The ice cream and frozen dessert industry depends on precise temperature control and rapid freezing at every stage of production. From custards and gelatos to sorbets and novelties, maintaining texture, flavor, and safety standards requires specialized equipment—especially industrial plate chillers and freezers.
These systems help manufacturers produce consistent, high-quality frozen products while improving efficiency and shelf life.
Image from Genemco
Link to Plate Chillers & Freezers
What Are Plate Chillers & Freezers?
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Plate Chillers rapidly cool liquid or semi-liquid bases by passing them over chilled metal plates. They're ideal for cooling ice cream mixes after pasteurization.
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Plate Freezers freeze semi-solid or packaged desserts by pressing them between sub-zero metal plates—perfect for ice cream bars, sandwiches, and molded novelties.
➡️ View our Used Plate Chillers
How They're Used in Frozen Dessert Production
1. Cooling Ice Cream Mix After Pasteurization
Ice cream mix is heated during pasteurization to kill bacteria—but must then be rapidly cooled before it spoils or ferments.
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Plate chillers are used to drop mix temperatures quickly from 180°F+ to around 40°F.
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This prevents bacterial growth and prepares the mix for aging and flavoring.
2. Freezing and Hardening Molded Products
Once filled into molds or formed into bars, desserts must be frozen solid—fast.
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Plate freezers compress products between chilled plates, freezing from both sides for uniformity.
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Common applications include:
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Ice cream bars and sandwiches
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Chocolate-dipped novelties
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Individual serving cups or blocks
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➡️ Check out Ice Cream Freezing Equipment
3. Ingredient and Inclusion Prep
Fruit purees, syrups, and fillings used in swirls or center-filled desserts are often pre-chilled using plate chillers to avoid melting the base product during mixing or filling.
Why Plate Chillers & Freezers for Frozen Dessert Manufacturing?
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✅ Rapid Cooling & Freezing: Essential for quality and safety
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✅ Texture Preservation: Avoids large ice crystals and graininess
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✅ Batch Consistency: Uniform cooling across every unit or mold
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✅ Energy Efficiency: Lower energy use vs. air blast or tunnel systems
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✅ Sanitary Design: Stainless steel plates and CIP capability for hygiene
Compliance & Quality Standards
Using industrial chilling and freezing systems helps ensure your facility meets:
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FDA & USDA food safety guidelines
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HACCP and FSMA requirements
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Shelf-life and quality benchmarks for export or retail distribution
Image from Genemco
Link to Plate Chillers & Freezers
At Genemco.com, we offer a wide selection of quality used plate chillers and freezers, other types of freezers, and equipment that can be used for ice cream processing systems.
👉 View our plate chillers & freezers that can be used for frozen desserts
👉 Contact our team for help sourcing cooling systems
