A Detailed Look At Ice Makers
Types of Ice Makers
An icemaker, ice maker, or ice machine generally refers to an add-on component for making ice, found inside a home freezer; a stand-alone appliance for making ice; or a commercial machine for making ice on a large scale. The terms "ice maker" and "ice machine" usually refer to the stand-alone appliance, although the implied name can vary depending on the application. What's important is that you understand the basic types of ice makers and how they are best used in our day-to-day lives.
Portable Ice Makers
Portable Ice Makers are generally compact in size; do not need a permanent water line; they plug into any standard 110V outlet; and you only need to pour water into them. Portable ice makers will make ice very quickly (in as little as 6 minutes), however, they are not freezers and thus will not keep the ice frozen for any length of time. The ice will melt, and the machine will continuously recycle the water to make more ice. Also, these small models can only hold a tiny fraction of their full ice making capacity (up to 35 lbs. per day), so you will need to empty them frequently if you need more ice to be made. One of the best uses for a portable ice maker is its ability to be easily moved between the kitchen, rec-room, bar, patio, poolside, etc. Their small size also makes them great companions while camping, during picnics, tailgaiting, boating, or any other outdoor application.
Undercounter Ice Makers
As the name implies, Undercounter Ice Makers or Built In Ice Makers are designed with front ventillation to allow them to be built in or between cabinetry. Built-in ice makers should be installed by a professional plumber. They take a permanent water line, and some of them also need a drain line. These can store much more ice than a portable model, and can keep it frozen longer. The vast majority of consumer oriented built-in ice makers do not offer a refrigerated storage bin. At some point the ice produced will melt and the resulting water may need to be drained from the machine. The most common way to achieve this goal is to establish a permanent gravity drain line. The gravity drain line will exit the back of the machine and carry the water to a nearby drain located below the ice maker. If your drain location is not below the machine, or is located several feet away, you may need to purchase an additional condensate pump to transport the drainage. Some ice makers will offer a built in condensate pump if you prefer to have the pump included within the body of the unit. If you do not have access to a drain and are unable to establish a permanent drain line for your ice maker you may need to manually drain the water from the machine periodically.
Commercial Ice Machines
Most Commercial Ice Machines produce all three basic types of fragmentary ice: flake, nugget and clear cube, using a variety of techniques. Commercial ice machines are also able to produce these various ice types in different sizes: small, medium and large. These ice machines are commercial and industrial grade and perfectly suited for any restaurant, bar, office or home environment. Able to produce and store the largest quantity of ice, commercial ice machines are adept at handling the largest demands for ice. One important thing to note is that commercial ice machines come engineered as either self contained or modular. Self contained ice machines are ones where ice production and storage is done in one contained unit, whereas modular ice machines are designed to only produce ice. Coupling a modular ice machine unit with a compatible ice storage bin unit allows for storage functionality in modular machines.
Outdoor Ice Makers
Outdoor Ice Makers come in a variety of sizes and are generally constructed of higher grade parts to make them more resistant to year round weather conditions. These models are perfectly suited for convenient outdoor entertaining by the pool, patio, backyard or outdoor bar. While most outdoor ice makers are similar to your normal undercounter models, outdoor ice makers do have some unique defining features. These models are not only built to withstand the elements better than an undercounter model, outdoor ice makers are better insulated as well which reduces the amount of melting ice. This in turn reduces energy usage since the ice maker does not need to make as much ice to replace the melted ice.
Clear, Bullet, Crescent, Flake & Nugget Ice
Ice makers generally create ice categorized as being either opaque or clear. Opaque or "soft" ice is cloudy in appearance and has the ability to absorb moisture - primarily through the penetration of the liquids into air pockets through the body of the ice, not unlike the way in which water penetrates a sponge. Opaque ice is generally preferred over hard or "clear" ice because of the almost instant cooling affects, as well as the ability to "absorb" liquids to later provide residual tastes as the penetrated areas of the ice are melted. As an added bonus, 87% of all dentists surveyed prefer opaque soft ice over clear hard ice for their patients that habitually chew ice. The lower the temperature used to create the ice, the softer it is perceived. Most ice makers produce opaque soft ice.
Clear Ice, on the other hand is not penetrable and offers only the external surface for cooling. Hard ice is generally clear in appearance and is considered a restaurant-quality, gourmet ice with cubes that do not have the "cloudy" appearance of regular ice. This is usually accomplished by use of running water that is cooled between 27°F and 32°F, and whose air and impurities have been removed during the freezing process. This allows the ice to form in clear layers which last for much longer before melting, and does not release as much water. Clear ice is completely odorless and tasteless, however, clear icemakers are almost always more expensive.
Bullet Shaped Ice is cylindrical or bullet shaped with a round hole in the middle and an opaque appearance. This type of ice is fairly common and is able to be make quickly (within minutes) by portable ice makers. Crescent Shaped Ice is perhaps the most common form of ice and is usually made from a common fridge/freezer ice maker. Opaque in appearance, this type of ice is also made by undercounter ice makers.
Flake Ice is generally all white in appearance, and consists of small, hard bits of ice that can be used in a large variety of applications. Flake ice cools more quickly than other forms of ice and has a low production cost, making a it a great choice for many businesses. Although flake ice has common household uses, it is generally added ability to mold to any shape for convenient use in commercial applications such as as a packing ice for coolers, displays and salad bars.
Nugget Ice is also known as pellet ice. Benefits of nugget ice include the fact that they usually melt slower than other ice types so drinks do not dilute as quickly and are easy to chew for those that enjoy chewing ice. Also, nugget ice has a crisp and clear appearance that many find desirable. This appearance gives beverages and drinks a more "refreshing" look.
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