How To Choose An Ice Maker To Meet Your Ice Production Needs

July 19 2023

When choosing an ice maker, it is important to pay attention to the following key aspects: performance. When you want to buy an ice maker for home use, the ice maker should make a small amount of ice per day. If you need a professional ice maker (for example, for use in a small cafe or restaurant), then you should look for a more productive device (which produces 30-50 kilograms of ice per day). Industrial ice machines are considered the most efficient and can produce hundreds of kilograms of ice, so it is important to familiarize yourself with premium ice equipment. The type of installation of the ice maker plays a significant role in the choice. Some ice makers are freestanding, while others can be placed on the table or elsewhere in the kitchen. However, you need to understand that you should not expect high performance from built-in ice generators, because such models are more compact, they are ideal for use at home or in small cafes and bars.

The method of water supply to the ice generator

The Bftech company presents models with different types of water supply. Models with automated water supply are more suitable for catering establishments, supermarkets, hypermarkets, and the food industry.

Form of making ice

If you plan to cool drinks and cocktails with ice, then first of all you should pay attention to the ice generator and the form of ice it can make (some devices can make ice in the form of pyramids or cubes). When you need to use ice to cool and preserve food (for example, fish or meat), you need a model that produces ice in a cylindrical shape. The finished form of ice can be integral or removable. Built-in equipment is widely used for making ice in homes, cafes, restaurants, and other small businesses.

How to choose an ice maker?

Almost all food processes use ice. It is necessary for serving cold cocktails, and drinks in cafes and restaurants, preparing delicious coffee, and presenting cold fish products at retail. As conventional refrigerators cannot make enough ice, professional ice-making equipment is required. In the Bftech assortment, this device is presented simultaneously with a large number of models from several well-known manufacturers. Each model is designed to solve a specific task. Therefore, you need to know how to choose an ice generator and what key parameters to pay attention to in each case.

What kind of ice does your bar, shop, or home need?

The principle of operation of the ice generator is to quickly freeze water at a low temperature. The key feature and difference between different models of ice makers is the type of ice produced. Before choosing a specific device, think about what kind of ice you need. The principle of operation of the device largely depends on this. Cubic, cylindrical, finger ice. This is especially pure ice, which is formed when a layer of water freezes. It is needed to serve cold drinks and cocktails, etc. because the ice is clean and fragile. Ice makers that make this type of ice usually have an effective water pre-filter system. Ice generators that make flake ice. During the production of this type of ice, water is sprayed into a special drum, a thin layer of water solidifies, and then the ice is sliced. Flake ice is often used as a cooling base for a variety of perishable foods such as salads, meat, and fish. Granulated ice. Ice generators produce granulated ice by destroying ice particles that form on the surface of a special cylindrical evaporator. Such ice has a natural shape and is used mainly for serving ready meals.

What to consider when choosing ice machines for a store or restaurant?

To be sure that the ice maker does its job perfectly, the following points should be taken into account when choosing: the type of cooling. The most popular ice maker with an air cooling system. The performance of such devices directly depends on the ambient air temperature, so it is not recommended to use them in "hot" compact kitchens and other rooms with high air temperatures. Such an ice maker must be installed with an opening for proper air circulation. Water-cooled ice makers are often used in hot, humid environments and open kitchens. Water-cooled ice makers offer the same high performance on ice and save up to 10% on electricity, but use more water. The phenomenon of the efficiency of the ice generator. The productivity of a standard ice maker ranges from 15 to 60 kilograms of ice per day. It is important to choose the capacity of the ice generator for a specific object (cafe, bar, restaurant) taking into account actual needs. 

If you miss the moment of selecting the ice maker you need according to its power factor, you may not have enough ice or, on the contrary, your device will be idle. Connection type. Some models collect water directly from the water supply system. In other models, you need to directly pour water into a special place and only then turn on the ice maker to produce ice. Energy consumption. It does not hurt to know and take into account the energy consumption of each device used. You should understand that an ice maker is a special type of device that can make large amounts of ice. The principle of operation of the device is the same as that of the well-known refrigerator. The main difference is the presence or absence of frozen drainage and different water supply systems.

How it works: An internal pump creates pressure that causes the water to hit the walls of the evaporator and freeze. Ice crystals are gradually poured into a special mold. Then the cubes are separated from the mold based on the ingredient, the granules are scraped with a special knife, frozen, and then placed in a hopper. All processes are controlled by a time relay for possible problems, such as lack of water. Let's take a closer look at the details of the operation of the ice maker. This device removes heat from the water in the evaporator by boiling. 

The compressor extracts the gas, compresses it, and pumps it, then the released energy and heat are transferred to the condenser. The condenser gives this heat to the environment by condensing the refrigerant. An ice maker has a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and an expansion mechanism. Additional design elements provide it with trouble-free and automatic operation. Depending on the model, the device is equipped with different vaporizers. Some ice makers can make ice of a certain shape (cubic, cylindrical, etc.). In flake ice production, evaporation can take any form. With the help of a special tool, the ice is crushed and then crushed. The process of freezing ice flakes is continuous.

Different models of ice generators, which are available in the wide assortment of the Bftech company, contain two types of cooling. Air-cooled ice machines require moderate water consumption, but good ventilation must be provided around the unit and the air temperature must not exceed +35 °C. Otherwise, the ice maker will fail. Water-cooled ice makers use a lot of water but save electricity. These devices can be connected to other equipment and used in hot and humid conditions. Depending on the installation method, there are industrial ice generators: floor ice generators, as a rule, these are stationary installations with water supply systems, which are installed, for example, in supermarkets, canteens, and large catering establishments. These models are equipped with special ice storage tanks. They are characterized by high efficiency. Desktop ice makers are very compact and functional devices that can produce up to 50 kilograms of ice per day. Table ice generators are suitable for bars and small cafes, they do not require connection to the water supply system. Built-in ice makers are the perfect bar equipment to integrate into your bar counter. These models of ice generators can be connected to both a water supply and a water bottle.

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