It’s important to decide what type of ice a foodservice operation or bar will require, including crushed, hard cubes, extruded or a combination. A growing number of upscale bar operators now use specialty ice or bigger cubes.
The frequency of cleaning depends on the quality of water going to the ice machine and the environment surrounding it. Periodically empty and clean ice storage bins, regardless of the ice machine cleaning schedule.
Ice machines produce ice for service in foodservice facilities, restaurants, bars and hotels, either in the back of the house or for customer self-service. The type of ice these units produce determines their classification. Ice types include cube, nugget or extruded and flake.
Ice formats include cube, flake and extruded (also called compressed or nugget). Cubes are a standard in restaurants; however, there has been a recent trend in using chewable ice. This is especially popular in more casual settings like pizza restaurants. A pizzeria’s service style — ranging from dine-in to carry out to a combination of both — will dictate how much ice the restaurant will require, the unit type, placement and more.
Ice machines work by extracting heat from an evaporator plate and expelling it from the unit. Typically, air-cooled systems pump the heat out of the box into the kitchen, where it is cooled by air conditioning. Normally, when an operation needs to produce 1,000 pounds of ice or more per day, it is recommended that a remote ice machine be employed.
A common misconception is that if a remote ice machine is working, it does not need maintenance. This is not the case.
Featured Products
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Tempo Ice Machine
Follett LLC
Tempo compact ice machines produce up to 90 pounds of ice per day and have a storage capacity of 30 pounds. Other features include an integral drain pump, an optional EZ-access filter and a semi-automatic cleaning system with automatic alerts. Operators can use Tempo in freestanding or undercounter applications.
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KMEdge X Series Ice Machines
Hoshizaki
The KMEdge X mid-sized cubers include multiple models in a total of eight units. Operators can place these 22-inch-wide and 28-inch tall modular ice machines on a bin, either alone or side-by-side, with ice production ranging from 383 to 669 pounds of ice per day.
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