Hoshizaki Corporation has developed a showcase with a defrost function exclusively for B-R 31 Ice Cream Co., Ltd. The company will begin delivering mass-production units to selected stores in Japan and Taiwan from April 14, 2026.
B-R 31 Ice Cream currently uses direct-cooling showcases that cool the interior through heat transfer from chilled inner walls. Frequent door opening during ice cream service allows room-temperature air to enter, causing moisture in the air to condense and frost to build up on the cold walls.
General defrost systems either melt frost with heat or stop cooling operation to melt it. However, the current showcases do not include a defrost function in order to maintain ice cream quality. As a result, staff manually stop operation and carry out defrosting about once a week.
Hoshizaki developed an air-cooling product that cools the interior with cold air and is less prone to frost formation. Since January 2025, prototype units have been installed at several B-R 31 Ice Cream stores in Japan, with improvements made based on staff feedback ahead of mass production.
The new showcase is equipped with multiple evaporators, or heat exchangers. While one evaporator is stopped for defrosting, the others maintain the internal temperature, enabling defrosting while preserving ice cream quality. The system operates by timer outside business hours, when doors are not opened, making staff defrost work generally unnecessary.
