Hard Chill - Automatic Mode
When automatic mode is selected the unit uses one or more food probes to monitor the food's temperature. The process is broken into three cycles. The first cycle pulls the air temperature within the unit down hard and fast until it reaches zero and is maintained until the food reaches 60 degrees. Once the food reaches 60 degrees the unit shifts into the second cycle. The second cycle maintains an air temp of 35-40 degrees until the food reaches it's target temperature of 40 degrees, at which point the unit goes into a holding pattern and acts as a conventional refrigerator. This cyclical system of chilling brings the food temp down fast, but avoids the formation of ice within the food.
Hard Chill - Manual Mode
Manual chill cycles are the same as automatic chill cycles but are triggered by a timer rather than a temperature reading. By default, a unit set for a manual hard chill mode will pull the cabinet temp down hard and fast for an hour, holding the temperature within the unit between zero and 10 degrees. At the end of the first hour the unit switches to the second cycle and holds the temp within the unit between 35 and 40 degrees. Once this second hour is over the unit will switch over to hold mode and act as a conventional refrigerator. These hour long time limits are fully programmable to allow you to dial in the perfect program for your product.
Soft Chill - Manual Mode
Delicate items should be run in Soft Chill mode. This mode is almost identical to the process above except minus the first hard and fast pull down cycle. The air temp is gradually pulled down but never below freezing, ensuring items such as leafy greens don't freeze.
Shock Freeze - Automatic/Manual
When in shock freeze mode there isn't any concern about having the product freeze like in the chill modes. The goal here is to pull the product down as hard and fast as possible. Shock Freeze is broken into two cycles: pull-down and hold. During the pull down mode the unit pulls the air down and holds it at minus 28 degrees. If running in automatic mode the unit will monitor the temperature of the product using the food probe. Once the product reaches zero degrees it will kick itself into holding and hold the product at zero degrees. Manual mode works exactly the same, but again is triggered by a timer rather than the food probe temperature.
