Commercial ice machines serve the needs of countless businesses, from restaurants and delis, to hotels, convenience stores, healthcare facilities, grocery stores and standard offices. For icing drinks or attractively displaying products in cases for shoppers, selecting the right type of commercial ice machine requires considering multiple factors. To do this, you need to first understand the different types of commercial ice machines that are available.
There are four major categories of commercial ice machines that vary widely based on the amount of ice they can produce in a day: modular or ice machine heads, undercounter, countertop dispenser/maker combo, and ice and water dispenser combo machines. The highest capacity machines are modular, or ice machine heads, which can make well over 1000 lbs. of ice daily. With these machines, you will also need to purchase additional equipment to store and dispense the ice. Businesses with lower volumes of ice requirements, up to approximately 500 lbs. of ice daily, can choose from undercounter ice machines or countertop ice dispenser/maker combos. Another available option is a combination ice and water machine.
Within each of these varieties, it is also important to understand the type of ice that can be produced. The most common options are cube ice, nugget ice and flake ice, but even within these categories there are even more size and shape choices. Buying a commercial ice machine from a high-quality online restaurant equipment auction like PCI Auctions provides you with the opportunity to own a high-performance commercial ice machine at a fraction of the price of buying new.
High-quality commercial ice machines from recognized brands can provide years of reliable service. Recommended brands include Avantco, Follett, Hoshizaki, Ice-O-Matic, Manitowoc, Scotsman.