Abstract This investigation presents the results of the development and experimental assessment of a single-stage absorption cooling system built with plate heat exchangers as the main components and operated with the ammonia-water mixture thus resulting in a very compact design. The system utilized water as the auxiliary heating and cooling fluid. For the experimental assessment, the heating water was supplied to the generator at temperatures between 85 °C and 105 °C, for condensation/absorption temperatures between 20 °C and 32 °C. Several experimental curves describing parameters such as the internal cooling power, evaporation temperature and internal coefficient of performance as a function of generation and condensation temperatures are presented. The maximum values achieved for these parameters were close to 2.6 kW, −19 °C and 0.61, respectively. In addition, the effects of the expansion valve aperture on parameters such as the mass flow rate and stability of the produced refrigerant, evaporation temperature and internal coefficient of performance are presented. Due to the cooling temperatures achieved, the absorption system proposed can be operated either for food conservation or air-conditioning applications.