Foster BCT22-12 Blast Chiller Freezer 22kg/12kg 6 Grid

The Foster BCT22-12 is a combination blast chiller and blast freezer designed for commercial kitchens operating a cook-chill workflow. In chiller mode, it brings food from 70°C down to 3°C within 90 minutes; in freezer mode, it takes food from 70°C down to -18°C within 240 minutes. Both cycles comply with UK and European food safety requirements for rapid chilling. The 22kg chilling capacity is the primary operational rating — the 12kg freeze capacity is best understood as a supporting function rather than a substitute for a dedicated blast freezer.

In practice, this unit is sized for kitchens producing consistent but moderate batch volumes across a daily prep cycle. Care homes, hotel kitchens, school catering operations, and mid-size pub or restaurant kitchens are the environments it fits most naturally. The six GN 1/1 shelf positions accommodate a practical range of gastronorm pans and trays, which keeps integration with existing prep equipment straightforward and avoids the need to rethink pan sizes across the kitchen.

Operationally, the BCT22-12 offers a number of day-to-day advantages:

• Dual chiller and freezer modes reduce the need for two separate units in moderate-output kitchens
• Touchscreen controls are straightforward across shifts without requiring specialist training
• Stainless steel interior and exterior supports thorough, efficient cleaning between cycles
• Six shelf positions give flexibility across different pan depths and portion sizes
• Cycle times meet UK and European food hygiene regulations for rapid chilling

On the installation side, this is a self-contained unit, but it does require adequate ventilation clearance around the condenser — worth confirming against your kitchen layout before ordering. Placement away from cooking equipment and direct heat sources will help maintain consistent performance, as ambient temperature does affect refrigeration output. The unit runs on a single-phase supply; confirm the specific electrical requirements with your installer before commissioning.

The BCT22-12 is well suited to operations where blast chilling is a daily requirement and blast freezing is used occasionally rather than continuously. It is not the right choice for high-volume production kitchens turning over large batches throughout the day — for those sites, a higher-capacity model would be worth considering. Equally, if hard freezing forms a core part of your daily workflow rather than an occasional need, a unit with a higher freeze rating will serve you better over time.

If you are working through whether this model suits your service volume, kitchen layout, or cook-chill process, we are glad to talk it through before you make a decision.