Whether you own a bar, a restaurant, a dessert parlor, you simply can’t survive in the modern service market without a constant supply of crunchy frozen goodness. Luckily though, there is now technology that provides exactly that.
When you go out looking for an ice machine for your own commercial purposes, there are some things to keep in mind before you finalize your purchase: size, budget, filtering, storage space… for now, we’ll just focus on the two most basic factors to consider: the type of ice and type of appliance you will need.
What kind of ice do you need?
The time of regular clunky cubes is long since gone. Nowadays you can have many various shapes, sizes, chewiness, and melting rates. Different types are used for different specific purposes, such as being served in a particular drink or used as base for a frozen dessert. Knowing what you need it for and what kind will be the best solution for your requirements will be of great help when it comes time to choose among the myriad available commercial ice machines.
Standard cubes are the most widespread, well-known form of frozen water ever since we started using frozen water on purpose. You can find them in regular household freezers as well as top grade cocktail bars. Their biggest upside is that they melt more slowly than other shapes, which means your customers’ drinks will take that much longer to get diluted.
This is ideal for those businesses that deal in high-end liquor and high-end clientele who consistently demand the best experience. Cubes do come in a few sizes, known as full, half, and regular, as well as a few shapes, such as crescents and “special shapes”.
Flakes, or flaked ice, is meant to be used in food displays, and this is almost its only purpose. You will find it keeping the coolness of fish and seafood, salads, and chilled meat dishes. Other than that, it can also be employed in markets and stores for packaging.
Because the flakes are small, it’s easy to fit them around any form, which ensures that groceries are cooled quickly and rapidly. Because the flakes are softer than the cubes, and therefore much easier to chew up, they are also popularly added to blended drinks.
The third most common form of ice are the nuggets, or “the soft kind”. Click here for a quick guide on how to make your own soft ice at home. These are known as a nice balance between cubes and flakes. They melt more slowly than the flakes, but are softer and more easily chewed than classic cubes.
The nugget form yields the most liquid of the three, so they are popular in smoothies, blended drinks, and cold juices, because you need less syrup to make them. This makes them popular popular in quick-serve businesses and various health-oriented clubs.
What type of appliance will be most likely to fit the bill?
Roughly speaking, there are four major types of commercial ice makers, and then specific variations for each type. Here are those general categories:
Countertop: they produce a maximum of 400 lb. a day, and this is in the form of nuggets. These machines are popular in hospitals and other health care facilities, since the ice they produce is soft enough for patients who have trouble chewing.
Undercounter: these feature a smaller capacity. They usually max out at around 350 lb. a day. Undercounter ice makers mostly fit under standard 40-inch counters, making them perfect for cafes, small restaurants, and smaller bars. If you’d like to learn more about bar counter heights and dimensions, check out this article: https://homeguides.sfgate.com/height-dimensions-wet-bar-90898.html
Modular: also known as ice machine heads, the modular types boast high output and require a separate storage and/ or dispenser for the ice they make. Their production rate varies wildly, from 200 to more than 1000 lb. daily.
Combination: these appliances provide both ice and water. They take up little space and produce a max of 500 lb. a day (usually the nugget kind). They can be found in offices, break rooms, etc. They’re loved for their compactness and versatility.
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