What is the difference between a freezer and a blast chiller?

The difference between a freezer and a blast chiller is that a freezer holds food at below freezing temperature while a blast chiller cools food quickly by blowing cold air over the food product and gradually dropping the temperature in the chamber.

Why do I need a blast chiller?

Blast chilling also minimizes loss of moisture that occurs during cooling periods and minimizes shrinkage. Blast chiller/freezers are your best choice for rapidly freezing food products for longer term storage. Blast freezing allows chefs to prepare menu items and rapidly freeze for later use.

What temperature is a blast chiller?

Blast chillers drop food temperatures from 160 degrees F to 35 degrees F in 4 hours or quicker with some models. Blast chillers bring food temperatures down using a combination of cold and moving air across the product, which expedites the process.

How does a blast chiller work?

To keep up with higher temperatures and constant use, blast chillers use powerful compressors to rapidly pull down the internal temperature of the unit. This ensures that each time cold air is released from the unit it is quickly replaced, keeping produce inside safe and hygienic.

What is the best way to safely cooling foods without a blast chiller?

METHODS OF COOLING POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS: Place the container in an appropriate refrigeration unit. 2. Place the heat-conducting container with potentially hazardous food in an ice bath and stir frequently. If a sink is used for the ice bath, use an approved food preparation sink.

Can a blast chiller freeze?

Blast chillers have many uses around a commercial kitchen, and can be utilized to: Rapidly freeze or chill batches of food for later production.

Can I put hot food in blast chiller?

A warm or hot food item placed into a refrigerator may actually raise the temperature inside the unit and jeopardize the safety of other stored foods. In Blast Chillers, all of the food is protected from this risk, as everything is chilled evenly.

How long does a blast chiller last?

This happens by blasting the food with cooled air for an extended period of time. A standard blast chiller will chill from 70°C to 3°C in less than 90 minutes, and a blast freezer will chill from 70°C to -18°C in less than 240 minutes.

How long does it take a blast chiller to freeze?

Blast chillers are designed to bring the core temperature of food from around 160°F or more down to 41°F or less in about 90 minutes. Most units will freeze food in four hours or less. Cutting the time needed to cool food by 75% is a great benefit to any operation.

How cool is a blast chiller?

How much quicker is a blast chiller?

A blast chiller can reduce the temperature of cooked food from 70 to under 5 degrees, in just under an hour and a half.

What method is not safe for cooling food?

Improper cooling of potentially hazardous foods is one of the leading causes of foodborne illness. METHODS OF COOLING POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS: 1. Place the food in shallow pans or containers made of heat-conducting material such as stainless steel.