Produce high quality food ahead of time with a blast chiller or freezer

It’s no secret that over recent years there has been a huge focus on implementing healthy eating within schools. And although there has been a significant improvement in the quality of food schools nationwide are now providing their students, it has no doubt changed the way school kitchens have to operate. Whilst there are many factors which contribute to an efficient kitchen, it can be difficult without the correct equipment. But by simply introducing a blast chiller or freezer to your schools’ kitchen, you can produce high quality food, ahead of time, as well as reduce food wastage.

Bacteria multiplies fastest when food is between +8˚C and +63˚C – also known as the ‘Danger Zone’. Therefore, when food is chilled or frozen, it must be in the ‘Danger Zone’ for as little time as possible. Consequently, current food legislation states that food should be chilled to between 0˚C and +3˚C within 90 minutes. And it is recommended that when freezing food, it should be reduced to -18˚C in no longer than 4 hours. A standard refrigerator or freezer simply can’t cool food fast enough to meet these guidelines. Plus, by placing warm food into a standard refrigerator or freezer, the temperature of the refrigerator or freezer is raised and as a result, you run the risk of causing other food to enter the ‘Danger Zone’.

Blast chillers and freezers use high powered fans to circulate cold air throughout the unit and over the food, to quickly lower its temperature. They then operate as a storage cabinet after the chilling process has finished. By blast chilling or freezing food, school catering staff will have the opportunity to make healthy meals, in larger batches, ahead of time. As they can be chilled or frozen safely for use at a later date without the risk of bacteria multiplying. Staff can cook meals that they perhaps wouldn’t have had time to before a dinner service or can simply be prepared for the following day. Blast chillers and freezers also help reduced food wastage, as any hot meals left over can be quickly chilled or frozen, ready to serve later in the week. In addition to this, blast chilling or freezing also helps to retain the quality of the food. Standard freezing can cause large ice crystals to form, which can ultimately damage food. Whereas, with blast chilling or freezing, the flavours and natural vitamins in the food remain, as well as ensuring the colour and texture of the food isn’t changed either.

Gram Commercial – one of the world’s prime manufacturers of high-performance refrigeration equipment for professional users – offer a wide variety of blast chillers and freezers which chill food within 90 minutes or freeze food within 4 hours, as required. With capacities ranging from 20-180kg, there is a unit available to suit every size educational environment. Gram’s blast chillers are equipped with a patented system called IFR (Intelligent Food Recognition) which enables users to simply insert a multipoint probe into a solid food item and the unit will automatically adapt to the correct cycle for the food you are chilling. But in addition to this, up to 20 customised cycles can be stored for ease of use. Each unit also features a HACCP alarm, whereby an audio-visual alarm will activate if a temperature limit is exceeded or if there is a power failure.

At Utility Rentals, the full range of Gram blast chillers and freezers are now available to schools through our flexible rental contracts. And unlike other professional refrigeration suppliers, we include delivery of the blast chiller/freezer, installation to existing connections, as well as the removal and disposal of any old units required. Plus, each unit is provided with a 3 years parts and labour breakdown warranty; ultimately protecting schools from any expensive repair costs during the rental period.

If you think your schools’ kitchen could benefit from a blast chiller or freezer, let us know on 01628 667373. A member of the team would love to chat!