Cooling equipment is used to reduce the temperature of products such as cooked vegetables in bulk prior to packaging or packaged products to refrigerated temperatures. They can be drum or conveyor belt style. The cooling medium can be cold air, chilled water or, when rapid cooling is required, liquid nitrogen.

Some products are more sensitive to the cooling cycle than others requiring a gradual gentle cool-down.

Belt style coolers convey the product on a conveyor belt through a tunnel where it is exposed to the cooling medium. Belts may be solid, but a wire mesh belt will tend to allow more even distribution of the cooling medium flow.

Drum style coolers work best with bulk product. Product is fed into one end of a rotating drum. Drums may be perforated for better flow of the cooling medium. As the drum rotates baffles provide agitation, allowing even cooling. Helical baffles force the product to the discharge end of the drum.