Is a Commercial Nugget Ice Maker Right for Your Business?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Food Service - Restaurants/Bars, Healthcare, Ice Types, Learn About Ice Machines

Nugget Ice from Nugget Ice Maker

What is Nugget Ice?

Nugget ice goes by a few names such as cubelet ice, chewblet ice, hospital ice, and Sonic ice after the famous drive-in franchise. Nugget ice is soft and chewable. Perfect for people who enjoy chewing ice, but don’t want to risk the chance of chipping a tooth. If you are looking for where you can buy a nugget ice machine, our all-inclusive ice machine lease might be a great fit! Read on to see how commercial nugget ice makers might be a great fit for your business.

Commercial Nugget Ice Maker for Bars and Restaurants

One of the reasons nugget ice is so popular with people is because it’s soft and retains liquid.

If you’ve ever had a slushie at Sonic, you’ve likely had nugget ice. It’s soft and chewable texture absorbs the flavor of sugary drinks, leaving customers with a sweet treat, much like a snow cone.

Restaurants that serve a lot of soft drinks, like soda and sandwich shops, prefer a nugget ice machine because it produces the type of cube that pairs well with these drinks.

3 ice cubes

Tired of dealing with ice machine issues on your own?
Find out how Easy Ice makes them disappear.

Bars and restaurants that serve sweet tropical cocktails, like Mai Tais or Margaritas, also enjoy nugget ice.

Nugget Ice Maker for Hospitals and Clinics

Commercial Nugget ice makers are sometimes referred to as ice chip maker in some circles. Nugget ice was specifically designed with hospitals and clinics in mind. Many patients have a hard time swallowing liquid, but doctors and nurses still need to keep them hydrated.

A cup of nugget ice is just what doctors order! Patients can chew on the soft ice and hydrate themselves in the process.

Just as with small children, nugget ice has less of a chance to block the airway of a patient who has a hard time swallowing.

Nugget Ice Maker for Physical Therapy

A nugget ice machine is the best ice machine for injuries and an excellent addition to any physical therapy or sports medicine clinic. Nugget ice’s soft texture makes it semi-moldable. When placed in a plastic bag, nugget ice hugs difficult to treat body parts like elbows and knees. This type of ice cube provides more surface area to the region, meaning a better cooling surface to treat injuries better.

One problem with traditional cubed or crescent-shaped ice is that it can tear through bags as it melts. Large ice cubes can melt and eventually become jagged, ripping holes in plastic bags and leaking water on the floor. Since nugget ice is soft and pliable, it’s far less likely to tear a hole in a plastic bag.

Commercial Nugget Ice Maker Machine for Elementary Schools

Face it, kids like to chew ice, and they often overestimate the strength of their tiny baby teeth.

Nugget ice has a higher water to ice ration, meaning the cube isn’t fully frozen solid. This makes these cubes a lot easier on the chompers than more traditional shapes of ice.

Children that chew on a smoother, larger cubes of ice, like crescent ice and square ice, can damage tooth enamel or chip teeth as they bite down and crack through a cube. Rather than cracking through a rock-like cube, nugget ice is like chomping down on firm snow, which is much easier on your little one’s developing teeth.

3 ice cubes

Need help finding the right ice machine for your business?
Easy Ice has the right machine for you.

A commercial nugget ice machine is also helpful for school nurses the same way nugget ice helps physical therapy clinics. Kids love to roughhouse during recess and that means the occasional bruise or scrape. Nugget ice provides a no-hassle way to sooth kids injuries with a cold compress.

Finally, since kids love sugary drinks, nugget ice is an excellent choice for kids who love to chew on ice!

Whether for Form or Function, Nugget Ice Makers are Great for Any Business

You don’t have to run a hospital or clinic to see the benefits of owning a nugget ice machine. Everyone from students to movie stars love its chewable texture and the way it accompanies their favorite drinks.

If you’re a bar or restaurant looking to offer your customers a unique beverage experience, a nugget ice maker might be right for you! Instead of looking for where to buy a nugget ice machine, check out some of the nugget ice machines we carry under our commercial ice machine subscription program.

Our team is available to help you get started today!
866-easyice(327-9423)