What are Cook Chill and Cook Freeze? Explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each

Definitions and cooking methods of “cook chill” and “cook freeze”

First, I will explain the definitions and cooking methods of "cook chill" and "cook freeze".

Cook-chill and cook-freeze each have their own definitions and rules, so be sure to check which cooking system applies.

What is Cook Chill?

First, I will explain the definition and characteristics of Cook Chill.

Cook-chill is a cooking system that combines a type of food preparation method and preservation method. Chill in Cookchill means chilled.

Cook Chill is a cooking system that cools food within 30 minutes after cooking, rapidly cools the center temperature to below 3℃ within 90 minutes, maintains the temperature between 0 and 3℃, and heats the food at the time it is served. refers to.

The cook-chill cooking method is commonly used in food manufacturing industries and restaurants, and allows, for example, to prepare a large amount of food in advance and then heat and serve only the required amount each time an order is placed. . Additionally, if you need to preserve the food, this system allows you to cook it in large quantities, store it using the cook-chill method, and then heat it up and serve it as needed.

What is Cook Freeze?

Next, we will explain the definition and characteristics of Cook Freeze.

Cook-freeze is a cooking system that combines food preparation and freezing storage.

Cook Freeze is ``after cooking'' Freezes within 30 minutes let me, Freezes to a core temperature of -5℃ or less within 90 minutes,eventually Store after rapid freezing to -18℃ and have a meal Cook at the time of serving cooking system.

The cook-freeze cooking method is widely used in food manufacturing and food service industries. For example, large quantities of prepared food can be frozen at once and then thawed and served when there is demand. It may also be sold commercially as individually packaged frozen foods.

However, when performing cook-freeze, proper temperature control and hygiene management are extremely important. Freezing food properly and storing it at the right temperature can prevent quality deterioration and food safety issues.

Common points between “Cook Chill” and “Cook Freeze”

We have explained the definitions of "Cook Chill" and "Cook Freeze" as new cooking systems, but both systems have something in common.

The common points between "Cook Chill" and "Cook Freeze" are as follows.

• A system that combines food preparation and preservation methods
• Improving food preservation and safety
• Can maintain quality of flavor and nutritional value
• Meals can be provided according to demand
• Highly efficient cooking system

A system that combines food preparation and preservation methods

What "Cook Chill" and "Cook Freeze" have in common is that they are both methods that combine food preparation and preservation methods. Both methods involve cooling and storing the food after it is cooked.

Cook Chill uses cooling (refrigeration) to preserve the food, while Cook Freeze uses freezing to preserve the food.Although there are some differences, in terms of the combination of cooking and storage, the systems are the same.

Improving food preservation, safety, and hygiene

"Cook Chill" and "Cook Freeze" are systems that have in common that they improve the preservation and safety of food. Both methods can extend the shelf life of food, and by rapidly cooling and freezing food after cooking, it is possible to suppress the growth of microorganisms and food quality deterioration. It is also safer because it reduces the risk of bacterial growth.

Can maintain quality of flavor and nutritional value

"Cook Chill" and "Cook Freeze" have in common that they are preservation methods that maintain flavor and nutritional value as much as possible. Both systems focus on preserving the flavor and nutritional value of food to keep it delicious. This is an innovative cooking system that allows food to be preserved without sacrificing quality through proper cooling and freezing.

Meals can be provided according to demand

Both ``Cook Chill'' and ``Cook Freeze'' have long shelf life, so they have the same feature that they can provide meals according to demand. Both methods allow you to recook just the amount you need when there is demand, and by properly thawing and heating the stored food, you can provide the food when you need it.

Highly efficient cooking system

"Cook Chill" and "Cook Freeze" have in common that they are highly efficient systems. What they have in common is that they enable mass cooking of food, cooking based on demand forecasts, and efficient operations.

As mentioned above, "Cook Chill" and "Cook Freeze" are systems that have many things in common, so they also have common benefits.

Differences between “Cook Chill” and “Cook Freeze”

So, what are the differences between "Cook Chill" and "Cook Freeze"?

Here we will explain in detail the difference between "Cook Chill" and "Cook Freeze".

The differences between Cook Chill and Cook Freeze are as follows.

• Different storage methods
• Foods have different shelf life
• Differences in taste and condition of food

Different storage methods

The difference between Cook Chill and Cook Freeze is that the storage methods are different.

As mentioned above, cook-chill is a method of preserving food by rapid cooling, and cook-freeze is a method of preserving food by rapid freezing.

There is a temperature difference between cooling and freezing, and the condition of the food is also different, so this is one of the important differences.

Foods have different shelf life

The difference between Cook Chill and Cook Freeze is that the food storage period is different.

Refrigerating and freezing food has different shelf life.

Cookchill has a storage period of approximately 4 to 5 days due to cooling.

Since Cook Freeze is frozen, it can be stored for approximately one year.

Therefore, if you look only at the storage period, it can be said that cook-freeze has a better shelf life.

Differences in taste and condition of food

The difference between Cook Chill and Cook Freeze is that there is a difference in the taste and condition of the food.

Since Cook Chill is stored in a refrigerated state, food cells are less susceptible to deterioration, and the flavor and condition of the food is better maintained than Cook Freeze.

Cook Freeze is stored in a frozen state, so depending on how it is stored, food cells may be destroyed and quality may deteriorate.

As mentioned above, there are many differences between Cook Chill and Cook Freeze, so you need to check in advance to see which method is more suitable for you before considering implementing it.

About the benefits of Cook Chill and Cook Freeze

Cook-chill and cook-freeze each have their own benefits.

Let's take a closer look at the benefits of both systems.

Benefits of Cook Chill

The benefits of Cook Chill include the following:

High ability to maintain food quality

Cook-chill is a preservation method that maintains food quality well.

Therefore, the cook-chill cooking system is often used when maintaining food quality is important.

Suitable for short-term storage

Cook Chill has a long shelf life, so it is suitable for reheating food within a short period of time after storage. For example, the cook-chill system is often used for school lunches, hospitals, nursing homes, medical care, and other facilities that do not require long-term storage.

High efficiency of work process

Cook Chill cooks and stores meals in large quantities in a large kitchen (central kitchen) or in a factory, thereby increasing work efficiency and production efficiency. Therefore, it is suitable for serving large quantities of food.

Benefits of Cook Freeze

The benefits of Cook Freeze include the following:

Can be stored for a long time and is hygienic.

Since Cook Freeze is stored frozen, it has the unique advantage of being resistant to quality deterioration even after long-term storage. Cook Freeze is suitable for businesses that require long-term storage and inventory. It is highly safe in terms of hygiene such as food poisoning, and has the advantage of being easy to manage hygiene.

highly flexible

Cook-freeze allows you to reheat and serve meals as and when you need them, so compared to cook-chill, freezing can be said to be a more flexible method of cooking.

Freeze storage makes inventory management easier

Cook Freeze is frozen and can be stored for a long time, making inventory management very easy. Freeze storage has the advantage of being able to grasp supply and demand, manage inventory, and reduce losses since quality is less likely to deteriorate.

A wide variety of foods can be stored, making it easy to expand menus.

Cook Freeze can store a wide variety of foods. Foods that cannot be preserved with cook-chill can be preserved with freeze, which has the advantage of increasing the variety of foods available.

As mentioned above, the benefits differ depending on the storage method of refrigeration and freezing.

Disadvantages of Cook Chill and Cook Freeze

Cook-chill and cook-freeze each have their own disadvantages.

Let's take a closer look at the disadvantages of both systems.

Disadvantages of Cook Chill

The disadvantages of Cook Chill include the following:

Food loss is likely to occur

Cook Chill is a cooking system that deteriorates quickly because it is stored in the refrigerator, and food loss is likely to occur unless hygiene and production management are thoroughly managed.

Food loss puts pressure on costs, so in some cases, there is a risk that the cost will be higher than normal cooking methods.

Food quality deteriorates quickly

Food quality deteriorates quickly in Cook Chill, so meals must be provided in a short period of time. Please note that if the storage period is too long, bacteria may increase and problems such as food poisoning may occur.

Requires storage space

Because Cook Chill is refrigerated, it cannot be stored on top of food and requires storage space. The disadvantage is that it costs money just to secure storage space.

Need to manage supply and demand

Cookchill requires thorough management of demand and supply. If you make a mistake in assuming the number, food will be wasted and costs will be squeezed. Therefore, it is necessary to thoroughly control production.

Disadvantages of Cook Freeze

The disadvantages of Cook Freeze include the following:

It takes time to defrost

Cook Freeze has the disadvantage that it takes time to thaw because it is frozen. For large foods or foods that are deeply frozen, thawing may take several hours or more. If you need to cook in a hurry, advance planning is required.

Flavor and quality changes are likely to occur.

Because Cook Freeze freezes food, there is a greater possibility that the flavor and quality of the ingredients will change than with refrigeration. Quality changes can vary depending on rapid freezer and equipment, so it is difficult to make a general statement, but there is a risk that the quality will deteriorate if frozen in a low-quality freezer. Also, depending on the price range of the refrigerator, the power and functionality may decrease.

As mentioned above, the potential disadvantages vary depending on the cooking system.

It is important to understand the disadvantages that may arise.

Conclusion

This time, we explained the definitions, differences, advantages and disadvantages of "cook chill" and "cook freeze".

Even if you were confused about the difference between Cook Chill and Cook Freeze, I hope you can now clearly understand the difference.

If you are a company and are considering introducing cook-chill or cook-freeze, please consider using this article as a reference.