Restaurant Ice Machines – Get The Most Bang For Your Buck
Restaurant ice machines are a necessity when running a business in the food industry. However, that does not mean that you should pay an arm and a leg for one. Shopping online is one way to ensure that you get the most bang for your buck. Fortunately, we have already done that for you. Below we review the brands trusted by restaurant owners for decades and show you where to find the best prices.
Scotsman Restaurant Ice Machines
One of the leading names in the commercial ice making industry, Scotsman has machines that are ideal for almost all business operations and are used in hotels, restaurants, gas stations, convenient stores, schools, and even hospitals. You can select from the wide range of machines that this company produces, like ice dispensers or ice machines that produce flakes, nuggets and cube ice. What makes this brand advantageous is the energy-efficiency of its ice machines. In addition, they are also designed to be self monitoring and easy to clean.
Notable models which can be suitable for a restaurant business includes the Scotsman SCCP50M1BU 15 Under-Counter Gourmet Ice Machine (Lowest Price – Click Here). This model is capable of producing up to 65 lbs of ice in 24 hours and has a capacity to store up to 26 lbs. It produces uniquely-shaped, crystal-clear, slow-melting, taste-free, odorless ice that won’t dilute the flavor of drinks. It is very energy efficient compared to other models since it uses less than half the energy and one-third the water. Added to this is another remarkable feature which is the water-quality sensor that detects the quality of water in order to extend the time between cleanings. Lastly, it is very user-friendly with a control panel that indicates whether the power is on, alerts a no-water condition, and has a time to clean reminder.
Another model is the Scotsman CU50 50-pound commercial ice maker (Lowest Price – Click Here) which has the same production capacity of 65 pounds of ice within 24 hours and can store up to 26 pounds of ice, however this model can be used both indoors and out. In addition, it produces gourmet ice perfect for bars and restaurants since the cubes are crystal clear and slow melting, perfect for mixed drinks. Like the other restaurant ice machines of this brand, the ice cubes produce are also odorless and have a pure, natural taste. This is also a user-friendly machine with a control panel that alerts you to no-water conditions, power status, and routine cleaning operations.
Manitowoc Restaurant Ice Machines
Manitowoc is a company which has a proven track record when it comes to ice cube machines and has been consistently voted “Best in Class” by industry professionals 8 years in a row. One best selling model is the Manitowoc QM-45A (Lowest Price – CKitchen, Click The Banner To Your Right). This ice maker is capable of producing up to 95 lbs. of ice daily and has a storage capacity of 30 lbs. It makes dice size ice cubes and features a unique cleaning and sanitizing technology which makes it a stand out from all other brands. User friendly features include an easy access door and air filter and a computerized control.
Hoshizaki Restaurant Ice Machines
Another leading manufacturer of commercial ice cube machines, Hoshizaki has products that can make 55lb to 1800 lbs of cube-style ice. This Japanese company is the second largest commercial refrigeration producer in the world. Many of the chain restaurants use this brand because of its proven reliability. One model which would be ideal for restaurant operation is the Hoshizaki KM-151BAH Ice Maker (Best Price – Click Here). This model produces cube-style ice, has a daily 121-lb capacity and a built-in 78 lbs. ice storage. It features ENERGY STAR and complies with the California Energy Commission standards which guarantee its energy efficiency.
These are the highest quality commercial ice machines available. Of course the capacity of ice you will need will depend on how small or big your restaurant is and all of these brands offer restaurant ice machines with varying capacities.
To determine how much ice your operation will need, assume that one customer will consume an average of 1.5 pounds of ice throughout the course of a meal. Keep in mind also to choose a machine with faster freezing time when getting a small capacity ice maker. Many of the leading models can produce a tray of cubes every 10 minutes.
