PURPOSE: To premit cooling, freezing and ice making more quickly within a short period of time by a method wherein a freezing case, the whole of a freezing chamber or the part of the same is constituted of a vacuum vessel and the vacuum vessel is connected to a vacuum pump capable of evacuating the vacuum vessel.

CONSTITUTION: Matter to be cooled is stored into a vacuum freezing chamber 5 in a vacuum vessel 4 and a door is closed. A solenoid valve 10 is opened and a leak valve 11 is closed to operate a vacuum pump 12 and evacuate the vacuum freezing chamber 5. The internal space of the vacuum freezing chamber 5 is evacuated and moisture and the like in the stored matter is evaporated suddenly and is cooled by depriving the matter of the evaporation heat of the moisture and the like. A cold trap 9 collects the moisture and the like evaporated at the fore stage of the vacuum pump 12 to lighten the load of the same. Cooling, freezing or ice making can be effected quickly utilizing the vacuum. On the other hand, the vacuum freezing chamber is provided in the vacuum vessel whereby the vacuum vessel itself is cooled and, therefore, the matter to be cooled is cooled before the evacuation and the efficiency of vacuum cooling can be increased.