A cabinet cooler or freezer which efficiently utilizes cryogenic refrigeration either with or without mechanical refrigeration. The freezer intermittently freezes relatively large batches of food by efficiently utilizing the natural expansion effect of a liquid cryogen, in combination with mechanical circulation by blowers, to create an overall circulation that efficiently removes heat from the food. A secondary circulation effect is induced, in a manner similar to the operation of a jet pump, which amplifies the circulation and allows CO.sub.2 to be employed with modulating valve control to achieve uniformly low temperature throughout the cabinet without snow build-up on the cabinet bottom. Some cabinet versions create a cyclonic circulation pattern about a vertical axis that is particularly effective.