That area in the box should be kept clean.” “Making sure probes are in good operation and the wires aren’t torn is key. “Chefs and cooks tend to drop plastic on top of pans, and these can make their way into the condensers, which impacts airflow,” says Duff. Operators should clean condensers by popping off the unit’s front panel on a weekly or monthly basis. These can get damaged if closed in a door. In addition to keeping the inside clean, probes need to be in working order. “It’s necessary to get rid of the heat, and this impedes heat transfer.” “The biggest mistake operators make is putting big sheet pans in with smaller pans on top,” says Mike Duff, combo tech at Baltimore-based EMR. The most important aspect of maintaining a blast chiller is keeping the interior clean using warm, soapy water. “This identifies anyone using the equipment, shows how they’re using it and helps reduce theft,” says Marenic. Operators can also tie their blast chillers to different equipment and also may utilize a swipe card for access. “The faster food is frozen, the better its quality will be,” says Marenic. “Operators can choose from blast chillers that have regular compressors or those that utilize nitrogen.”įor either type, the compressor and blower have to bring a product’s heated temperature down to frozen in 10 minutes, which ensures food stays out of the food safety danger zone. “It’s important to purchase a reputable brand that will be reliable,” says Marenic. Operators can use these units for almost any food item they want to freeze quickly and for a longer time period, from soup to meatballs. It also utilizes a different type of condenser and fan.” What makes it different is the temperature and time needed to chill product. ![]() “Like freezers, blast chillers are available in many sizes. “This is an expensive piece of equipment, so it’s not typically used in mom-and-pop restaurants,” says John Marenic, principal at Charlotte, N.C.-based Marenic Food Service Consultants. For example, frosted mugs take 10 minutes to prepare and gelatin takes 20 minutes. Purchasing Considerationsīlast chillers freeze quicker than freezers. Touch-screen controllers may also offer timers for different products. Some record, document, graph and e-mail temperature information. Reach-in, also known as self-contained, units and stand-alone roll-in configurations also are available.ĭepending on the model, standard features may include stainless-steel interiors and exteriors, 4-inch-thick panels with CFC-free polyurethane foamed-in-place insulation, a remote refrigeration system sized to match the specific application, flush-mounted polyurethane foamed doors for a dependable seal, a door gasket heater that prevents icing over on doors, and a surface exterior-mounted control system with a digital readout of interior ambient temperature and probe temperatures as well as automatic defrost and hold cycles.īlast chiller control packages may vary. These may have one door or be a single pass-thru unit that can be in a walk-in. There are countertop units that hold between three and five pans as well as larger models that look similar to reach-in units. There are two ways to blast chill: by time and temperature or with a probe, which can shorten the cooling period and confirm food temperature.Īny type of blast chiller is suitable for use in prep areas, and the size depends on the application. Operators can retrieve HACCP data from these units a variety HACCP protocol states that food must go from 140 degrees F to 70 degrees F in two hours and from 70 degrees F to 40 degrees F in four hours, with the total process not to exceed six hours. Blast-chilled items not only have an extended shelf life to accommodate advanced prep needs or food availability throughout the week, but they also can cut labor time and cost when used for batch production.īlast chillers are not just a replacement for ice baths blast chilling/shock freezing meets HACCP protocol by processing food through the danger zone. Before serving, staff can Reheat for the the remaining 15 percent the remaining 15 percent. Culinary staff can prepare the food to roughly 85 percent cooked before blast chilling it. A banquet hall or other operator that serves a large quantity of food all at one time can benefit from blast chilling. Operators also use blast chilling as part of cook-chill processes. ![]() However, if food temperature reduces too quickly crystallization or freezer burn can occur, thus damaging the menu item. Blast chillers drop food temperatures from 160 degrees F to 35 degrees F in 4 hours or quicker with some models.īlast chillers bring food temperatures down using a combination of cold and moving air across the product, which expedites the process.
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