excl VAT
Blast chillers/freezers are designed for rapid, controlled temperature reduction after cooking or production, not for long-term storage. They are used in restaurants, hotels, bakeries, pastry kitchens, central kitchens and food production when hot food needs to be rapidly chilled or frozen before storage, transport or the next production stage.
The current SaldymoSprendimai.lt category contains four active TEFCOLD BLCA-X1 models: BLCA3X1, BLCA5X1, BLCA10X1 and BLCA14X1. They accept GN1/1 and 600×400 Euronorm pans, include a programmable touch-screen controller and core probe, and support HACCP data export. The most important selection criteria are not cabinet litres but kilograms per cycle, pan capacity, electrical supply and the actual production flow.
TEFCOLD rates chilling capacity from +70 °C to +3 °C in 90 minutes and freezing capacity from +70 °C to -18 °C in 240 minutes. These figures are useful for comparing models, while actual process time also depends on product type, portion size, layer thickness, packaging, loading pattern and airflow.
|
Model |
Best suited to |
Key points to check |
|---|---|---|
|
BLCA3X1 |
Small kitchens, restaurants and small batches |
3 × GN1/1; 12 kg chilling / 8 kg freezing; 230 V |
|
BLCA5X1 |
Restaurants, pastry kitchens and small-to-medium production |
5 × GN1/1; 18 / 14 kg; 230 V |
|
BLCA10X1 |
Higher-throughput restaurants, bakeries and production |
10 × GN1/1; 40 / 28 kg; 230 V |
|
BLCA14X1 |
Large batches, central kitchens and production |
14 × GN1/1; 55 / 38 kg; 400 V |
Blast chilling rapidly lowers the temperature of cooked or warm food to a chilled storage condition, while blast freezing takes the product into a frozen state. The chilling and freezing capacities of the same unit are different, so both kg-per-cycle figures must be evaluated separately.
If your workflow is mainly cook-and-chill, focus on chilling capacity. If you produce frozen semi-finished food, bakery products, desserts or ice cream, freezing capacity may be more important.
For a normal storage refrigerator, net volume is a useful capacity indicator. For a blast chiller/freezer, the decisive figure is how much product can be processed within a defined cycle. BLCA10X1, for example, holds 10 GN1/1 pans and is rated at 40 kg chilling / 28 kg freezing, making it a very different production tool from the 3-pan or 5-pan models.
Size the unit for the largest realistic batch, not for average daily turnover. A unit that is undersized for peak production will become a bottleneck.
BLCA3X1 is designed for smaller batches: 3 × GN1/1, 12 kg chilling and 8 kg freezing under the manufacturer’s test cycle. External dimensions are approximately 804 × 826 × 995 mm and the unit uses 220-240 V / 50 Hz.
It is a practical choice for a small restaurant, pastry operation or kitchen where blast chilling is needed regularly but batch sizes are modest.
BLCA5X1 provides 5 × GN1/1 capacity, 18 kg chilling and 14 kg freezing. External dimensions are approximately 804 × 826 × 1045 mm and the supply is 220-240 V / 50 Hz.
This size often suits restaurants or pastry kitchens where the 3-pan unit is too small but a tall 10- or 14-pan cabinet is not yet necessary.
BLCA10X1 is a full-height professional unit with 10 × GN1/1 capacity, 40 kg chilling and 28 kg freezing. TEFCOLD lists dimensions of approximately 804 × 815 × 1885 mm, 900 W input power and 220-240 V / 50 Hz supply.
It is an important step-up model when substantial throughput is required while retaining a single-phase electrical connection.
BLCA14X1 holds 14 × GN1/1 pans and is rated at 55 kg chilling / 38 kg freezing. It is approximately 800 × 815 × 2110 mm, has 2000 W input power and requires 380-400 V / 50 Hz.
Plan this model together with the kitchen layout and electrical installation. Check delivery access, ceiling and doorway heights, service space and three-phase power before ordering.
BLCA-X1 guides accept both GN1/1 and 600×400 Euronorm pans. This is especially useful in mixed restaurant/bakery workflows because gastronorm containers and bakery trays can be processed in the same unit.
Pans are generally not supplied as standard, so confirm the tray system you already use and how many pans are required for one complete cycle.
The included core probe allows the controller to monitor the actual internal temperature of the food rather than relying only on cabinet air temperature. A thick joint of meat, sauce in a deep container and a thin bakery product cool at very different rates.
Using the probe helps standardise repeated production and provides a more meaningful process endpoint. Position it according to your food-safety procedure in the representative slowest-cooling part of the product.
BLCA-X1 uses a programmable touch-screen controller. Operators can select preset programs or create and save their own recipes. TEFCOLD also specifies USB data transfer and HACCP-compliant data export.
This is useful in multi-shift operations because the same product can be processed using the same programmed cycle instead of relying on individual operator habits.
TEFCOLD lists preset special cycles for applications including fish, ice-cream hardening, drying and defrosting. This shows that the BLCA-X1 range can support more than classic post-cooking chilling.
A special cycle does not replace the product process specification. Load, recipe and final temperature still need to be validated for the actual food and production system.
The 12/8, 18/14, 40/28 and 55/38 kg figures are performance ratings under defined manufacturer conditions: +70 → +3 °C in 90 minutes for chilling and +70 → -18 °C in 240 minutes for freezing.
Large pieces, deep containers, thick packaging or overloaded pans can slow heat transfer. Select with reserve capacity and validate the real process using your own products.
Blast chilling performance depends on strong airflow around the food. Pans should not be loaded in a way that blocks air passages or creates one thick mass that is difficult to cool.
Distribute the product evenly over the available guides and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for loading and pan depth. Effective airflow is as important as refrigeration capacity.
BLCA3X1, BLCA5X1 and BLCA10X1 use 220-240 V / 50 Hz, while BLCA14X1 requires 380-400 V / 50 Hz. The manufacturer’s instructions recommend a separate electrical circuit and an accessible connection point.
Check three-phase availability before selecting BLCA14X1. Leave the ventilation and service clearances required by the specific model; do not box the condensing unit into furniture simply to make the cabinet fit.
After the chilling or freezing cycle, move the product to a normal refrigerator or freezer for long-term storage. The primary purpose of a blast unit is rapid processing, not warehousing.
Using it as a storage cabinet prevents the next production batch from being processed and reduces the value of the equipment.
A standard freezer is designed to maintain already-frozen food at a set storage temperature. A blast freezer must remove a large heat load from warm or hot food quickly using high airflow and process-specific control.
For this reason, comparing only the final temperature is misleading: a -18 °C storage freezer and a blast freezer perform different jobs.
First define the largest batch weight and whether chilling, freezing or both are required. Then check GN1/1 / 600×400 compatibility, pan count, available floor space, electrical supply and where the food will be stored after the cycle.
If the calculated load is close to the unit’s rated maximum, allow additional capacity. The blast chiller should support the production flow rather than create a queue between batches.
The terms are often used loosely. “Blast chiller/freezer” is more precise for BLCA-X1 because the same unit can both chill and freeze.
A blast chiller rapidly brings food into a chilled condition; a blast freezer rapidly takes it into a frozen condition. BLCA-X1 performs both duties.
TEFCOLD rates it at 12 kg chilling from +70 to +3 °C in 90 minutes and 8 kg freezing from +70 to -18 °C in 240 minutes.
18 kg chilling and 14 kg freezing under the manufacturer’s standard test-cycle conditions.
40 kg chilling and 28 kg freezing. It has capacity for 10 × GN1/1 pans.
55 kg chilling and 38 kg freezing. It holds 14 × GN1/1 pans and requires a 380-400 V supply.
Yes. TEFCOLD specifies guides for both GN1/1 and 600×400 Euronorm pans. Pans are normally ordered separately.
The BLCA-X1 range includes a core probe. It is very useful for controlling the real internal temperature of the food and standardising repeatable production cycles.
Yes. The touch-screen controller allows preset programs as well as user-created and saved recipes.
Yes. TEFCOLD specifies HACCP-compliant data export and USB data transfer for the BLCA-X1 range.
No. TEFCOLD specifies 380-400 V / 50 Hz. Confirm the electrical installation before delivery.
Its primary purpose is the rapid cycle. For long-term storage, transfer the food to a dedicated refrigerator or freezer.
Rapid cooling of hot food is the intended use, but batch size, container depth and program must comply with the model instructions and your food-safety process.
BLCA5X1 is rated at 18 kg chilling, but if 15 kg is a frequent maximum load or the product cools slowly, the additional reserve of BLCA10X1 may be more appropriate.
