many cases dairy companies have provided these coolers to schools either free or at minimal cost as an additional service for supplying milk to the school. However, since
air isn’t circulated inside the cooler, contents depend solely on proximity cooling to keep
temperatures at or below 41°F. This means the cartons in the center of the cooler depend on the cartons closest to the cabinet walls to help keep them properly cold. Due to their reliance on proximity cooling, contents near the walls may freeze and contents near the center are warmer, resulting in temperature inconsistency. To optimize the proximity cooling process, these types of units work best when completely full. Forced air is the most common system in many types of refrigeration today; while fans circulate cool air throughout the cabinet, heat from the product is removed. Since forced air doesn’t rely on proximity cooling, they are more reliable during high-use periods when the door(s) remain open. Because cold wall coolers are predisposed to ice accumulation after long periods of use, they require regular defrosting to continue proper operation. The defrosting process can pose significant challenges for operators as it requires critical time and labor to maintain the equipment’s efficiency. In an industry that faces staffing shortages, the manual defrosting requirement can strain an already limited resource. On the flip side, a benefit that cold wall milk coolers offer is larger storage capacity. Since they don’t have ducts and fans, there is generally more internal storage space available. Large storage capacity saves time and labor
of frequent replenishment. Forced air models may have reduced storage capacity when compared to cold wall due to placement of mechanical components.Traulsen circumvents the capacity issue by placing the condensing unit on top of the cabinet which frees up usable storage space. Traulsen’s top-mounted system also contributes to efficiency by providing easy access for preventive maintenance. Our systems are removable, allowing technicians to perform regular maintenance outside of the kitchen. K-12 kitchens adhere to strict policies to maintain a food-safe environment, so avoiding supplementary sanitation activities caused by onsite service is something your staff will be grateful for! With relocated maintenance capability, staff will not face the difficulty of working around excess personnel during busy serving periods. Traulsen also provides the option to purchase these systems independently as a cost-effective way to reduce downtime during routine maintenance or in the event of an unexpected service call.
Cold wall systems and forced air systems are both valid ways to build a milk cooler and keep milk safely cold. They each offer certain benefits, however because of temperature consistency and the lack of need to manually defrost, forced air units are gaining more popularity in the K-12 foodservice application, even though they often come with a higher price tag when compared to cold walls. Although it can be tempting to buy based on a low purchase point, schools should take performance, cost of ownership, and longevity into account. Even the Dairy Alliance recommends considering forced air coolers when replacing cold wall systems. When you introduce a higher tier of refrigeration into your kitchen, you and your staff can provide a higher tier of service to your students. Most importantly, your students’ meals will be transformed by milk that is safely chilled and proven to be better tasting! For help calculating your return on investment when switching milk coolers, check out Traulsen’s quick & easy ROI Calculator. SOURCES Milk | Food and Nutrition Service 1 Milk cooling: Past, present and future - Progressive Dairy | Ag Proud 2 Strive-for-35-Cold-Milk-Fact-Sheet.pdf 3
CLICK HERE FOR TRAULSEN’S ROI CALCULATOR
Powered by FlippingBook