What to consider when choosing an ice machine for your business.
Choosing the right ice machine for your business can be a challenging task. There are several considerations that need to be looked at such as:
- What size should I choose?
- What shape cubes can I pick for my business?
- Footprint & Space
- Drainage & maintenance
- Having the correct electrical setup
- Should we buy or lease?
What size should I choose?
Working out what size ice machine you need based on the volume of your business can be tricky. Depending on your industry, ice can be used in a lot of different area within your business, not just drinks.
Since drinks are usually the primary area you'll be using ice, you need to estimate how much you'll need within your business.
Here's a simple guide:
- Restaurants use an average of 1kg. of ice per customer per day
- Hospital Cafeterias use about 500g. of ice per person per day and an average of 10lbs for every bed
- Schools & University Cafeterias average about 700g. of ice per student per day
- Bars & Cocktail Lounges use about 1.3kg. of ice per seat
Volume of ice used multiplied by the number of customers served equals the type of ice maker you need. Heat lowers ice machine production rate because it must work harder to produce a batch of ice. If you live an area with particularly hot summers, you'll need an ice machine with a little more output to make up for the drop in production.
Next, you need to consider where you'll be using ice beyond what you need for drinks. If you have a bar well, how much ice is required to refill that area? Does the kitchen need ice for food prep?. Many of these questions can be answered by asking your staff and having a clear understanding of your business needs. If your business runs out of ice it can be costly and can take hours to arrive
What shape cubes can I pick for my business?
Before buying a new ice machine you need to think about what shape is going to suit your business. The various shapes are not just for aesthetic purposes.
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Regular Ice: Solid build, great for large volume applications
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Full Cube: Solid build, ideal for bagging, dispensing, soft drinks and mixed drinks. Suited to restaurants, Bars, Convenience Stores and Catering environments.
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Half Cube: Solid build, ideal for bagging, self service dispensing and drinks. Commonly used in universal applications, restaurants, bars and convenience stores.
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Nugget Ice: Soft and easy to chew, good for soft drinks, cold drinks, blended and frozen drinks. Commonly used in healthcare, restaurants, bars and convenience stores. These tend to melt quite quickly.
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Flake Ice: Soft snow like ice used in settings such as market displays, buffets and for medical compresses. Commonly use in grocery stores, fish markets, buffets and healthcare. Gentle when applied directly to product.
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Crescent Ice: Half-moon shape solid build ice. Good for bagging, dispensing, soft drinks and mixed drinks. Commonly used in restaurants, bars, convenience stores and catering as it has a slow melt rate.
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Gourmet Ice: Unique octagonal or cylindrical shape used for serving in high end liquor and upscale drinks. Used in Upscale restaurants, bars and banquet room/functions. Slow melt rate.
Footprint & Space
All ice machines need the right amount of space to operate. Ventilation is also a major factor when choosing an ice machine.
Air-cooled ice machines are the most common, they do generate heat as they run, so they emit that heat out of vents located on the unit. Without adequate ventilation the warm air will re-enter the machine and cause it to malfunction.
You want to install your ice machine in a large room with plenty of ventilation and air flow. The goal is not to box the ice machine in, causing hot air to stay around the machine and possibly re-enter the unit.
Drainage & Maintenance
Every ice machine needs water to make ice, which in turn requires drainage. If you have a modular or self-contained ice machine installed on a bin or dispenser, you'll need a floor drain for excess water to run. However, countertop ice machines and dispensers often run their water into the nearest sink drain.
If the unit can not gravity feed due to the location of a drain its best you speak to the salesperson prior to ordering so they can source a pump which can be built in or external.
Ice machines require routine cleaning and maintenance to stay within health guidelines and remain working.
It's important that the ice machine is cleaned out regularly at least once a week as mould and bacteria can form in the unit. Some models do have built in self-cleaning so make sure you ask about this at the time of purchase.
Having the Correct Electrical Setup
All ice machine vary in power requirements so make sure you ask for specifications prior to delivery. This will help avoid any issues when the machine gets delivered to site.
Installations can be quite simple as long as the power, water connection and drain are ready to go with the correct fittings.
Should we buy or lease?
The final thing to consider is whether you should buy or lease an ice machine.
This really depends on your situation and business requirements. When buying an ice machine, you need to remember that in the case of breakdown and service it will only apply during the time of the warranty.
If there is an issue with the ice machine, when on lease Flexikitch will send out a technician to repair the machine generally at little or no cost to you.