WHAT ICEMAKER TO BUY?
What to look for
Ice adds sparkle and profit to all sorts of drinks, from cocktails to iced coffee, and machines offer a plethora of different shapes and sizes of ice.
How machines work
The ice-making section of an ice machine can work in one of several ways:
l manual: these are simply freezers into which trays of water are placed. Each takes 3-4 hours to convert to ice
l continuous cubers. Once the first cycle is commenced, these operate automatically.
l "hot grid" machines, where ice sheets form on an evaporator plate and are then separated into cubes by a heated grid cutter.
l prong-type machines form thimble shaped ice lollipop-fashion on freezing rods in a water bath
l spray type machines where inverted or horizontally aligned evaporators spray water into freezing cups. The resultant "waffle" of cubes then drops off following brief reversal of the freezing cycle
l auger-type machine operate by scraping ice particles off a freezing drum and then compressing them into ice pieces.
Continuous cubers are suitable up to 10 kg (about 550 cubes)per 24 hours while hot wire and prong-type machines can handle up to 30-40 kg. Most other machine types are to a modular construction and can handle very substantial outputs(200kg plus) if required.
Dispensers
A significant trend in ice-makers is towards front-of-house styling, with machines increasingly sited in locations visible to the public, and often used directly by customers. Hence, the growing choice of easy-to-use dispensers able to produce plentiful ice at the point-of-sale, in some cases with infra-red sensors for touch-free ice output. This in turn helps to minimise the contamination.
Machines takes two forms: icemakers with a mechanism which passes the made ice via auger to a dispense head; and dispenser units which are periodically filled with pre-made ice. Icemaker ranges which include ice maker/dispensers include Scotsman (Hubbard), Manitowoc, Hoshizaki and Ice-O-Matic (Welbilt).
Flakers
Major cocktail sales and/or large food displays may make it worth considering an ice flaker. These worth work on the same freezing drum principle as auger-type machines but harvest the ice in its flaked state. Because of its large surface area, flake ice has a faster cooling effect than cube ice.
Where flaked ice demand is more modest, a table-top ice crusher may fit the bill. Its hopper is hand-loaded with ice cubes and a motorised grinding mechanism converts pre-made ice cubes to a fine slurry.
Ice quality
Spray-type machines are generally considered to make the clearest ice because the water is kept circulating vigorously. Some prong-type machines aim for the same benefits by constantly agitating the water in the freezing bath by means of paddle or wave action. Auger-type produce hard but frosty white ice.
It is possible to specify full, dice or half-dice grids, notably on vertical and inverted evaporator systems. To cope with extra-heavy demands, some machines, notably prong and spray types, can be set on shorter cycles, producing the same number of ice cubes but to a smaller piece size.
Cleanliness
Hygiene is increasingly recognised as a priority in making ice, which is legally classified as a food. Despite its low temperature and apparent purity, ice can transmit bacterial contamination in a number of ways:
l exposure of the ice cubes to contamination by staff or customers, through sneezing, cigarette ash, dirty hands or scoops, etc.
l polluted incoming water supply, eg because of flow-back of water from the machines into the mains supply
l water in contact with bacteria inside the icemaker through lack of regular sanitising
l cross-contamination from yeast spores in cellars
For these and other reasons, cleanliness is a key consideration. Look for evidence that dirt cannot collect: eg rounded corners inside bins, minimal snagging points, easy strip-down and no inaccessible areas. One safeguard against contamination in the icemaker itself is to ensure that the machine purchased carries Water Research Centre (WRc) certification to show that it conforms to the UK Water Byelaws and Regulations.
Manufacturers recommend regular sanitising procedures, not just on the machine but on storage bins and ancillary equipment such as tongs and buckets. It also worth ensuring that drainage is adequate to deal with the discharge of melt and surplus water.
Water
With metering, water usage is becoming a significant issue and machine specifications should be scrutinised carefully on this point. Worst culprits tend to be water-cooled (as opposed to air-cooled) machines.
Scale build-up is a major bugbear, necessitating regular descaling on the parts of the machine which contact water. Water for ice-making should not be passed through a softener because this increases salt content. An in-line filter made of carbon-impregnated porcelain may be helpful. These need replacement every 3-6 months or so.
What to buy
Ice makers
A selection of starter models up to 50kg/day output
SUPPLIER MODEL METHOD KG/DAY LIST
PRICE
Aberna/Euroice E30 air-cooled 30 649
Angelo Po PGC22 spray/cube 22 592
Angelo Po PGC30 spray/cube 30 705
Angelo Po PGC42 spray/cube 42 784
CMC Eurofrigor spray 25 655
CMC Eurofrigor spray 30 785
CMC Eurofrigor spray 45 850
CMC Eurofrigor spray 70 1190
Coggins Welch Asland Simag SD22 spray 25 617
Coggins Welch Asland Simag SD30 spray 33 803
G.H.England Beaufort MP22 paddle 22 594
Electrolux FGC series spray 19 864
Euro Catering SAGI KG23 spray 23 725
Foster FC120 air-cooled 21 760
Foster FC130 air-cooled 30 1016
Foster FC140 air-cooled 38 1160
Frialator Brema CB184 air/wat 18-415 568-2474
R.H.Hall Eurofrigor EC20 paddle 20 699
Hoshizaki IM-21CLE air-cooled 22 865
Hubbard Scotsman Ice One spray/Supercube 23 657
Manitowoc QM20 vertical evap 21 940
Peachman Icematic N25 paddle 25 790
Project Distrib Pro-Ice Star20 spray 20 679
Valera/Whirlpool AGB022(K20) cutting grid 24 665
Valera/Whirlpool AGB024(K40) cutting grid 40 832
Valera/Porkka KL21 spray 19 599
Valera/Porkka KL41 spray 39 950
Valera/Porkka KL51 spray 50 1099
Welbilt/Ice-O-Matic ICE U-205 FA1E harvest ass't 109kg 2438
Zanussi CIM15A spray 22 1027
Zanussi CIM30A spray 27 1383
Zanussi CIM45A spray 39 1646
