The blast chiller for your ice cream parlour
Relying on a professional blast chiller for your ice cream parlour is essential if you want to serve an excellent product, fresh in texture and flavour. The goodness of ice cream is based on a delicate harmony of quality ingredients, freshly processed with great skill, until the right creaminess, firmness and taste is achieved. The blast chiller is the ice cream maker’s valuable ally in creating this delicious combination.
The advantages of blast chillers in ice cream production
One of the main challenges in the production of artisanal ice cream is to avoid the forming of excessively large ice crystals that affect the creaminess and appeal of the product. During the whisking process, the water in the ice cream mixture changes from a liquid to a solid state, forming micro-bubbles of air and micro-crystals of ice that guarantee good quality. Some of the water, however, does not freeze completely and remains liquid. When the ice cream is chilled in a refrigerated cabinet, macro-crystals of ice form, which, as they bond together, worsen the texture and make it heavier. This gives a rough, scratchy sensation in the mouth on the tongue and palate.
To avoid this problem, the blast chiller is equipped with an advanced system to control the speed of cooling and the formation of macro-crystals of ice. The rapid lowering of the temperature favours the formation of a thin barrier on the surface of the ice cream that does not allow the air incorporated during the whisking process to escape. Furthermore, bringing the core temperature of the product down to -18°C and then stabilising it at the temperature of the display window results in a compact and creamy ice cream.
The advantages of blast chillers in the preparation of ice cream
The blast chiller is also useful for preserving raw materials used in the preparation of ice cream, such as fresh fruit. The blast chilling process allows the fruit to cool down quickly, thus preserving its freshness and organoleptic characteristics. Washed and peeled into small pieces, it can be stored for a longer time until it is used in the preparation of ice cream. This allows processing time to be optimised, waste to be reduced and good quality raw material to be available at all times, as if it had just been picked.
The professional blast chiller also keeps the ice cream ingredients in perfect hygienic and safe conditions, without losing their qualities. It stops the reproduction of bacteria and micro-organisms. The most favourable temperature range for bacterial proliferation is from +65°C to +10°C and is crossed so quickly that food safety is not jeopardised.
Ilsa Professional Blast Chillers
The Ilsa blast chiller is the ultimate tool for the storage and rapid cooling of ice cream. The product range consists of three lines: EVO, NEOS and EVOLUTION, designed to meet high quality and performance requirements. They operate with a temperature range from +90°C to -18°C and fast chilling times.
The EVOLUTION line in particular includes equipment dedicated to the pastry and ice-cream industry designed specifically to contain ice-cream tubs measuring 16.5x36x12h cm. Various models from 6 to 15 tubs are available, as well as a blast chilling table for 4 tubs. The equipment is equipped with an internal indirect air circulation system on the product that allows uniform and gentle cooling. They are made entirely of AISI 304 steel and are HACCP compliant.
