Blast chillers are sophisticated industrial kitchen appliances that are commonly used in commercial kitchens to quickly cool or "blast chill" cooked foods. By rapidly reducing the temperature of foods in a short period of time, blast chillers help ensure food safety and quality while saving food service operators valuable time and money.
What are Blast Chillers?
A blast chiller is a specialized refrigerator unit designed to rapidly cool hot foods from any temperature down to below 40°F within a specified time limit, usually around four hours. They work by circulating cold air at high speeds around food pans, trays, or racks placed inside the chiller. Commercial blast chillers are larger units intended for use in professional kitchens in restaurants, hospitals, schools, and other foodservice operations.
Benefits of Using Blast Chillers
Rapid Cooling for Food Safety
By rapidly cooling foods down to a safe temperature, Blast Chillers help reduce the risk of bacteria growth. Pathogens multiply quickly in the "danger zone" between 40-140°F, so getting foods out of this temperature range fast with a blast chiller promotes safer handling.
Maximize Food Quality
The fast cooling process of a blast chiller helps retain vitamins, texture, color, and flavor in foods compared to slower conventional cooling methods. It prevents moisture loss and helps preserve the quality, taste, and appearance of everything from soups and sauces to meats and baked goods.
Extend Shelf Life
Foods cooled faster will last longer when stored in a walk-in or reach-in refrigerator. Blast chilling extends the shelf life of perishable products by 1-2 weeks compared to overnight or daytime cooling in a traditional refrigerator. This reduces waste from spoilage.
Save Labor Costs
Blast chillers allow cooks to prepare large batches of foods ahead of time, then quickly chill them for later use. This frees up kitchen staff from having to simultaneously cook and cool foods during peak service hours. It optimizes labor efficiency.
Multi-Tasking Abilities
While foods are chilling, the operator can perform other tasks rather than having to continuously stir or check products cooling on counters or in walk-in units. Blast chillers are more hands-free.
How Blast Chillers Work
Inside cabinetry much like a reach-in refrigerator are high-powered ventilation systems and precise temperature controls. Hot food pans are loaded into the chiller, then the follow process occurs:
- Cold air between -10°F to 5°F is forcefully circulated around the products using high-CFM fans.
- Precise thermostats monitor air temperature and product temperature using temperature probes.
- As the air circulates and draws heat away, the food rapidly decreases in temperature down to below 40°F.
- Once chilled, the food can be moved to proper refrigerated storage until needed for service.
- Cycle times depend on quantity and temperature of food loaded but average 3-4 hours to reach a safe cooled temperature.
- Most units have programmable controls to automate chilling cycles for consistency.
- Newer models feature built-in fans to prevent condensation and maintain 0% humidity inside.
Types of Blast Chillers
There are different types of blast chillers available depending on a kitchen's needs:
- Pass-through chiller: Ideal for high volume. Foods are loaded on one side and removed chilled on the other side.
- Roll-in chiller: Cart-style with hinged doors, accommodate sheet pans for easy loading/unloading.
- Convertible chiller: Can function as a freezer or cooler depending on programmed temperature.
- Rack chiller: Suspended rack system holds food pans above the floor of the unit during chilling.
- Blast freezer: Identical technology to rapidly freeze foods instead of just cool. Key for food preservation.
Benefits are the same across chiller types - safety, quality, labor and cost savings through accelerated process times. Proper unit selection depends on an operation's unique production needs and workload.
Blast Chillers in Action
Let's explore how a blast chiller is used in a real restaurant kitchen setting. At a busy 200-seat full-service family restaurant, cooks prepare large batches of chicken, pasta salads, soups and sauces every morning. Once production is complete, the still-hot food is loaded into hotel pans and racks, then inserted into their roll-in blast chiller unit.
With a touch of a button, the powerful chilling cycle starts circulating an Arctic breeze. Inside temperature probes monitor and record the food's core temperature decline. After only a couple hours, their blast chiller beeps - the temperature-sensitive alert that the food is now chilled and ready for refrigerated storage until lunch or dinner service.
The rapid chilling process aided food safety and maximized quality by arresting further cooking. It also allowed the kitchen staff to focus on preparing other menu items rather than having to slowly cool hot foods which would have tied them up for the entire morning prep time. This efficient hands-free chilling with the blast chiller eliminated bottlenecks and saved on labor costs.
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