Blast chillers

[mendonoma]

We (a small cafe in Northern California) are looking to buy a blast chiller and would welcome any recommendations or information about them.  One of the models we are looking about is a Traulsen RBC50....which lists for about $15,000 new.  There are many of them on Ebay for sale at around $3000....like 10.  I find this disconcerting...that there are so man y  of a particular brand/model for sale.  So, does anyone know anything about this model blast chiller and have pertinent info to offer?  And, we are also open to hearing about your experiences with blast chillers. Thank you for offering any information......

[JeanneCake]

I don't have any direct experience with them, but when I've needed to buy refrigeration, I've always bit the bullet and bought new. You might want to call your local repair place and ask them what brand they would recommend staying away from (they'll know, because they're working on them all the time .  Check out a used equipment place and see what their recommendation would be (aside from them trying to sell you from their inventory, buyer beware).

[liuzhou]

11 minutes ago, JeanneCake said:

You might want to call your local repair place and ask them what brand they would recommend staying away from (they'll know, because they're working on them all the time

 

I'm not sure that would work. It is in the repair place's interest to recommend brands that often need repairs rather than reliable ones.
 

[Deryn]

Blast chillers are obviously not yet a 'common household item' so could it just be that the reason there are so many for sale (at such a significantly reduced price compared to a new one) is merely because they have been owned by restaurants that have failed ... which unfortunately is quite a common phenomena. Many don't start restaurants on a shoestring, especially the kind of restaurants that would equip themselves with a blast chiller, so they may have purchased new, used for only a year or so (I think many fail within that short timeframe) and have to liquidate quickly at the end.

 

If there were already a few on the market at 3 grand (for whatever the reason that price was set), I am not sure they could justify trying to unload at a much higher price. It could actually be that the fact there are so many of the same brand is that they bought that brand because they heard it was good (or a very good value for the money) - and maybe it really is. Or they bought used at a slightly higher price - the 'history' of a particular machine (how many previous owners, how long was it actually used in service) could be more important than the brand - and now need to sell at whatever they can get for it.

 

I might want to ask other restaurant owners what kind of chiller they have and how reliable/good theirs has been before consulting repair people. What made them decide to get that particular brand, whatever their machine may be.

 

No real experience here - just questions I would be asking myself if I was in the market for an expensive appliance like that.

Edited July 13, 2016 by Deryn (log)

[JeanneCake]

3 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

I'm not sure that would work. It is in the repair place's interest to recommend brands that often need repairs rather than reliable ones.
 

 When I was choosing ovens, I called a few repair places and asked them what manufacturers and models they received the most calls for.  I ended up choosing Blodgett and didn't get swayed into buying the  very inexpensive (by comparison) Beverage Air (or something Air).  It's also how I found out that the local place, which pretty much has a monopoly on repairs for the surrounding 100 miles or so, won't service Hobart. Hobart will charge $185 *just to show up* (they call it a travel fee!) and $200/hr, 1 hr minimum.  If they "can't fix the problem in the first visit, they won't impose a second travel fee."  I should have learned how to fix Hobart machines!!!

[dscheidt]

On 7/13/2016 at 11:21 AM, Deryn said:

Blast chillers are obviously not yet a 'common household item' so could it just be that the reason there are so many for sale (at such a significantly reduced price compared to a new one) is merely because they have been owned by restaurants that have failed ... which unfortunately is quite a common phenomena. Many don't start restaurants on a shoestring, especially the kind of restaurants that would equip themselves with a blast chiller, so they may have purchased new, used for only a year or so (I think many fail within that short timeframe) and have to liquidate quickly at the end.

 

If there were already a few on the market at 3 grand (for whatever the reason that price was set), I am not sure they coul

 

 

Another thing that happens is that some chain or group of restaurants goes from using X piece of equipment to Y (or gets out of needing one at all), and a bunch end up on the market at the same time.  

 

But investigating why they're for sale is a good advice, for any used piece of equipment. 

[paulraphael]

Some chefs / restauranteurs will buy just about everything used except refrigerators and freezers. They're money pits if anything's wrong with them, and you have to know an unreasonable amount to to effectively inspect them yourself. If any are local, maybe you could hire a repair person to inspect it?

 

I see the dilemma. Blast freezers cost a fortune. 

[DaveJes1979]

There are now a handful of consumer/residential blast chillers available.

 

$2,900 wall unit by Irinox:  https://www.irinox.shop/products/freddy

 

$949 Vesta:  https://www.vestaprecision.com/products/blast-chiller-freezer-frysta

 

Coldline W30:  https://coldlineliving.it/en/abbattitore-di-temperatura-life-w30/

 

The Vesta is still "coming soon" and, strangely, only operates on 200-300W!  Hard to believe that is sufficient for a blast chiller, but we'll see.

 

The Coldline appears to be designed for the European power grid only, and I can't find info on pricing and availability.

 

The Irinox is pricey, but as a bonus it can operate as a low temperature oven.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, DaveJes1979 said:

There are now a handful of consumer/residential blast chillers available.

 

$2,900 wall unit by Irinox:  https://www.irinox.shop/products/freddy

 

$949 Vesta:  https://www.vestaprecision.com/products/blast-chiller-freezer-frysta

 

Coldline W30:  https://coldlineliving.it/en/abbattitore-di-temperatura-life-w30/

 

The Vesta is still "coming soon" and, strangely, only operates on 200-300W!  Hard to believe that is sufficient for a blast chiller, but we'll see.

 

The Coldline appears to be designed for the European power grid only, and I can't find info on pricing and availability.

 

The Irinox is pricey, but as a bonus it can operate as a low temperature oven.

 

I've had my Vesta on order since last fall when Kerry kindly brought it to our attention.  I heard from Vesta day before yesterday that the freezer will ship the middle of next month.

 

[dtremit]

On 2/20/2020 at 12:30 PM, DaveJes1979 said:

The Vesta is still "coming soon" and, strangely, only operates on 200-300W!  Hard to believe that is sufficient for a blast chiller, but we'll see.

 

I think there's something up with their wattage ratings. I found a manual for three available models of Vesta (with a 4kg, 7kg, and 14kg capacity); the 240v wattages are 285W, 400W, and 450W, but the 120v wattages for the same models are listed as 210W, 280W, and 250W. That's...not possible.

 

(Really love the Irinox chamber vacuum drawer...but the price is even harder to swallow for that.)

 

Edited February 21, 2020 by dtremit (log)

[StumptownGeek]

My Vesta Frysta Blast Chiller has arrived.

 

It might be a tiny blast chiller but it's not actually small...

 

For Jo, and others that might have ordered, you can cut around the base for removal:

 

Mine is now in place down in my basement but not yet exercised/tested:

 

It didn't arrive with any interior shelves:

[JoNorvelleWalker]

My Vesta is sitting at the bottom of my stairs.  I have no way to lift it.

 

[rotuts]

very interersting

 

good luck w it.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

25 minutes ago, rotuts said:

very interersting

 

good luck w it.

 

 

Kerry's blimp should be here soon.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I fear the blimp was turned back at the border.  These are hard times.  Like the little red hen I realized I was going to have to do this myself.  And I did!  With the help of a bottle of Chartreuse.  As everyone here surely knows Chartreuse V.E.P. is shipped in a sturdy wooden case.  Normally the Chartreuse case keeps my bedroom window closed.  But the case is just the height of two stairs.  I used it to support the weight of the Vesta box as I edged the Vesta up the stairs.  Still no picnic nor piece of cake.  Had the case slipped the Vesta would have tumbled down on top of me.  And I'd had no more worry of the virus.

 

 

 

Pardon the ambient lighting of my living room.

 

Edited April 2, 2020 by JoNorvelleWalker
spelling (log)

[gfweb]

I await the full report of the blast chiller trials

[DesertTinker]

30 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I fear the blimp was turned back at the boarder.  These are hard times.  Like the little red hen I realized I was going to have to do this myself.  And I did!  With the help of a bottle of Chartreuse.  As everyone here surely knows Chartreuse V.E.P. is shipped in a sturdy wooden case.  Normally the Chartreuse case keeps my bedroom window closed.  But the case is just the height of two stairs.  I used it to support the weight of the Vesta box as I edged the Vesta up the stairs.  Still no picnic nor piece of cake.  Had the case slipped the Vesta would have tumbled down on top of me.  And I'd had no more worry of the virus.

 

 

 

Pardon the ambient lighting of my living room.

 

You’re just like “The Little Engine That Could”! I think I can, etc .... I know I can... Done!!

Good job,👍👍

[rotuts]

i ran out of Chartreuse a week or so ago.

 

green of course.  plenty of staying power id say

 

massively healthy.

 

Im too chicken to go to TotalWine and buy a few bottles more.

[rotuts]

I went to the vista site :

 

https://www.vestaprecision.com/products/blast-chiller-freezer-frysta

 

but could not navigate beyond that 

 

are they no longer selling them ?

 

Id very much like to hear how they work in the h0ome setting

 

or if there is a manual one can D/L on line.

[adey73]

looks very interesting,

 

this company a known quantity?

 

US designed, Chinese made?

 

Edit...................... just watched the corporate video and vomitted on myself ( and that's pre-alcohol).

 

 

 

Edited April 2, 2020 by adey73 (log)

[rotuts]

found the manual :

 

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0090/4665/5081/files/BF100_200_300_Manual.pdf?4077

 

but they have none in stock 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

3 hours ago, rotuts said:

found the manual :

 

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0090/4665/5081/files/BF100_200_300_Manual.pdf?4077

 

but they have none in stock 

 

The first shipment was apparently for twenty units.  At least the number went from zero to twenty in stock last week.  Then I saw the number drop to eighteen.  Your guess is as good as mine where those two units went.  Now it is zero.  And so life goes on.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

3 hours ago, adey73 said:

looks very interesting,

 

this company a known quantity?

 

US designed, Chinese made?

 

Edit...................... just watched the corporate video and vomitted on myself ( and that's pre-alcohol).

 

 

 

 

 

I have not seen a corporate video, and maybe don't want to, but what about the company made you ill?

 

[rotuts]

@JoNorvelleWalker 

 

Soooo  

 

now that your carted your unit upstairs 

 

what are you going to do with it ?

 

looking forward to your experimental analysis 

 

why

 

maybe next spring .....

 

 

[rotuts]

@JoNorvelleWalker 

 

being a student of Great British Menu 

 

for years 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_British_Menu

 

[ed.:  Season 15 . broadcast now , seems to have lost its way ]

 

the blast chiller  always was pair w a 

 

PacoJet 

 

https://pacojet.com/en/

 

https://pacojet.com/en/pacojet_product/pacojet-2-plus-en/

 

no kidding .