Choosing Your Ice Machine

Why purchase an ice machine?

An Ice machine is an imperative piece of commercial kitchen equipment and commercial restaurant equipment for a food service organization. Ice machines are inexpensive and very simple to operate and maintain. Acquiring an ice maker can be a helpful obtain.

Guidelines you must use when selecting the right ice machine for your small business.

• Size


• Ice type


• Cooling system type


• Condenser type


• Reliability


• Other (miscellaneous)

Size of your ice machine: When deciding on the best size ice machine, think about the space you have accessible for the unit plus the quantity of ice your business uses yearly. Don't forget, you might need to have to manufacture extra ice in the summer time and on weekends. Buy an ice machine that meets your peak manufacturing requirements. Conclude your ice machine purchase by analyzing the key and minor particulars. Base your final choice on your recent company flow along with a potential organization increase at the same time. Evaluate the spec sheets supplied for every ice machine and carefully review production charts.

Overview:

• Space


• Annual usage


• Peak usage


• Choose over-production rather than under-production


• Review spec sheets

What sort of ice is perfect for your business enterprise kind? Varieties: Ice machines generate three various varieties of ice which includes different cube sizes and designs also as flaked or nugget ice.

1. Cubes: Cube ice are accessible in two sizes; half dice or entire dice. Spec sheets provide details about the size of the cubes an ice machine produces. Regarded as essentially the most preferred ice creating machines, cube machines manufacture a solid cube that melts slowly. Full dice ice machines and half dice ice makers are suggested for carbonated drinks, mixed drinks, ice retail, salad bars and ice dispensing.

2. Flakes: Flake ice makers produce tiny, challenging bits of ice. Flakes rapidly cool foods and drinks all the though generating low production expenses. An exclusive characteristic of flakes is they may be quickly molded into any shape. Flakes are ideal utilized for salad bars, seafood, meat, create, blended cocktails, and for hospital use.

3. Nuggets: Nugget ice makers generate a pliable, chewable textured ice that gives optimal cooling effect for drinks. Purchasing an agitator kit is vital for a nugget ice machine because the ice can melt and stick together and trigger clogging. Nugget ice's recommended use is for blended drinks, carbonated, drinks, salad bars, create and hospital use.

Which Cooling System is best for you, your business along with the environment? You will discover two varieties of cooling systems:

• Air cooling machines


• Water cooling machines

An Air cooling machines: are effortless to install and low costing to attain, operate and sustain. The air cooling program works by using air and water temperature. They also require a lot more space to function so as to prevent overheating. Air cooled commercial ice makers are environmentally friendly plus the food service industry has considered this new program a key innovation. Water cooled machines: on an industrial level this program is extra dependable and resourceful however it is also much more pricey to operate due to the fact it uses much more water. Water cooled machines produce less heat and won't have an effect on your room temperature significantly nor do they require as significantly space for optimal performance to be attained. Overall, if you have limited space for an ice machine it is most convenient to go with the water-cooling program.

Condenser: Remote System unit The remote program unit is resourceful for larger machines that generate a lot more than 800 lbs each 24 hours. The remote system performs best when it really is mounted on the roof of a creating to be able to minimize the quantity of noise and heat it exerts.

Reliability What commercial kitchen merchandisers are leading the market in ice machine dependability? Manitowoc ice machines and Scotsman ice makers are probably the most dependable inside the industry based on recent service reports.

Other considerations What ice machine capacity and design fits your wants?

• Models


• Connections


• Plumbing


• Energy efficiency


• Standard Features


• Key Kitchen Applications


• Maintenance Requirements


• Food Safety & Sanitation Essentials

There are two varieties of ice machine models:

• Floor models (large)


• Under-counter models

Floor-model ice makers are the larger of the two and produce anywhere from 300 to 2,000 lbs of ice daily. They average around 25" in height and range from 22" to 48" wide. Floor models offer the option of stacking; increasing daily production. Undercounter ice makers generate anywhere from 100 to 200 lbs daily. Undercounter ice machine models normally fit in spaces that are 35" to 40" high. Updated models of countertop nugget ice makers generate larger amounts of ice though relying on a smaller amount of storage capacity providing superior efficiency. For businesses that need larger ice production rates, an ice dispenser is essential. Alternatives for dispensing include ice, water or ice and water in one. These high-capacity models can generate anywhere from 1,450 lbs. to 1,880 lbs. of ice cubes daily. Important consideration: Before ordering your ice maker, measure your doors, hallways and overall installation space for assured product convenience. When measuring these dimensions, add an extra 5 to 8 inches for clearance space above, behind and on all sides.

Connection features What types of connections do ice makers demand?

• Electrical


• Water

Electrical and water connections next to your floor drain must be within 6 feet of your ice maker. Ice machines are offered in a range of voltages to meet your ice manufacturing requirements. Ordering the best voltage is actually a critical step in order to meet local, state and national codes and laws. What are the Plumbing Requirements for an ice machine? Ice machines have to have to be connected to a cold water supply and have alternate drain lines for the machine and bin. It is important to manage the temperature of the water that runs to your ice maker machine; the lower the water temperature the better the capacity of ice production. Water temperatures must not exceed 90 degrees F.

The Innovation of Energy Efficient Ice Makers: Energy Star The environmental issues that we are currently facing have led organizations and businesses to opt for Energy efficient products. The food service industry has been successful in generating steps towards progressing within the way in which energy is employed. Energy Star is a program established through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plus the U.S. Department of Energy focused on supporting customers to collectively save money and the environment. With the use of energy efficient products and procedures this program is steadily expanding their services into the food service market.

Choosing an ice maker that promotes Energy Star in their description will aid inside the boost of energy efficiency within your organization by an estimated 15% and water efficiency by 10% a lot more than non- Energy efficient models. Air-cooled units typically meet Energy Star's requirements of maximum potable water and energy expenditure limits. Energy Star qualified ice makers save businesses approximately 1160 kWh every year and $100 annually on water and electric bills. Health codes and Food Safety: It truly is obligatory to preserve sanitation and hygiene within a food service business. Search for ice machines that come standard with automatic, internal self-cleaning systems along with built-in sanitizers and cleansers. These are the ideal steps to take so as to stay clear of violation of health codes.