Overview
EN ISO 22042:2021 - Blast chiller and freezer cabinets for professional use - defines classification, requirements and test conditions for blast chillers, blast freezers and multi-use blast chillers/freezers used in commercial kitchens, hospitals, canteens, institutional catering and similar professional areas. The standard applies to appliances designed to rapidly cool hot foodstuffs up to a declared full load capacity of 300 kg. It establishes consistent procedures for verifying performance and energy consumption to enable reliable comparison and regulatory compliance.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and exclusions: covers cabinet-type blast chillers/freezers; excludes roll-in and pass-through cabinets, units with remote or water-cooled condensers, tunnels, continuous systems and bakery combined freezing/storage units.
- Performance targets: distinguishes blast chiller (cool to below +10 °C) and blast freezer (cool to below −18 °C); blast freezers may also operate as chillers.
- Test load and reference food: defines the concept of test food, full load capacity, and standardized pan loading (solid stainless-steel test pans and instrumented M-pans with central temperature probes).
- Test environment and setup: specifies test room conditions, cabinet selection, installation and positioning, power supply, instruments and measuring accuracy.
- Energy measurement: defines energy consumption as total energy (kWh) per kg of test food per reference temperature cycle, rounded to four decimal places - enabling energy-efficiency benchmarking.
- Test procedures and recording: covers temperature recording, test time, and the procedure for total energy measurement under defined operating conditions.
- Declared information: lists the performance and energy data manufacturers should provide for end-users and compliance purposes.
Applications
EN ISO 22042:2021 is practical for:
- Manufacturers validating and declaring blast cabinet performance and energy consumption.
- Procurement teams specifying equipment for commercial kitchens, hospitals, catering services and institutional food service.
- Test laboratories performing repeatable performance and energy-efficiency tests.
- Regulators and certification bodies assessing conformity with ecodesign and energy regulations.
Implementing this standard supports consistent product comparisons, helps optimize kitchen workflows (rapid chilling/freezing), and contributes to energy management and food safety practices.
Related standards and regulatory links
- Supersedes EN 17032:2018 (and its amendment).
- Prepared under ISO/TC 86 and CEN/TC 44 collaboration.
- Annex ZA maps the standard to the EU ecodesign Regulation (EU) No 2015/1095 - useful for demonstrating conformity with ecodesign requirements when cited in the Official Journal.
Keywords: ISO 22042:2021, blast chiller, blast freezer, professional use, test conditions, energy consumption, performance verification, commercial kitchens.