Which Ice Cube Is Right For You?

Before deciding if you want a modular or self-contained ice machine, an air-cooled or a water-cooled unit to purchase there are a couple things to consider: What do you plan to use it for and, in some cases, what type of establishment you’re buying it for. When selecting an ice machine, the most important thing to keep in mind aside from production rate is the shape of the ice that the machine makes. Each type of ice has its own benefits and drawbacks.

A Few Of Your Ice Cube Choices

Half Cube: These cubes are square shaped and very widely used. You’ve probably see them pretty much any time you go out to eat. They are available in half sized and full sized cubes.

Contour: These cubes are flatter and therefore have higher displacement than half cubes. That directly increases the profit margin on your drinks.

Gourmet: These cubes are round on the side and flat on the top and the bottom. Since they look much nicer than standard half cube ice, they are often used in drinks that are served “on the rocks.” They also melt very slowly, making them good to use for banquet service.

Flake: Flake ice is a loose definition of a group of ice types with irregular particle sizes. These types can be roughly grouped into two main types: scale ice and granular ice. This can cause confusion as different manufacturers, industries or even geographical areas will say flake ice and mean different things.

Flake is the type of ice used in grocery stores, salad bars, and catering food displays. This style cools down quickly, making it ideal to pack fish and produce. Flake ice machines are also great for bars and restaurants that serve high volumes of blended cocktails or smoothies. The flakes break easily, reducing the amount of wear and tear on your commercial blenders.

Nugget: Also known as “chewable” or even “Sonic” (after the quick service chain that uses nugget ice in all of their drinks), nugget has a major consumer following. This style looks like condensed pellets of ice, and has a wide variety of uses. It is particularly popular in beverages, because it is soft, very easy to chew, and quickly absorbs the flavor of the drink. Like flake, nugget is also good for packing food (like fish and meat), food display, and blended drinks.

Crescent: Crescent ice is clear and slow melting, which maintains the taste of soft drinks, cocktails, and high-end scotches and whiskeys. The ice cube’s flat, crescent shape allows more cubes to fit in a glass, making drinks look fuller. The cube’s design also prevents liquids from splashing out of a container when poured. Crescent ice is an excellent choice for prepping food or keeping bottles and cans cool in beer troughs.

Across a wide spectrum of industries, bar owners, restaurant managers, and facilities managers choose crescent ice for its adaptability and durability. Slower melting ice also means your employees make fewer trips to the ice machine, increasing productivity.Click this text to start editing. This block allows you to add as many rows as you’d like, making it perfect for displaying a timeline, or narrating a business process. Click the green + sign on each row to add one below it. Double click the images to change them.

The most notable brand of Commercial Ice Machines are by Hoshizaki, Ice-O-Matic, Scotsman, and Manitowoc. 

If you need assistance in determining what type of ice or ice machine is best suited for your business, give Jack Frost Company a call.  We will be glad to help 208-444-8500

Instead of performing regular commercial HVAC service maintenance on their systems, many building managers tend to put off inspections and maintenance until something goes wrong. Being proactive about industrial and commercial air conditioning service and maintenance can save on costly repairs later on in the life of the system. Not only can regular HVAC inspection and maintenance relieve the costs of small issues which have turned into expensive problems, it can also help save a significant amount of money by ensuring that the HVAC system is performing as efficiently as possible. Since HVAC energy consumption often reaches up to forty percent of the energy use for an entire building, it’s always in your best interest to keep it well maintained to achieve maximum energy efficiency. The most common reason given for not getting regular commercial HVAC service inspections is simply not having enough money to invest in it. Although simply not having industrial air conditioning service performed regularly can save a bit of money initially, in the long run it will end up causing more severe issues with the HVAC system which can lead to a costly replacement.

Regular Preventative Maintenance Pays Off 

A commercial HVAC installation is one of the major investments made when a building is built. Just as cars are big investments needing regular maintenance in the form of tire rotations, oil changes, and general inspections, commercial HVAC service is necessary as well. A major difference between these two investments is that most people are familiar with the maintenance that is required for cars, whereas many people invest in a commercial HVAC installation without learning about how to maintain the system. If you want this investment to last for the full expected duration of it’s life, it’s in your best interest to learn a bit about what needs to be done to the system and when.

When the HVAC system is initially installed in a building, many building managers do not take up industrial air conditioning service specialists on their offer of setting up a maintenance schedule. The majority of HVAC owners tend do believe that if the system is running well that there is no reason to inspect or maintain the HVAC system. HVAC systems are rarely visible in common areas of buildings, and this tends to contribute greatly to HVAC system owners forgetting about them altogether until the system is malfunctioning or broken. It is because of this that having a set inspection and maintenance schedule with an industrial air conditioning service company is important. You will not have to remember to set the appointments at regular intervals, the HVAC specialists can contact you beforehand to remind you of the appointment and then perform any maintenance necessary. This is the best way to go about having your HVAC system inspected, and all you need to do is set HVAC maintenance fees in the overhead cost of running your business. Budgeting for regular maintenance should be viewed the same way as budgeting for any other kind of maintenance or insurance which can help save you money to prevent expensive issues from arising.

Jack Frost Company, LLC. is the #1 choice for industrial, institutional and commercial HVAC, heating, ventilation and air conditioning services in the Boise, Idaho area. We provide installation, repair and maintenance needs. Jack Frost Company, LLC can be contacted for your commercial, industrial or institutional Boise HVAC contractor needs at

208-433-8500 or you can visit our website at http://www.JackFrostCo.com/   

The food service industry is growing rapidly. If you too have found your niche in this growing commercial sector, the most important thing that you should consider is refrigeration. As you know, food is a perishable commodity and needs proper refrigeration to stock. To keep your business running, you should not ignore the importance of having enough stock. You should also make sure that the stocks stay fresh and consumable for a long period of time. While installing refrigeration for your business, you should make it a point to choose energy efficient solutions. Saving on energy can prove to be beneficial for the growth of your business. The money saved on the electricity bills can be used for improving other aspects of the business. Therefore, it is important to choose air conditioning contractors who are expert in providing cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions. In addition to these, there are certain tips that you should follow, when it comes to choosing the right commercial refrigeration system. Here are a few of those tips:

• Determine or evaluate the refrigeration requirements of your business – It basically means that you should consider two things before choosing the systems – the quantity of product you want to stock and the type of commodity you are storing. While evaluating your commercial refrigeration needs you should also consider the required storage temperatures (which depend on the type of product you are storing) and the speed at which the commodities need to be cooled. It is also important to differentiate between perishable products and items that are sold cold for the convenient of the customers for e.g. – cold drinks.
• Choose a contractor who offers the most energy-efficient solution – All commercial refrigeration contractors are not efficient in providing cost -effective solutions for storing food and perishable commodities. You should do a bit of research in choosing a contractor who has a reputation for providing the type of storage you desire. Such a contractor will probably present a variety of options before you to choose from. While choosing, consider the running cost of the units than the price of the systems. It is wiser to choose a unit that has a higher purchase price but, a lower running cost. It will help you to save money in the long run.
• Arrange for regular maintenance and servicing – You should not forget to make arrangements for the regular maintenance and servicing of the commercial refrigeration units. Professional cleaning and maintenance ensures that the heat transfer and cooling capacity of the units are not reduced. It furthermore helps to detect minor problems as soon as those occur.

So, are you looking for an experienced Refrigeration Company who offers quality services at an affordable price, Jack Frost Company, LLC is where you will get reliable and trusted refrigeration service providers.  Jack Frost Company, LLC provides cost-effective solutions for businesses of every size.

We have expert technicians that will assist you in buying anything from a huge range of Refrigerators, Air Conditioning. Ice Machines and restaurant equipment.

http://www.JackFrostCompany.com
208-433-8500

Preventative Maintenance or Preventive Maintenance has the following meaning: The are and servicing by personnel for the purpose of maintaining equipment in satisfactory operation condition by providing for systematic inspection, detection and correction of incipient failures either before they occur or before they develop into major issues. The purpose of a successful preventative maintenance program is to finally extend the life of equipment and tools by predicting failures. The implementation of the process guarantees the plant’s reliable and efficient performance by ensuring that equipment do not break down when you need it most. Machinery wears over time but it is essential to understand that preventive replacement prior to failure is far more cost efficient than waiting for the potential consequences of a failure in service.

Jack Frost Company in Meridian, Idaho recommends a regularly scheduled Preventative Maintenance Program. Our customers that are on our maintenance program are entitled to discounted hourly service rates.Here are a list of service service and preventative maintenance tips to help your restaurant succeed in it’s business venture. Your heating, cooling, cooking and food preparation equipment is a huge investment that should be kept in good, clean, operational order.

Commercial Ovens:

Wipe out spills from your oven cavity daily- this will cut down on rust and corrosion in the oven cavity, while also reducing the possibility of fire hazards.

Walk-In Coolers and Freezers:

Keep the doors closed when not in use- if doors are left open for any extended amount of time, ice can quickly build-up on the evaporator coils and cause cooling problems. Keeping doors closed will help cut down on any unnecessary service calls. If doors must remain open, consider adding an Air Curtain or Air Door to the doorways. Ask one of our sales representatives about energy-saving Air Curtains and Air Doors.

Steam Tables/Warmer Wells:

Some units require the heating element be immersed in water at all times. It is important that the water level in the well never drops to a level where the immersible element is exposed, as this can cause premature failure.Keep the heating elements clean and free of any mineral build-up as this can also decrease the life of your equipment.

Air Conditioning/Heating System:

Have your Air Conditioner Filters changed or cleaned monthly. This will help save immensely on your electricity bill, as air conditioning can be a considerable percentage of your electric bill (20-30%). Be sure to get your Air Conditioning/Heating system checked by a qualified professional at least twice yearly, to be sure both the Heat and Cool cycles are operating safely and efficiently.

Condenser Coils:

Keep condenser coils clean on all refrigeration equipment, such as: ice-making equipment, refrigerators, freezers, salad coolers, air conditioning units, etc…Keeping condenser coils clean and free from dust and grease will help prevent breakdowns and costly repair bills, and will also save on electricity. Dust can usually be brushed of the coils or blown off with compressed air. Grease build-up sometimes requires a service company to clean it thoroughly with a coil cleaning solution.

Ice Machines:

Ice machines are one of the most important pieces of equipment in your restaurant/bar. Keeping it clean will make it run better, it will make more ice, and it will cause less wear and tear on component parts, therefore saving money on electricity, as well as excessive repair costs. Let us keep your ice machine in good working order with a high-quality, properly installed water filtration system. Change those water filters every 3-6 months. Both of these suggestions will help extend the life of your ice machine, cut down on costly repairs, and finally, make cleaner, better tasting ice for your customers. Ice-making equipment must be properly sized for your particular establishment’s needs. Here at Jack Frost Company we can analyze the size, seating capacity, and expectations of your business, so that we can suggest the proper size ice machine for your establishment.

Ventilation/Exhaust Hoods:

Keeping clean air filters in your exhaust hoods will keep them working more efficiently, the motors running cooler and with less stress and strain, therefore extending the life of the motors and belts. Have your exhaust hood and fresh air fans checked quarterly for proper operation and belt tension, which allows for peak performance. Failing to do any preventative maintenance on your restaurant equipment or allowing things to go until they break, ends up in more costly repairs and/or replacement. If you’re looking for a trustworthy, affordable company in Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Nampa, Caldwell and Mountain Home to set up a Preventative Maintenance Program. Give Jack Frost Company a call 208-433-8500