Cheese melting and gratinating with electrical or gas infrared tunnel

Chaudelec Systèmes Industriels (CSI) develops gas and electric infrared ovens designed to enhance the visual and sensory appeal of prepared foods such as gratins and croque-monsieur. These ovens are engineered to achieve varying degrees of surface browning, giving products a desirable, homemade appearance.

CSI’s infrared ovens are also employed in applications such as melting cheese—e.g., on pizzas—to bind toppings like vegetables, bacon, and herbs. This functionality is particularly useful for frozen products, which may be packaged or hanged in topside up or down.

A key advantage of CSI’s gas and electric infrared ovens lies in their ability to heat and act exclusively on the surface layer of the product. This means the core of the product does not require full cooling. Moreover, the intense, targeted infrared exposure can contribute to extending product shelf life through a rapid surface pasteurization process.

CSI infrared tunnel ovens can be supplied with an integrated conveyor system or integrated into existing production lines. The design of CSI infrared tunnels is carried out with constant consideration for preventive and corrective maintenance operations.

CSI has more than twenty industrial infrared tunnels running for melting, browning, roasting, and other treatments using the Maillard reaction in France, Spain, and the United States.