Direct vs. Indirect Water Chillers: What’s the Difference?

If choosing water chillers for your bakery is one of the tasks on your list, this guide can help simplify the job for you. Is a direct system the better option? Or should you get a risk-free indirect water chiller?

Cold Water Is Essential

You need a water chiller if you mix a large amount of dough. When you can control the exact temperature of the water you use in your dough, you can achieve a new level of quality control. The dough can be formed and cut the same way every time, with the right texture and moisture level.

Direct: Risk of Contamination

With direct water chillers, water is emptied into a tank that contains a refrigerated coil. The supply circulates throughout the tank until it reaches the right temperature, then it’s pumped or gravity-fed to its destination.

The refrigerated coil and the tank must be cleaned regularly and checked for leaks. Freon can contaminate the supply if the coil is damaged, creating health risks and altering taste.

Indirect: Freon-Free

The indirect system works much differently. In this system, the refrigerated coil is kept separate from the supply. The Freon coil is set in a tank of water that’s frozen into a block of ice. The water meant to be chilled runs through a stainless-steel tube throughout this ice block, coming out chilled on the other side.

Because the water is free-flowing through the system, no pump is required to help it reach its destination. There is also no risk of contamination, since the water never comes into direct contact with the refrigerated coil.

Which Is Better for a Baker?

For bakeries, productivity is often the deciding factor. Other issues to consider are the cost of running the equipment, the maintenance required for the system and the quality of the water produced.

When all factors are considered, indirect water chillers offer bakers more advantages. Since the water is held under normal pressure, you will use less energy than a direct-chill system, since there is no pump to power.

Also, there is no tank to keep clean. This reduces the time spent on routine maintenance and checks one more task off your to-do list. Better yet, since the supply never comes into contact with refrigerant, you never have to worry about cross-contamination. You will get good-tasting, chilled water that allows you to achieve excellent results in your day-to-day work.

Dough Tech helps bakeries achieve more by supplying high-quality equipment, including water chillers. Contact our team today to learn more about us.