Equipment Spotlight: Blast Chiller

In today’s foodservice world, foodservice operations are looking for speed, savings and customer satisfaction. Whether you’re focusing more on takeout and delivery or shifting to prepared foods. Whether you oversee a large hospital cafeteria, a small restaurant kitchen or a food catering business. When it comes to delivering freshness on demand, there is one piece of equipment you should turn to: the blast chiller.

What is a blast chiller?

The blast chiller is a relative of the refrigerator and freezer. It’s designed to quickly and safely cool food down in a way that inhibits the growth of bacteria. Think of it as a method for preserving food (and nutrients) or allowing menu items to be prepared ahead of time without sacrificing freshness or quality.

Why choose a blast chiller?

If the speed and safety of cooling foods with a blast isn’t enough to have you thinking twice, here are some more perks of this hardworking appliance.

Labor savings

It’s no secret that the faster the prep/cooking, the faster the throughput and lower the labor cost. That’s why options that leverage labor-saving technology like in a blast chiller enable kitchens to increase speed across a variety of menu items.

Fresh servings

For operations shifting to an on-demand approach, a blast chiller allows for meals to be pre-made and then readied on-demand, without sacrificing taste, appearance or nutrients. Like many other types of equipment, some blast chillers feature smart technology – like food temp monitoring or automatic start functionality – to help get timing and freshness right.

Minimal waste

Cooking food and then blast chilling it for later can not only help increase the shelf life of prepared menu items, but it also can help reduce food waste – especially in high-volume operations.

Sizing

Blast chillers come in a wide variety of sizes. When exploring your options, think about your kitchen footprint, how big or small your space is and where the blast chiller would live. Try to estimate how much food you’ll need to chill at once and what kind of products or containers you’d be using with it. In addition to those questions, you’ll also want to think about what kind of model best suits your needs.

Models

There are countertop and undercounter models for smaller kitchens and reach-in or roll-in units for larger institutions. What you need all depends on your operation type and needs. For example, if you plan to move food from cooking equipment with a rack system, look for a blast chiller that aligns with your rack system for a seamless transfer – like a roll-in unit.

Overall, blast chillers come in a range of sizes and options, including equipped with the latest technology. Between their ability to ensure safe food temps and speed up service, these appliances are definitely worth checking out for any operation looking to fine-tine their production for on-demand, delivery and beyond.

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