Midwest Pizza Maker Boosts Output with Liquid Nitrogen Freezing—Saves Big on Costs

Liquid Nitrogen Gives Emil’s Pizzas a Production Edge

Emil’s Pizzas, tucked away in the heart of the Midwest, used to struggle with keeping their frozen pizzas tasting fresh. Their old-school mechanical freezers sucked precious moisture from pepperoni, cheese, and veggies, leaving behind dry, less flavorful pies. But all that changed when they ditched the standard approach and brought in Air Liquide’s ALIGAL FZ, a cryogenic freezer that uses liquid nitrogen for rapid freezing.

This upgrade is more than a new gadget; it’s a full-blown shift in how the company operates. The new system freezes a whole pizza in about 200 seconds—less time than it takes most folks to preheat their oven at home. That speed locks in flavors and moisture, so every pizza holds onto that just-made taste longer, right through the end customer’s home bake. Nobody likes cardboard pizza. Now, Emil’s has a way to seal in the good stuff instantly.

Cranking Up Production Without Knocking Down Walls

For food factories, scaling up usually means big headaches. More space, more labor, more headaches. Emil’s didn’t want to tear down walls or move to a new building. Instead, ALIGAL FZ’s smart design solved the puzzle. Its top-lift mechanism ditches the typical swing-out doors, removing the need for extra clearance around the machine. That means they could slot in more pizzas per hour with the same footprint.

Another win? Sanitation. Cleanliness is everything in food production. The freezer’s stainless steel shell is self-draining, and all surfaces wipe clean easily. Compared to their old system, they’re now spending 75% less on cleaning—the kind of number that really shows up in the books. That savings alone covers what they pay each month to lease the new gear.

And let’s talk numbers. Since switching, production jumped by 23%. That’s nearly a quarter more pizzas flying out the door, without hiring more staff or building a new wing. Nitrogen isn’t cheap, but Emil’s has worked their usage down by 30% thanks to better injection controls and improved fan systems that evenly blast cold air. The isothermal cryogen injection keeps temperatures steady, ensuring every pizza gets the same freeze—no more scorched crusts or soggy middles.

The whole project came together through solid teamwork—Emil’s staff, led by Roedl and his team, spent time with Air Liquide experts installing the freezer, organizing storage, and training everyone to use the new system safely. No detail was too small, from managing liquid nitrogen tanks to updating standard operating procedures for the new workflow.

Food production is a tough business. Margins are thin, and what happens behind the scenes can make or break a brand. By investing in this high-tech approach, Emil’s Pizzas got a real leg up—not only boosting output and keeping costs under control but making sure every pizza that leaves the factory still tastes like someone made it with care.