Getting The Right Restaurant Ice Machine

Types of ice.

• Cube ice comes in various shapes—rectangular, crescent, pillow-shaped, pure cube, or other regular shapes.
• Flake ice contain up to 20 percent liquid water and comes in chips or flakes, may also occasionally be used in soft drinks.
• Crushed ice consists of small, pieces made by crushing larger chunks of ice. Its primary use is for keeping drinks cool.
• Ice nuggets, made by extruding and freezing slushy flake ice into small pieces, are also used primarily to cool drinks.

Types of condenser.

Ice makers are available with three different types of condenser:
• Air-cooled ice makers use the most energy—about 5.4 to 22.5 kWh per 100 pounds of ice—but are less expensive than water-cooled models and use less water.
• Water-cooled models are more efficient than air-cooled units, using 4.7 to 14.2 kWh per 100 pounds of ice.
• Remote air-cooled condensers transfer heat generated by the ice-making process outside of the building. They also reduce noise levels inside by up to 75 percent, but there are extra installation costs for running lines to a remote location.

Types of bins.

Ice storage bins are available in a range of sizes. Bins are usually sized to hold 10 to 12 hours worth of ice production.

Self-cleaning.

A relatively new option among ice makers is the self-cleaning machine. Typically, ice makers are cleaned and sanitized every 2 to 6 weeks, which requires emptying the bin of ice, adding cleaning solution, switching the controls to a cleaning mode that circulates the cleaning solution through the machine, and then producing enough ice to be sure the machine is cleared of the solution. Self-cleaning models automate most of these steps.

Determine required capacity for your restaurant ice machine.

For example, an ice maker for soft drinks in a fast food restaurant might be expected to be in service seven days a week at its average level of ice production, and have to produce ice at a peak rate of 150 percent of average for two days. Under those conditions, the machine should be sized to provide 0.25 to 0.5 pounds per customer. In a restaurant setting, one should have 1.5 lbs of ice per customer, in a cocktail lounge, you need 3 lbs of ice per customers.

Right bin capacity.

sizes can range from 250, 400, 500, 650, 800, 1,000, 1,200, and 1,400 pounds per 24 hours, but machines are available that make up to several tons of ice per day..

Noise level.

The noise level of icemakers can typically equal to that of a window air conditioner, which may not be acceptable in your application.

Ease of maintenance on your restaurant ice machine.

Regular cleaning and sanitation treatments are necessary of both the ice storage and ice-making parts. Therefore, the best bet is to go with equipment that includes clear, simple installation and maintenance instructions and procedures.