Looking to elevate your grilled dishes with a Salamander Grill? With its ability to grill quickly and evenly while giving your dishes an appealing golden finish, a Salamander Grill will impress your customers at first sight. Let Saigon Horeca help...
Read More
- News
Top 6 Fantastic Ice Shapes Created by Ice Makers
- December 3, 2023
Most people are familiar with the conventional ice cubes, unless you work in the food service industry. If not, you may not be aware that there are various types of ice cubes available in today’s market. Due to the diverse applications of ice, it comes in different shapes and sizes. These ice variations wouldn’t exist without the presence of ice makers and accompanying equipment.
When using an ice maker, you may encounter six main types of ice. From square cubes to flake ice or specially shaped ice sheets, each form caters to various ice-related needs. Understanding the different types and shapes of ice allows you to make a more informed decision about which ice to use. Not all ice is created equal, so let’s explore the characteristics of these six ice shapes, ensuring that you not only have a quality ice maker but also attract your customers.
In this article
Đọc bài viết với ngôn ngữ Tiếng Việt
Top 6 Fantastic Ice Shapes Created by Ice Makers
Small Nugget Ice
Known as “nugget ice” popularized by the fast-food chain Sonic, the nugget-shaped ice has a soft and chewable texture. One of its key advantages is its excellent blending with beverages. Any drink cooled and paired with nugget ice retains its original flavor, making it perfect for food service establishments. Unlike other types of ice produced by ice makers, nugget ice rarely sticks together and melts slowly.
If you are serving beverages or working in the food industry and want customers to enjoy chewing ice with their drinks or desserts, a nugget ice maker is an excellent choice. It’s also the perfect ice type for use in healthcare facilities. Well-known brands like Manitowac, Ice-O-Matic, Hoshizaki, and Follett manufacture machines that produce this type of ice. Sonic Drive-In, a fast-food restaurant, has chosen this ice type for their drinks. Some restaurants even pack nugget ice in bags for customers to take home. This ice is also handy for use in creating salads.
Nugget ice is ideal for carbonated beverages like soda and various cocktail combinations. Some establishments use nugget ice to cool and display food on shelves and salad bars, keeping the food consistently cool and fresh.
Flake Ice
In addition to traditional square ice cubes, flake ice can also be considered a popular and widely favored ice form. Often used in shaved ice and various desserts, flake ice is also employed in frozen beverages due to its soft and fluffy structure, making it easy to blend.
This type of ice is favored for its charming appearance and resilience. Flake ice is commonly used for cooling and displaying foods such as meats, seafood, and vegetables. If you are a business providing frozen products for self-service buffets or in the meat and seafood section at markets, a flake ice maker might be the perfect choice for you. Flake ice makers are also suitable for cocktail bars serving chilled drinks and providing chewable ice. Trusted brands like Ice-O-Matic and Manitowac are reliable choices in this field.
Flake ice is also ideal for food display, as it can retain freshness for a longer period. Therefore, displayed food maintains better moisture levels and can be preserved for an extended time. Additionally, since it can be packed into any shape, flake ice is a popular choice for transporting perishable food items.
Full Cube Ice
The full cube ice shape is the most common. If you have a refrigerator with an ice tray, you can create full cube-shaped ice. This shape is ideal for most types of beverages and is easy to produce. That’s why most bars, restaurants, fast-food outlets, and convenience stores use full cube-shaped ice for their drinks. Most ice makers and retail outlets also produce full cube-shaped ice.
If you’re serving customers with various iced drinks, creative cocktails, or need to package and distribute ice, you need an ice maker. This type of machine is the perfect choice for bars, restaurants, and commercial ice packaging facilities. Ice-O-Matic, Manitowac, and Hoshizaki all manufacture small square or full cube ice makers with different sizes and thicknesses, suitable for most bars, restaurants, coffee shops, bubble tea shops, and beverage stores. It’s worth noting that Hoshizaki ice makers also produce round ice cubes used for decorating premium drinks.
These ice makers produce ice cubes with a very high purity water ratio, resulting in long-lasting and crystal-clear ice cubes. They don’t compromise the taste of the drinks and even make them more interesting with beautiful decorations. The efficiency is also increased as you don’t need to use as much ice per drink.
The full cube ice shape, depending on size, quickly cools any beverage. Its large size also means they melt slowly, which is why they are the top choice in the foodservice industry. Full cube ice is also used in commercial and industrial settings for bulk packaging or cooling.
Half Cube Ice
As the name suggests, half cubes are half the size of full cube-shaped ice. One might say its shape is somewhat similar to an avocado pit. An excellent choice for businesses in the bar, bubble tea, or restaurant industry is to use a half cube ice maker. These types of ice cubes are popular in many bars, restaurants, and self-serve beverage establishments. Specifically, Half Dice ice is well-suited for beverage businesses that serve soft drinks, iced tea, bubble tea, coffee, and fruit juice, as they can hold a large amount of ice in the drink. Scotsman and Manitowac are two renowned brands that manufacture half cube ice makers, ensuring quality and always being a top choice in the market.
Half cube ice is easy to handle and blends perfectly with various beverages. They are also easy to dispense. While not as common as full cube-shaped ice, half cube ice has gained acceptance in the foodservice industry. Many businesses have shown a preference for smaller ice cubes than full cubes but more notable than flake ice. Some drinks often mixed with half cube ice include iced coffee and various mixed cocktails.
Gourmet Ice
Gourmet ice is often utilized by upscale restaurants and luxurious catering services during parties and special occasions. Its unique shape helps beverages maintain their flavors without diluting them, unlike other types of ice.
If you are the owner of a high-end bar or restaurant, where the art of presenting drinks is considered an integral part of the upscale culinary experience, consider using a gourmet ice maker to produce ice for those who appreciate premium beverages. The perfect purity of water in the ice creates beautiful and long-lasting, crystal-clear ice cubes, making them an excellent choice for high-end chilled drinks. These ice cubes do not melt quickly, helping to preserve the flavor of the drink and leaving your customers satisfied. Manitowac manufactures uniquely shaped octagonal ice cubes, while Ice-O-Matic produces highly artistic ice cubes as seen in the images.
Gourmet ice cubes have no drawbacks; they are nearly transparent, odorless, and melt slower than other types of ice. Resembling a shot glass in shape, combined with its transparency, gourmet ice creates a visually stunning and impressive appearance. To produce gourmet ice cubes, a specialized ice maker is required.
Crescent Ice
This type of ice is called “crescent ice” due to its crescent moon-like shape. Its unique shape allows drinks to flow smoothly, and it tends to stick together less frequently. As a result, there is less splashing when drinking, providing better circulation for the beverage. Because it is smaller than other ice shapes, you can also store more in the ice bin.
While crescent ice may not be as common as other types, it is highly versatile. It can be used in various applications. Opt for this type of ice if you want to minimize splashing when pouring from the ice bin. To produce crescent ice, you’ll need a specialized ice maker.
>> To discover more about how to create such unique stones, expand your knowledge with the article here. This article will take you on a journey to explore the world of ice makers and the secrets behind the creative shapes of these stones. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore uniqueness and creativity through the article at the following link: How to find an ice maker that suits you?
+84 901 304 365
Monday - Friday
from 8h00 to 18h00
TP Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Số 40 Đường số 6, KDC Melosa Khang Điền, Phú Hữu, HCM.
contact@saigonhoreca.com
Contact anytime
Related Posts
In the context of the rapidly growing culinary and food service industry, investing in industrial kitchen equipment for a canteen kitchen is not only a smart choice but also a key factor for long-term success. Modern industrial kitchen equipment offers...
Read More
