FASTER BATCHES.
BETTER PRODUCT.
LESS CLEANUP.
Direct Steam Injection (DSI) accelerates heating while safeguarding texture and yield—ideal for dairy, plant-based, and sugary formulations—boosting consistency and OEE.
What is Direct Steam Injection?
Direct Steam Injection sends culinary-grade steam straight into your product, heating it from the inside out. Instead of relying on a heated jacket to warm product slowly from the outside, DSI gets you there faster, with more control and better outcomes.
Fast, uniform heating with texture control—repeatable quality, no burn-on.
Rapid, even heating
Shorter cook times and no hot spots; resists burn-on with dairy, sugars, and high-solids.
Controlled shear & texture
High- and low-shear models to promote or prevent emulsions; smoother product with less sticking.
Tight process control
Precise moisture and viscosity control for consistent batches; anti-chatter design limits fatigue for long-term reliability.
DSI in Real Applications
With decades of experience supporting food processors in real-world facilities, we’ve seen firsthand how DSI can solve tough challenges across applications. Here’s how it’s delivering results on the production floor:
Cheese and dairy sauces
Get ultra-smooth emulsions without burning or clumping—great for queso, processed cheese, or creamy fillings.
pet foods
Efficiently cook pâtés, stews, and blends with high meat content—DSI shortens batch times while preserving integrity.
Soups, slurries, and starches
Hydrate and heat thick starches, chili bases, or gravies with fast throughput and clean transfer.
Rice, Pasta, and Grain Mixes
Rapidly hydrate and heat without clumping or overcooking—especially effective for starch blends and precooked bases.
DSI, JACKET, OR BOTH? CHOOSING THE RIGHT HEATING STRATEGY
| Heating Speed | Extremely fast | Moderate, even | Fast preheat + stable hold |
| Temperature Control | Highly precise with automation | Precise with modulating valves | Layered control for complex steps |
| Texture & Shear Sensitivity | Gentle when using low-shear injectors | Very gentle when paired with scrapers | Supports delicate and dense layers |
| Product Suitability | Best for pumpable, water-based products | Excellent for browning or products that can’t have moisture added | Best when speed matters |
| Added Moisture | Yes—precisely calculated and controlled by AutoChef | No | Use DSI for fast hydrate + jacket for concentration |
| Sanitation & Cleanability | Dissasemble for easy cleanability, CIP-ready options; reduced burn-on | May require manual cleaning for burn on | Optimized cleaning |
Combine DSI and jacketed zones to maximize throughput while protecting texture. DSI delivers fast, controlled heat; jacket zones provide gentle hold or secondary cook steps. We can engineer systems with as many DSI injectors as needed to match your product and line rate. With AutoChef and ARTIS, you can automate transitions between DSI and jacket steps, track performance, and simplify scale-up.
READY TO ADD DSI TO YOUR LINE?
If you're looking to cut cook times, reduce burn-on, and improve batch consistency, now’s the time to add Direct Steam Injection to your system. Our experts will help you dial in your recipe, process, and equipment setup—so you get the results you need, right from the start.