Simply put, a blast freezer is a freezer that is very cold.

Blast freezers are sometimes referred to as shock freezers. This type of freezer storage rapidly brings down the temperature of (usually) cooked or fresh produce, freezing it very quickly to lock in the taste and nutrition of the food for optimum quality for consumers.

They are widely used in the frozen food industry for ice cream, pre-prepared meals and vegetables or fish; however, as they are very adaptable to the needs of businesses, there is no limit to the industries that can benefit from a Blast Freezer.

Why use a Blast Freezer?
When you freeze food, the water inside crystallises into ice. The longer the freezing process takes, the larger the ice crystals can form. Larger ice crystals damage materials by causing phenomena like cell bursting, which affects the quality and flavour of foods.

Rapid freezing causes the formation of tiny crystals, which do minor damage and preserve food at a higher quality. Even more usefully, once the food is "blast frozen", it can be moved into a standard freezer for longer-term storage, as long as it stays cold enough for food at the correct temperature, of course.