I can in the summer months when I was little always nagging my mum to make ice cubes for our drinks, we used one of those little ice cube trays, filling it with water before we went to bed so they would be ready to use the next day, the only problem was by lunchtime we had run out. I can remember being impatient waiting for the trays to freeze especially if I had experimented making flavoured ice cubes to put in drinks. Making ice lollies in this method used to seem to take forever too!
If you put this scenario into a commercial setting, for instance a busy restaurant, pub or bar the demand for ice in drinks would far exceed the amount of ice which would be required, leaving customers with less than chilled drinks especially in the summer months.
Ice machines have now replaced the old fashioned trays in commercial settings; ice machines can churn out lumps of ice within minutes instead of waiting for hours. Oh course you can buy bags of ice, which can be kept in the freezer, but this is not cost effective in a commercial establishment and will often mean that not enough supply has been purchased to meet demand, although bags of ice in the domestic setting can last quite a while providing you have space in the freezer to store it.
Ice machines come in all shapes and sizes suitable for large or small businesses which require ice for beverages; they even come in a portable version which can be easily purchased for household use perfect for if you like entertaining. Portable ice machines are as such that they can used on boats, in caravans, cottages or at home, and because they are portable require no plumbing as they are filled manually. They have the ability to provide a steady flow of ice for a party so are more than suitable for summer barbecues and parties or a dinner party.
Commercial ice machines however are made on a much bigger scale due to the demands it must meet, there are tabletop versions which are similar to the domestic or portable model, but most larger machines will require plumbing in, plumbing for an ice machine is very similar to that of the washing machine, allowing for mains feed.
Ice machines are graded on the amount of ice they can produce in a set period of time, they are also graded upon the amount of ice the can store in their ice storage compartment, after all there is no point churning out ice if you have nowhere to store it.
The introduction of ice machines means that demand for ice is always met and no customer goes away unhappy when icy cool drinks are required, however I still think it's fun, especially if you have children to get out the old ice trays now and again and experiment making flavoured cubes or to buy those lolly moulds for homemade frozen refreshments.
Author Resource:-
Anna Stenning takes a closer look at making ice and how ice machines are an invaluable item of equipment in any establishment providing beverages.
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