Blast chillers are popular with large institutional feeders, like hospitals and school districts, as well as a variety of other foodservice operators. The smallest units can cost more than $10,000, while role-in blast chillers can top $70,000. It’s important for operators to practice good cleaning and maintenance to protect their investment.

Essentially souped-up freezers, blast chillers are most often used by large institutions like hospitals, which need to produce and store food in high volume. They’re also high-dollar pieces of equipment that need to be well-maintained to work at peak efficiency.

Maintaining blast chillers is important from a safety standpoint since temperature consistency is key for HACCP reporting.

The menu will help determine if a foodservice operation requires a blast chiller and, if so, the appropriate size. More delicate food like bakery items may be better suited for a softer, more gradual chill process, while meat and other heartier products can withstand a hard chill that brings food temperatures down to an almost frozen state more quickly.

Blast chillers bring down food temperatures from 160 degrees F to 38 degrees F in 90 minutes or less to reduce the time food is in the danger zone of between 41 degrees F and 135 degrees F. Because this chilling method forms microcrystals on products, food retains its quality, appearance, nutritional value and flavor.

Blast chillers are a key piece of equipment for industrial operations that want to cook, then store, large quantities of food. They’re also big-ticket items that operators should be careful with to protect their investments.

Blast chillers drop food temperatures from 160 degrees F to 35 degrees F in 4 hours or quicker with some models.

Blast chillers have become key tools for institutions that need to produce large quantities of food for later use. They’re extremely sophisticated and expensive pieces of equipment. Operators should take special care to ensure they stay in good working order.

While refrigeration equipment holds food at cold temperatures, blast chillers take hot temperatures out of food.

With blast chillers, the proper temperatures can mean the difference between maintaining food quality during cooling and potentially creating an unsafe environment that breeds bacteria.

Blast chillers can prepare food for extended storage periods, helping to cut down on waste.

The maintenance requirements of blast chillers are similar to other refrigeration equipment.

Blast chillers are well-suited for operations with limited production space, since product can be made ahead of time and reheated as needed.

There is no Energy Star rating for blast chillers, which are designed to run hard for a short period of time. But that does not mean operators can't make a few energy-efficient choices.