According to the instructions of the Ministry of Health and the World Food and Drug Administration, in order to maintain the quality and value of food, especially hot food, its temperature must rise from 70 degrees Celsius and above to 3 degrees Celsius or less within 90 minutes. This method of rapid freezing of food has a great impact on their shelf life and storage, which is done by special devices (chillers) called blast chillers!
What is a Blast Chiller?
A blast chiller is a device that quickly lowers the temperature of food. Blast chillers are also referred to as blast freezers or flash freezers. They usually have several shelves where food pots or pans can be stored and cooled at very low temperatures.
Blast chiller operation
This type of chiller works by forcing cooled air on the food inside. These specialized freezers usually have different settings that can be selected depending on the temperature, cold or hot of your food.
This rapid cooling process reduces the number of ice crystals that appear on the food. When food is defrosted, large ice crystals melt, releasing excess moisture, which greatly affects the taste and quality of your food.
How long does a blast chiller take to complete the fast freezing process of food?
The purpose of the chiller blast is to cool food at high speed. They can typically reduce food temperatures from 160 degrees to 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less in about 90 minutes. It depends on the temperature of the food, the setting of the chiller blast, and whether you are freezing the food or simply cooling it.
The benefits of food fast freezing
Cold blasts increase the shelf life of food to help your restaurant reduce food waste. This allows restaurants to cool food, melt it and serve it with almost the same quality of fresh food. Below are some of the main benefits of blast cooling or blast freezing.
- Nutrients are preserved
- Maintains the quality of food products
- Increases the shelf life of prepared foods
- Prevents the rapid growth of bacteria
- Allows you to cool food quickly when cooking
Blast cooling can also be used to help chefs prepare special meals. For example, you can quickly cool the pasta dish in the blast freezer and add the sauce after it has cooled. In addition, you can make smooth ice cream and sorbet without having to worry about forming large ice crystals. Colds are also good for quickly freezing individual pieces of food.
Avoid the temperature danger zone
Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Keeping food in the danger zone for a long time increases the risk of foodborne illness. Blast chillers reduce food temperature at high speeds and protect food from the danger zone.
Blast freezing chiller in front of the freezer
The difference between a freezer and a chiller blast is that a freezer keeps food at a temperature below freezing, while a blast chiller cools the food quickly by blowing cold air onto the food and gradually dropping the temperature in the chamber. . After cooling, the food should be removed from the blast chiller and stored in the freezer. While a blast chiller is not a necessity, it can increase your productivity in the kitchen. A commercial freezer is essential to keep food frozen and out of the danger zone, but freezing food in a commercial freezer does not maintain the quality of your food. A blast chiller is useful to be included in your foodservice kitchen to quickly freeze food and reduce inventory.
In general, blast chillers or freezers are a good addition to your kitchen to increase the efficiency and longevity of food products. If you often freeze food for later use or find yourself waiting for food to cool, investing in a blast chiller can be very rewarding for you and your kitchen staff.
source:
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog/2968/what-is-a-blast-chiller.html