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Small but cool

Extract from Catering Insight article

May 2017

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With kitchen space becoming ever scarcer how are ice machine suppliers reacting to these compact requirements? Catering Insight asks a selection of manufacturers and suppliers.

Every operator seems to be asking dealers to specify the very smallest appliances for an increasingly squeezed kitchen space, and the ice makers sector is no exception. So when distributors have to face this decision, what units are out there for them to recommend, and how small can these ice machines realistically go without compromising functionality?

DC Warewashing & Icemaking Systems, director Bob Wood detailed: "The size and location of ice makers in catering establishments will play a large part in determining which make and model would be best suited. Self-service ice dispensers are also becoming very popular - located in the dining area, these machines save valuable kitchen space."

However, he warned: "There has been a distinct trend in recent years in the amount of low grade ice making machines and systems on the market, usually being offered at very low prices, which are generally smaller, more compact models. Specifiers should ensure that they compare like-for-like in terms of overall quality and value for money."

Emphasising that distributors should ensure that there is enough space left behind an ice machine to allow for ventilation, Wood believes that manufacturers have also been working hard to design and produce ice making machines and systems that are significantly 'greener' and more environmentally-friendly than their predecessors, without compromising quality of ice, ice production or storage capacity.

DC's own latest minimal footprint model is the self-contained 'Pebble' ice machine which is specifically designed for use in cocktail bars, cafes, fast-food outlets, pubs and cafeterias. The range produces a new hybrid ice utilising a cylindrical evaporator to create small trapezoidal cubes that bridge the gap between granular and cubed ice. Unlike modular machines, which have separate production and storage bins, self-contained ice makers have an integral storage bin.

The smallest machine in the range produces 85kg of ice in a 24 hour period and stores up to 20kg, whilst the largest produces up to 140kg of ice in a 24 hour period and stores up to 50kg.

Read the full article in Catering Insight magazine May 2017 issue ...



 

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