Why should I purchase a Thermo-Kool walk-in?
How do I obtain a Thermo-Kool walk-in quote?
Can I purchase refrigeration with my Thermo-Kool walk-in?
Yes. Thermo-Kool provides a number of options for preassembled or precharged refrigeration systems to meet your specific needs.
What information is required for sizing my refrigeration needs?
Does Thermo-Kool offer a turnkey package?
Yes, Thermo-Kool offers complete delivery and installation of both the walk-in and refrigeration.
Does Thermo-Kool belong to buying groups?
No, at Thermo-Kool we are not price driven but believe in forming strategic alliances with dealers, consultants, end-users and reps who demand excellent products and services. Such products and services eliminate concealed or “hidden costs” which we believe is valuable for the success of the customer, end-user and our company.
What is a Thermo-Kool Blast Chiller?
A Thermo-Kool Blast Chiller is an appliance which rapidly lowers the core temperature of cooked foods from 165°F to 37°F within two hours.
What is a Thermo-Kool Shock Freezer?
A Thermo-Kool Shock Freezer is an appliance which rapidly lowers the core temperature of cooked foods from 165°F to 0°F within four hours.
Why are Blast Chillers and Shock Freezers necessary?
Cooling food too slowly is the main cause of food-borne illnesses. Blast Chillers and Shock Freezers keep your food safe by accelerating food through the danger zone between 140°F and 40°F — the ideal temperature range for bacteria reproduction.
After blast chilling, food can be safely preserved at a temperature of 37°F to 39°F for up to five days. With shock freezing, food can be preserved at 0°F for months to safely increase the shelf life of the food.
Blast chilling preserves your food’s flavor and aroma characteristics by preventing a loss of aroma and moisture. Compared to conventional freezing, shock freezing produces micro-crystals that do not damage tissue structure. This allows your food to maintain a desirable texture even after thawing.
Blast Chillers and Shock Freezers make batch cooking more practical, enabling you to maximize the productivity of your kitchen staff and reduce labor costs without compromising quality.
Food can be kept fresh for longer periods of time to permit refrigeration of items that would normally be thrown out. These savings can be very significant over time.
Thermo-Kool Blast Chillers and Shock Freezers can prevent cooked products from losing as much as 8% of their weight during cooling. For cooked liquids, up to 15% of evaporation losses can be prevented.
Blast Chillers allow you to prepare more dishes in advance to keep them held at a safe temperature and then finish them on demand.
Who needs a Blast Chiller or Shock Freezer?
A Blast Chiller or Shock Freezer is recommended for any commercial kitchen.
What is the method for blast chilling and shock freezing?
Blast Chillers and Shock Freezers are able to take hot food through the danger zone very fast. The danger zone is the 140°F to 40°F temperature range where bacteria proliferation is exponential. FDA guidelines call for a total of six hours from 140°F to 40°F — two hours from 140°F to 70°F and four hours from 70°F to 40°F. The NSF 7 “Rapid Pulled Down Test” calls for a total of four hours from 135°F to 40°F considering that the Blast Chiller has to do the specified food load under 100° ambient conditions. Under normal kitchen conditions of 75°F to 85°F the blast chilling time is between two and three hours.
How do Thermo-Kool Blast Chillers and Shock Freezers work?
Thermo-Kool Blast Chillers and Shock Freezers use very powerful refrigeration systems. The compressor is much larger and capable of working in a wider temperature range. The evaporator and condenser have special designs with multiport connections and are much larger than on standard refrigeration systems. By using very powerful ventilators the air flow is much stronger than on typical refrigeration systems. High-end electronics are used to control the entire system, determine potential problems like high pressure, power failure, low pressure, and defective air or food probes. The electronics have time clocks which are used in order to automatically log HAACP data by various methods, i.e. printers, PC connections, and SD card data transfer. Thermo-Kool electronics have high-end LED or VFD displays for easy programming and operation.
What type of Blast Chillers and Shock Freezers does Thermo-Kool offer?
Thermo-Kool offers an exclusive line of both Reach-In and Roll-In models that serve as both Blast Chillers and Shock Freezers. The Reach-In units have the refrigeration system and its controllers are located above the cabinet in a no-spill/splash zone, which makes for a user-friendly and easily serviceable product. The Roll-In units can be purchased as a stand-alone model or built into a Thermo-Kool walk-in and will accommodate almost any mobile rack size that is angle guide, universal guide, or combi oven. The patented evaporator “uni-frame” systems are designed for easy installation and offer three-way, indirect air flow within the food compartment. Several Thermo-Kool Reach-In and Roll-In models have “plug-and-play” capability with a kitchen’s standard 115-volt, 15-amp electrical outlet.
Do I need a floor in my Roll-In Thermo-Kool Blast Chiller and Shock Freezer?
A Roll-In Blast Chiller does not require a floor, but when purchasing a Roll-In Blast Chiller / Shock Freezer it is very important to ensure at least a 2″ heavy duty insulated floor is provided.
How do I determine what size Thermo-Kool Blast Chiller and/or Shock Freezer I need?
The size of the Blast Chiller and/or Shock Freezer needed is based on how many pounds of product is needed per food cycle within the two hour requirement for blast chilling or within the four hour requirement for shock freezing. With a broad array of models to choose from, Thermo-Kool Blast Chillers and Shock Freezers will meet the exact needs of your food-service operation.
Will my oven rack fit inside the Thermo-Kool Blast Chiller?
Thermo-Kool Roll-In Blast Chillers will accommodate almost any mobile rack size that is angle guide, universal guide, or combi oven.
