How To Buy Ice Machines - By: Alice Shown

Ice machines play a vital role in a restaurant or commercial kitchen. However, since they are so important, they could be the source of the largest expenditure in your supplies budget. Therefore, it is doubly important to choose ice machines that answer your needs without burning a hole through your purse.

The first step is to choose the right size. This is the most important decision you will be making before you buy the machine. On the one hand, you must deal with space and cost constraints. On the other hand, you must buy the right size so that you can keep up with the demand that is going to be placed on the kitchen during peak hours. You must take the following into consideration when calculating the ice usage in your restaurant:

1. Food service

2. Lodging

3. Health care

Take the average number of people the restaurant serves and add it to the ice needed in the kitchen everyday and you have a good idea of how much ice you will need in 24 hours. In this way, you can buy the icemaker that balances production capacity nicely with storage space.

It is also important to take into account future expansion plans. Typically, high quality ice machines run for 10 years. In these 10 years, your business is likely to grow at least by 10-15%. Therefore, it is necessary to add 10-15% to the peak capacity to make allowances for future growth. Some ice machines come with bins that may be stacked. Thus, you can add storage space as your needs grow.

The kind of ice you need also plays an important role in the type of ice machine you buy. Which kind of ice do you want?

Cubed ice: Is best recommended for drinks as these melt slowly and cool liquids quickly.

Flaked ice: Is recommended for salad bars, poultry, fish or blended drinks as it is easier to mold and shape.

Nuggets: Is best for salad bars and displays as this ice is denser than flaked ice but softer than ice cubes.
Clearly, the kind of ice machine you buy depends on the type of ice you want.

There are two methods in which commercial ice machines make ice. There are water cooled ice machines and air cooled ice machines.

Air cooled ice machines are cheaper and less expensive to operate. However, these machines are noisy and they generate a lot of heat. On the other hand, water cooled ice machines are more expensive but they operate efficiently in warm environment and are a lot quieter.

In case of large ice machines, it is possible to buy condensing units that are remote controlled. However, remote controlled ice condensers are more expensive and must be installed by professionals only.

When buying ice machines, it is important to consider the cost of maintenance too. Choose commercial ice machines that are easy to maintain. This helps reduce the overall cost.

About the Author

An Ice machinesis an imperative piece of commercial kitchen and restaurants equipment for a food service company. So for all your Ice machines need, visit Jeansrestaurantsupply.com.

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