What is the best kind of ice for your restaurant?

As any restaurant or hotel owner knows, ice is a big part of serving great beverages and keeping patrons happy. This means having the right type of ice to do the job. If you don’t have the right ice machine to suit your needs however, you will find that you waste time, energy and ultimately money. No one wants to crush cubed ice down so that it can be used to cool a bucket of beer and customers won’t appreciate it if the ice is so large that it doesn’t cool the beer in the first place. This is only one example of how using the wrong type of ice can impact your business.
So, which type of ice machine do you need? Perhaps the truth is that you need more than one. Understanding what each type of ice is best will tell you whether you need to change the type of ice machine you have or even add another type of ice to your arsenal.

Cubes are best for Drinks

If cold drinks are the primary reason you use ice, a cubed machine is going to offer the best option. Cubed ice melts the slowest and won’t water down a drink in a hurry. They also take up more room in the glass per piece which means that you need fewer cubes per glass. This makes it easier for a bartender or drink maker to prepare. Rather than working off methods like half full with ice, you can define how many actual cubes you need. This means a higher level of drink consistency.

Flakes keep things Coolest

If you are putting anything on ice from beverages to a salad bar, flakes offer the best base. Unlike cubes, flakes are smaller and easier to work through with cans or bottles. They also offer a better surface area on which to place bowls or platters. Flaked ice machines can also produce more ice because the require cooling time for a flake is less than a cube. If you have a cold food display or want to serve beverages out of a bucket, it makes sense to have a flaking ice machine on site.

Nuggets are a two way Street

The last type of ice machine you can buy is a nugget ice machine. Nuggets offer a best of both worlds scenario, but aren’t the best for either operation. Because nuggets are just smaller cubes they can be used for drinks and cold food tables alike. In fact, they are actually better for carbonated beverages than either flakes or cubes. These versatile ice chunks are great for businesses that offer both adult and child drink choices.
It’s clear that the type of ice machine you choose should be based on what you want to do with it. You may decide that you need a second ice machine to fulfill all the needs of your business. On the other hand, you may realize that you’ve simply been using the wrong type of ice. Whatever the case, using the right type of ice is going to have a positive impact on your business.
  
Other great articles on restaurant equipment such as this one can be found at the following link http://www.pricemykitchen.com