleaner back bar appearance
• You value security, with lockable doors to protect alcohol stock
• You’re aiming to reduce running costs with an efficient, A-rated unit
• You want simple digital controls and low-maintenance operation

If those priorities match your needs, this model is a strong candidate.

Potential Limitations to Consider

To make a well-balanced decision, it helps to think about where this fridge might not be the best fit for your setup.

Solid Doors Limit Product Visibility

Because the doors are solid rather than glass, you can’t showcase your drinks visually to customers. If you rely heavily on customers seeing product labels at the bar to encourage impulse orders, this may be a drawback.

You can still work around this by having clear menu boards, display fridges elsewhere, or countertop displays, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Single Temperature Zone

The unit offers one consistent temperature zone between 2°C and 8°C. If you want to store different types of beverages that each require very different temperatures (for example, some wines versus beers), you might need an additional unit or a wine-specific fridge.

For most typical bar setups focused on beers, ciders, and soft drinks, this isn’t an issue, but if you’re running a specialist venue, you’ll want to consider it.

Comparison with Typical Back Bar Coolers

To help you decide if this model stands out, it’s worth viewing it in the context of typical alternatives on the market.

How It Stacks Up in Key Areas

Compared to standard commercial back bar fridges, this one offers:

• Strong build quality: The steel construction and robust design put it above many budget options.
• Energy efficiency: An Energy Rating A is a strong benefit if you’re watching running costs.
• Security: Built-in locks and auto-close doors are not always standard in similar units.
• Fan-assisted cooling: This is now fairly common, but still a key strength for temperature consistency.

It doesn’t try to be flashy; instead, it focuses on reliability, security, and efficiency. If you’re choosing between a cheaper, less efficient glass-door unit and this one, you’re likely trading off visual merchandising for better performance and lower ongoing costs.

Where It Might Not Be the First Choice

You may want to look at other options if:

• Your bar design depends heavily on visible bottle displays through glass doors.
• You need a larger capacity unit because your bar serves extremely high volumes from a single fridge.
• You intend to store specialist products that require distinct temperature zones.

In those cases, either a glass-fronted display fridge or a larger, multi-zone system might suit you better.

Reasons You Might Choose This Model

When you add everything up, you get a clear set of reasons why this particular fridge might suit your business.

Reliable, Professional-Grade Cooling

You’re getting fan-assisted, consistent cooling, ideal for keeping bottled drinks at a ready-to-serve temperature. If you want to stop worrying about uneven cooling or warm drinks, this matters a lot.

Efficient, Secure, and Easy to Run

With features like:

• Energy Rating A
• Auto-close, lockable doors
• LED interior lighting
• Simple digital controls

you’re choosing a unit that’s not just functional, but also cost-effective and secure. It runs quietly in the background, doing its job without demanding constant attention.

Designed for Real-World Bar Conditions

The steel construction, adjustable feet, and compact yet spacious layout all point to a design created for actual working bars, not just showroom floors. It’s the kind of unit you can expect to handle day-to-day use reliably.

Final Thoughts: Is the Polar G‑Series Double Door Back Bar Cooler GE998 Right for You?

If you want a professional back bar fridge that combines reliable cooling, solid construction, energy efficiency, and secure storage, this model is a strong contender.

You’re getting:

• A 198-litre capacity split over four adjustable shelves
• A 2°C to 8°C temperature range with fan-assisted cooling
• Auto-close, lockable solid doors that help save energy and protect stock
• Energy-saving LED lighting for quick stock checks and easier service
• A compact footprint with adjustable feet for simple installation under or behind the bar

This fridge suits you best if you prioritise performance, durability, and efficiency over purely visual display through glass doors. It’s built to keep your operation running smoothly, night after night, without fuss.

If your bar needs a dependable, secure, and efficient back bar cooler, the Polar Refrigeration G-series 230W Double Door Back Bar Cooler Fridge 198 Litre, Black | GE998 is well worth serious consideration.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.