Start with what you sell and how long it stays
Pouched milk, curd, buttermilk, lassi, paneer, butter and flavoured milk all keep best chilled, and widely used food-safety guidance puts chilled storage at 5 °C or below. Most dairy chillers are set in the +2 to +5 °C range. Butter and cheese tolerate the same band. Ice cream and frozen desserts need a separate freezer at −18 °C or colder.
Always follow the storage instruction printed on each pack and your dairy supplier's guidance; some products, such as UHT milk in sealed cartons, are shelf-stable until opened and do not need refrigeration at all.
| Product | Store at | Equipment |
|---|---|---|
| Pouched pasteurised milk | Chilled, ≤ 5 °C | Milk chiller or visi cooler |
| Curd, buttermilk, lassi | Chilled, ≤ 5 °C | Visi cooler or reach-in |
| Paneer, butter, cheese | Chilled, ≤ 5 °C | Visi cooler or reach-in |
| Ice cream, frozen desserts | Frozen, ≤ −18 °C | Chest or glass-top deep freezer |
| UHT milk (sealed) | Ambient until opened | Dry shelf |
Common chiller formats
- Chest-style milk chiller: a top-opening well that holds crates of pouches. Cold air stays inside when the lid opens, so it holds temperature well in hot kiosks.
- Glass-door visi cooler: upright and good for display of curd cups, flavoured milk and paneer. Uses less floor space but loses cold air each time the door opens.
- Reach-in refrigerator: solid doors for back-of-shop stock that customers do not see.
- Combination of freezer and chiller: many parlours need both, and two separate units are usually easier to manage than one combined box.
Pull-down matters more than holding
Milk arrives from the delivery vehicle already chilled, but often warmer than it left the dairy, especially on summer mornings. The chiller has to bring a full load of crates back down quickly. Ask the supplier how long the unit takes to pull a full load down to temperature at a high ambient, and size the chiller so morning deliveries do not sit outside waiting for space.
Load crates so air can move around them. Packing pouches tight against the evaporator or blocking the fan leaves warm pockets at the back and bottom.
Non-AC kiosks, heat and power cuts
Many dairy booths are small kiosks with a metal roof and no air conditioning. In summer the air around the chiller can run past 40 °C, so ask for a unit designed for high ambient conditions, with a condenser large enough for that duty. Keep the condenser area clear of crates and dust; a blocked condenser in a hot booth is a common cause of breakdowns.
Power cuts are the other risk. A well-insulated chest chiller kept closed will hold temperature for longer than a glass-door upright. Ask how the controller restarts after an outage and whether it has a compressor delay to protect against voltage spikes when power returns. A stabiliser is worth considering where the supply is poor.
Hygiene and daily routine
- Leaking pouches are inevitable. Choose a liner that is easy to wipe and a drain that is easy to clean, and wipe spills the same day before they smell.
- Rotate stock first-in, first-out; date-coded pouches make this easy if staff are trained to check.
- Keep a simple temperature log at opening, mid-day and closing; it shows problems before customers complain.
- FSSAI registration or licensing applies to dairy retailers; follow its hygiene expectations and keep records ready for inspection.
Sizing a dairy chiller
Count crates, not litres. Work out the number of crates delivered on your busiest morning plus the stock you hold through the day, then check how many crates the chiller takes with the lid or door closed and air space left around them. Add room for curd and paneer, which often arrive in different packaging. If the chiller is full every morning with crates waiting outside, it is too small.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a chest chiller or a glass-door cooler better for milk?
- For bulk crates in a hot kiosk, a chest-style chiller holds temperature better because cold air does not spill out when it opens. For display of curd cups and flavoured milk, a glass-door cooler sells better. Many outlets use both.
- What temperature should a milk chiller be set to?
- Most operators set dairy chillers between about +2 and +5 °C, keeping products at or below 5 °C. Follow the pack instructions and your supplier's guidance, and check product temperature, not only the display.
