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Every commercial kitchen needs the right cooling equipment to keep food fresh and prep-ready. Depending on the size of your kitchen, this may mean opting for an upright commercial freezer. You may even have decided to invest in a flash freezer to ensure that your team have constant access to the freshest ingredients at the right temperature.
Flash freezers, or blast chillers as they’re commonly referred to, are among the more popular cooling appliances in Australian commercial kitchens. Since these freezers are lower and maintain food temperatures faster than residential units, it’s easy to see why they’re so popular.
Proper Maintenance is Essential
Commercial kitchen appliances need to be strong and durable. From your side, you will need to implement correct maintenance procedures to ensure the longevity of your blast chiller. Keeping your appliances maintained is also the best way to comply with Australian Food Standards.
The last thing you need to deal with is a dead blast chiller. What you want is a quality, well-maintained Foster blast chiller or freezer. we’ve narrowed down the top care tips to ensure your blast chiller works at its optimal performance.
- Draw up a Reliable Service Schedule
Don’t wait for your blast chiller to start showing signs of needing a service. It’s a good idea to invest in a service plan with a certified technician to ensure that your blast chiller is routinely maintained.
Setting up a pre-determined schedule means the technician will remember that your unit needs to be checked if you forget. There are two effective ways to do this.
- Scheduled manufacturer maintenance: Most blast chiller suppliers offer a recommended maintenance programme. This enables you to set up bi-annual inspections, relevant servicing and general cleaning. Registered technicians are certified by the supplier, which means you’ll be dealing with someone familiar with the product, its components and the types of service needed.
- Administer component checks: Critical aspects that certified technicians will check include fans, compressors, and different electrical components. Refrigerant levels should also be checked and topped up. Door seals and hinges will also be checked and serviced since they can easily become worn.
Arrange a quiet time for any scheduled services. This is important because some maintenance may require the unit to be switched off. Components may need to be cleaned, replaced and tested.
- Maintain a Regular Cleaning Schedule
Regular cleaning is another important aspect of maintaining a hygienic and food-safe kitchen. This means that your blast chiller should be cleaned as often as you clean your other kitchen appliances. Here are the most significant tips to keep in mind when you and your team are cleaning your blast chiller:
- Interior cleaning: Remove all the food and drinks from the chiller. Use a mild soap and warm water solution to wash out any food or drink spills. Wash the inside of the doors and all the shelves. It’s always a good idea to keep food stored in airtight containers to eliminate spills and food contamination.
- Exterior cleaning: As with the interior, use a mild soap and water solution to wipe down grease and dirt. Avoid using harsh chemicals and abrasive cleaners as these will not only damage the exterior finish but may also contaminate the food in your kitchen.
- Fan cleaning: Your blast chiller’s fan works very hard to provide the perfect cooling temperatures. Since the fan is at the back of your chiller, it may not get as much daily cleaning as the rest of the unit. This can result in dust build-up. Be sure to check the manufacturer guidelines in the manual for the exact instructions on how to clean the fan of your specific model. Some models may require the condenser coils to be cleaned as well.
- Defrost as Recommended
How and when your particular blast chiller needs to be defrosted depends on the model you have. Ideally, you’ll want to regulate the temperature and perform the necessary defrosting to ensure the unit works at its optimal best. Here’s how you perform these two tasks.
- Defrosting: As the name suggests, defrosting removes any excess ice build-up in the chiller. Most chillers are defrosted by switching the unit off and unplugging it from the power source. Be sure to check for any specific defrosting procedures for your specific model.
- Regulate the temperature: Typically, this refers to you operating the unit at the recommended temperature. This will keep your blast chiller at the safest operating range. Maintain the right temperature by keeping the chiller at a constant temperature and placing food in early so that it’s at the right temperature when you need it to be. Do this rather than setting the chiller higher to flash freeze all the time.
Final Thoughts
Blas chillers are the perfect appliances for rapidly cooling food and drink when you don’t have the time to do it the traditional way. Besides rapidly cooling, a blast chiller will also ensure that your food items don’t ice up or develop freezer burn.
Opt for the right maintenance practices to keep your blast chiller working effectively. It’s the ultimate way to make food service so much simpler – Your customers will love your kitchen for it!
