Tips for proper maintenance of industrial freezers in bakeries

In a bakery, you always see the ovens, mixers, and kitchen workers first. But one of the most important tools is the freezer, which preserves the precious raw ingredients: butter, ready-made doughs, fruits, and creams.It allows you to work in an organized manner, prepare inventory in advance, and know that even during busy periods you have peace and security. But just as you don’t neglect an oven or a mixer, your freezer also needs care and attention. And when you maintain it properly, it remains reliable for years.

Cleanliness – not just for beauty

It’s easy to put off cleaning until another day, especially when there’s a lot of work to do, but a freezer that isn’t cleaned regularly starts to show signs: ice building up, unpleasant odors, or products that are hard to find.Furthermore, dirt and ice prevent the freezer from maintaining a uniform temperature. Therefore, it is recommended to establish a clear routine, for example, defrosting and cleaning once every two months, washing the shelves and walls, checking the drain, and making sure to dry completely before putting products back inside.

Seals and doors – small details with big meaning

A torn or dry seal lets warm air in, making the freezer work harder and significantly increasing your electricity bill. It is recommended to check every few weeks that the doors are closing hermetically.If you feel like the gasket isn’t shrinking back or you see cracks, it’s time to replace it. This small investment pays for itself quickly, both in energy savings and food preservation.

Don’t overload.

Bakeries tend to “cram” as many products as possible onto each shelf. But an industrial freezer needs internal spaces so that the cold air can flow evenly. When you overfill, the cold doesn’t reach all areas and quality suffers.Some products may overfreeze, while others will not preserve properly. The correct way is to arrange the products neatly, leave spaces, and not try to “squeeze” another mold at all costs.

Cooling system maintenance

The most important parts of a freezer are the compressor and the cooling system. Like all professional baking equipment, maintenance is required here too. It is important to clean the filters and fans of dust and grease every few months, especially if the freezer is in a hot and humid environment.Unusual noises or a decrease in freezing efficiency are signs that should not be ignored, they are usually early signs of a problem. Periodic inspection by a qualified technician saves costly breakdowns and prevents sudden stoppage of work.

Maintaining a stable temperature

An industrial freezer is designed to work stably even when opened and closed dozens of times a day. Still, it is worth checking that the temperature is always maintained at the right level. An additional, simple external thermometer can be an excellent tool for monitoring.If there are too many fluctuations, it’s a sign that something is not working properly. Maintaining a constant temperature is not only a matter of quality, it’s also a matter of food safety.

Correct use by the team

It is important to explain to employees how to organize products, why it is not advisable to overcrowd, and how to close the doors all the way. Simple training can prevent malfunctions, reduce energy waste, and maintain high quality of raw materials. When the entire team understands the importance, it is much easier to maintain order and proper maintenance.

At B. Gottlieb, we understand how important it is to maintain professional baking equipment. With decades of experience, we are here to provide not only quality equipment but also advice and service that guarantee you peace of mind and security. Want to make sure that your freezer will also remain reliable for years to come? Contact us and we will be happy to be at your service.

For those looking for bottom lines because the oven is beeping:
Baking with controlled air technology saves energy, affects the excellent taste, optimizes the work and can be controlled remotely. You are invited to get to know the MIWE IN ROLL oven.

So what is air control and what is it used for?
A short lesson on energy:

The amount of air circulating in the cycle and passing over the baked product has an immediate effect on the baking results .
The physical background for this reason is also easy to understand – above all it is known that two parameters are responsible for transferring the energy from the air to the product:
The air temperature (and for a more focused definition – the difference in temperature between the air temperature and the product temperature) and the amount (or speed) of the swirling air over the product.

The two parameters determine each other. At a warmer air temperature, the amount of air can be reduced by transferring the same amount of energy to the product. On the other hand, if more air is swirling – you can settle for a lower air temperature, and still transfer the same amount of energy to the product.

In fact, in the baking process it is quite clear that there are limitations. Of course, you cannot increase the amount of air as much as you want (and of course you cannot lower the baking temperature without limit), without disrupting the baking processes.

So after we learned about temperature…

What are the advantages of controlling the air flow in the oven?

Various advantages will be available to the baker if he can control the amount of air separately from the control of the baking temperature. The physical process described does work well in baking many products.

– Reducing the baking time while increasing the amount of air in the oven, which enables energy savings

Each baked product has its own parameters regarding heat conductivity and volume/weight ratios. That is, if we study the product features in depth, it seems that each product requires its own amount of air and temperature level.

There is an ideal combination of the amount of air and the temperature in each baking oven (due to the different climate conditions), in each baking process, in different seasons and at different points in the world. It is clear to every baker that a lower temperature (or gentler baking) is required as the product is rich in fats and proteins.

On the other hand, the actual improvement that can be achieved as a result of this ideal combination, instead of the conventional method of controlling the temperature alone, is most impressive in different types of pastry, such as yeast cakes, cakes in chuss or cakes in a mold, where the quality of the final product is affected in a positive and visible way when varying amounts of air.

Controlling the amount of air in the oven can also compensate for changes in the baking result caused seasonally due to weather changes, humidity and more. For example: the relative humidity is completely different in summer and winter. In the summer, crispness problems can arise due to low humidity. If we bake in the summer with a greater amount of air in the third and last stage of baking, we can stabilize the crispiness.

The Air control method

The amount of air is controlled by an electric valve (sliding door) located between the combustion chamber and the baking chamber. This valve, which can work for years without problems, regulates the air flow and thus determines the amount of air flowing in the oven.

This valve also closes automatically and without delay in two additional cases to save energy: during steam activation and when opening a door. When steam is injected into the oven, the heating system is completely sealed and separated from the baking chamber into which the large amount of steam is injected. Only after the effect of the steam does the valve return to its place according to the baking program. As a result, the steam does not pass through the combustion chamber, which prevents the cooling of the oven due to the steam at least by 10º – as was the case in the past in ovens with speed controllers and in all conventional ovens, in which it was necessary to start the baking process at a higher temperature.

According to Miwa engineers’ calculations, it is possible to save up to 10% in energy costs as a result of this method, and in addition – the lifespan of the combustion cells has been especially extended.

And in case of a malfunction in the valve, you can easily open it manually and continue baking. Also, since the steam must fill only the baking chamber and not the combustion chamber (as in conventional ovens), a higher amount of steam is created than the same amount of water, and of course in less time and less maintenance costs in the future.

And the other advantage of the method is the possibility to flow up to 1/3 more air into the oven when needed beyond the amount that could be flowed with the speed controllers.