If you need soft, moldable ice, a flake ice machine is the best option for your business. While flake ice is commonly used in food displays, it has other uses as well. Businesses use flake ice for serving shellfish, for treating injuries, and, of course, to cool beverages.
Here are some of the ways a flake ice maker can benefit your business.
What is Flake Ice?
Flake ice is a soft, moldable form of ice similar to crushed ice. However, flake ice has more of a snow-like texture than crushed ice, which makes it easier to work with when creating food displays. Crushed ice is made by crushing fully formed cubes. What results is a handful of crushed bits from a hard, solid cube. Flake ice, on the other hand, has a light, airy feel that allows it to mold together to form shapes easily.
Flake ice is used in several applications. Here are the most popular...
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Flake Ice Machines for Food Displays
Flake ice was designed with food displays in mind. That includes seafood and produce displays, where food needs to stay on ice to keep fresh. Flake ice is also great for beverage displays or drink tubs, where customers can grab their drinks. Flake ice holds bottles and cans in place and provides even cooling throughout.
Flake ice machines produce ice that is light and airy, so ice sticks to itself. The texture of the ice allows you to create mounds of ice to present food or drinks any way you’d like. Flake ice enables business owners to get creative with their products. Show food or drinks off in dazzling displays that entice customers, but feel safe knowing they will stay fresh on display.
If you run a fish market, a large industrial flake ice machine is the most cost-effective way to supply fishmongers with ice. These industrial ice makers can produce hundreds of pounds of flake ice to display to potential customers.
Flake Ice Makers for Hospitals and Physical Therapy
Along with nugget ice, flake ice is popular in hospital ice makers and ice chip makers. Doctors and physical therapists use it to treat sprains and other injuries.
Since flake ice is soft and malleable, it provides a more even cooling surface than other types of ice cubes. Since the ice is able to make more contact with the injured area, it provides maximum heat transfer. The ice pulls heat from the injured area faster and more evenly.
Flake ice is also softer than traditional ice cubes, so they are easier on plastic bags. Over time, ice cubes melt and become more jagged, increases the chance that the bag will rip open leaking water over the patient. Since flake ice is so soft, it won’t cut through cold compresses. Patients can heal and stay dry in the process!
Flake Ice Machines for Bars and Restaurants
Flake ice makers are used in restaurants and bars to produce ice for drinks and other uses.
Flake ice is an excellent addition to specialty drinks. Classic cocktails like mai tais and margaritas are best served over crushed ice, but that often requires a blender. With flake ice, bar staff can grab ice and toss it into any cocktail without using a blender.
Blended drinks, like daiquiris, are a notorious hassle for bar staff because they take time to make and the process pulls them away from other customers. Furthermore, traditional ice cubes are rough on blenders and can break them over time. Flake ice makes blending fast and easy, so your staff can quickly serve drinks to customers and save money buying multiple blenders.
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Flake ice machines are also beneficial for oyster bars. Traditionally, oysters are served on a bed of cold rock salt to keep them in place on a plate. Many oyster bars have switched to using flake ice because it keeps oysters at a safe serving temperature and still keeps them locked in place.
Where Can I Get a Flake Ice Machines?
Many manufacturers make flake ice makers. Both Manitowoc and Hoshizaki flake ice machine models are some of the best ice machines in the industry. These machines come in all sizes, from 50 lbs to over 1000 lbs of ice a day.
Here at Easy Ice, we have flake ice makers to meet the needs of restaurants, bars, or hospitals. Whether you need a large ice maker, or a small commercial ice maker, every machine comes with two preventive maintenance and cleaning visits per year. If you are looking for an inexpensive ice machine solution, instead of purchasing ice making equipment for sale, check out our all inclusive ice machine lease program. We offer everything from the equipment to the cleaning, maintenance, and repairs. for a low, monthly charge. If you’re looking for a flake ice machine for your business, give us a call, and one of our helpful Ice Machine Experts will help find the right model for you!