An essential appliance in almost any commercial catering establishment is the commercial ice machine. Whether you’re serving up exotic cocktails for the Friday night crowd, or using flake ice as the finishing touch to a daring new dessert, ice is incredibly versatile as a catering tool.
What’s more, there are several kinds of ice that can be made by specialist appliances, so choosing the right one requires a little homework. Never fear – we at Comcater are on hand to guide you through the various types of ice – and which machine you should choose to get that perfect frozen H2O!
FLAKES
Flake ice is precisely what you’ll need if you’re looking to display food without it losing any of its freshness or natural appearance, such as fish and certain other perishables. It’s primarily used as a cooling medium, and is, in fact, ice’s most natural form. Ice machine specialist Brema’s M2000A can produce an enormous 2,200 kilograms of ice flake per day, at temperatures of -5° Celsius to -10° Celsius. Hence, the M2000A is the machine you need if you’re looking for unrivaled preservation and refrigeration elements from your flaked ice. It’s constructed from hospital-grade stainless steel, meaning that it will never rust or corrode, giving it an extremely long life.
CUBES
Perhaps the most common of all commercial ice forms, the cube is used to cool drinks in every hospitality establishment in Australia. Not only does this ice cube add that needed chill to drinks, but it is also compact and crystalline – completely clear and without flavour. The Brema CB416A has the ability to pump out 42 kilograms of ice cubes per day, and can hold up to 16 kilograms of the cold stuff.
This means that it can keep up with demand during the busiest service times, and will even give your profits a little helping hand. How? Well, ice from the CB416A retains its temperature for far longer than usual, so that cubes retain their full size and take up more space in the glass. Additionally, as this machine produces its ice cube in a meticulous, gradual manner, the taste is always clean, and will not ruin the flavour of your premium products by watering them down.
PEBBLES
Also referred to as nugget ice, pebbles are so-named for their small, unique shape. It’s also very well regarded for its incredible versatility, as pebble ice is especially suited to blended drinks such as cocktails, smoothies and frappes. This is because it crushes very easily, so your bar staff are blending for less time, which eases the strain on your blender’s blades. Pebble ice is really at home in a cocktail shakers, as it has the ability to cool the mixture in record time before it is strained and served. Pebble ice really looks the part, too – no one can resist the look of a cocktail with pebble ice on a hot summer’s day!
The Brema TB852A can deliver 85 kilograms of pebble ice a day, and can store up to 20 kilograms at any one time. This is a machine that comes equipped with its own water filter and limiting valve – items that would normally cost you an extra AU$300. Its innovative design means that the machine uses very little water or electricity throughout operation, saving you money from the utility bill, and easing the pressure on the Earth’s natural resources.
FAST
Never has an ice been more aptly named. Fast ice is so called as it is exceedingly quick to make, which is largely due to its small size and pyramid-shape.
This makes it the perfect match for a busy bar or a fast food restaurant – and the Brema VB250A is one of the fastest ice-makers of them all. This machine uses moulds to rapidly build up the fast cubes, meaning that the end product is as good as can be.
Not only will the VB250A produce 105 kilograms of tiny pyramid ice per day, cleaning the machine down after-hours down is also fast and efficient. That’s because no tools are needed, or panels requiring removing to clean its spray arms and filters, saving you valuable time.
To discover more about choosing the right ice machine for your needs, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the expert team at Comcater today. We can help you choose a machine that’s well-suited to what your business requires – just fill in the form and we will get back to you!
The Brema name has long been synonymous with high-quality ice-making equipment, and to give you even greater peace-of-mind, all of their machines come complete with a two-year parts and labour warranty. What’s more, you can always call Comcater’s 24-hour, seven-days-a-week service support hotline – it will be ‘ice’ to hear from you!
