Abstract: A device and a method for cooling material exposes a material to a certain supply of cryogenic coolant using a conveying device. The configuration of the conveying device permits airtight packaging of the material and is designed according to a principle that is very similar to the paternoster conveying principle. The temperature in the device for cooling material can be set by metering devices for the cryogenic coolant. The airtight packaging of the material and the adjustable temperature setting provide an energy-efficient freezing unit with a small floor space requirement.