Exploring Industrial Supplies

Ice is an essential ingredient for most commercial food establishments, yet access to ice is provided by a commercial ice machine. As such, there are many things that you need to take into consideration before you purchase a commercial ice machine for your facility. Among these considerations should be the type of ice that will best meet your needs.

Commercial ice machines are capable of producing one of three types of ice: cubed, flaked, and nugget ice. Understanding the differences between these types of ice will allow you to select a machine that can produce the ice variety that's right for your food establishment.

1. Cubed Ice

Cubed ice comes in a few varieties. You can choose from full-cubed, half-cubed, or regular-cubed. Each unique variety offers its own benefits. In general, full-cubed ice is great for use in high-end cocktails and other beverages that are consumed slowly. Full-cubed ice can keep a drink cool over a long period of time because this type of ice melts slowly.

Half-cubed ice is typically found in soft drinks. The smaller size makes half-cubed ice more affordable than full-cubed, but it tends to melt faster than its full-cubed counterpart. Conversely, regular-cubed ice is a smaller version of the full-cubed variety. The fact that regular-cubed ice won't melt too quickly helps make it popular at bars and restaurants.

2. Flaked Ice

Flaked ice is soft and easy to mold into various shapes. This versatility makes flaked ice a great option for food displays since it can be molded around meats and other perishable foods. You will also find flaked ice used as the base of smoothies or other blended drinks because its soft nature allows it to easily integrate with other ingredients.

Flaked ice is rarely used as a means of cooling beverages. The soft nature of flaked ice allows it to melt too quickly when exposed to liquids, which can water down a person's drink.

3. Nugget Ice

Nugget ice is commonly referred to as chewable ice. Nugget ice falls between cubed ice and flaked ice on the hardness scale. The larger surface area of nugget ice allows the ice to stay fresh for longer than flaked ice would, but nugget ice is softer and more palatable than cubed ice.

Since many people enjoy chewing on their ice once their drink has been consumed, nugget ice is a popular choice for use in soft drinks.

When you know the type of ice that will benefit your facility most, you can purchase the commercial ice maker that can produce the ice you need. To learn more, contact a company that provides commercial ice makers.