Minibar - a small refrigerator with drinks, present in the hotel rooms. In the form of a small refrigerator was first developed by the German company Siegas in the early 1960s. Prices for drinks and food presented are usually several times higher than in stores or a restaurant in the same hotel .
Most of the 4- and 5-star hotels in the world have minibars. In high-class hotels for regular customers, drinks and snacks are prepared in advance for this guest based on his preferences in past races.
In 1988, the Bartech Automatic System installed the first automated minibars at the Hilton Geneva. An automated system simplifies work with minibars and reduces costs. She records all seizures of items from the minibar and compiles a list for employees of the institution in which rooms and which set of products should be brought.
Design and energy consumption
Unlike full-size refrigerators running on a compression chiller, minibars are usually equipped with an absorption chiller . Ammonia is used as the refrigerant , which interacts with the absorbent - water, transferring heat along the refrigeration circuit. Such refrigeration equipment operates silently, which allows the use of frigobars in hotel rooms, offices and even bedrooms. Often they are also used in bars or trading floors of restaurants.
Electric absorption absorber units are less efficient than compression units used in conventional refrigerators. Therefore, frigobars typically consume more electricity than compression refrigerators of similar capacity. Following the general trend of increasing energy efficiency, minibar manufacturers are striving to reduce energy consumption. Some modern frigobars consume it several times less than conventional models.