Is there a bar or a restaurant without an ice machine? Of course, not! If you’re one of those lucky people who’s running one of these two, and you need a new ice machine, you’re probably looking for some tips about what is the best deal for you.
Even though it seems like a simple task, choosing the best ice machine maker is not easy. You need to do enough research before you learn everything there is about this market. Technology constantly drives forward and you can’t keep up the pace. That’s OK, you’re not buying new ice makers ever month.
In this article, we’re going to share 5 tips with you about finding the ultimate best. Read these points and be sure that you’re making the right choice.
1. Pick a proper size
Imagine a hot summer day and dozens of people asking for cocktails. What’s a cocktail without ice? What happens if you can’t serve everyone because your machine can’t make it?
When you’re buying a new one, always make sure that you’re getting a capacity bigger than you’ll actually need most of the time. There’s no problem if some of the ice is left unused, but it’s a great problem if there’s no ice to be used.
Do the math about how many people circulate in your business and calculate how much you usually need. Get a machine that will be perfect for serving some 20% more customers than what you usually have, and you’re good to go.
2. Make sure there’s enough airflow
Most ice makers are made using the same technology. They won’t work unless there’s proper airflow. That’s why you need to make sure you have an adequate place for installing this machine.
All bars are designed similarly and they all have a special place for the ice-making machine. The designers and architects know about this issue and they make the surrounding of the machine available for the air to circulate. If you can’t provide something like this, then you need to pick a machine that will be capable of working without the airflow.
3. Choose a great brand
There’s no doubt that a great brand goes a long way. Not just in the refrigerator and cooling industries, but across all other industries as well. That’s why it’s smart to purchase something popular and proven to be excellent.
Search on the internet and see what the best brands are. Some companies make ice makers that are outstanding and you need to know who they are. Finding out this information is simple, but you still need to spend some time on the internet before you actually find it because different types are made better by different brands.
4. Read some reviews
People who already bought some of the brands you’ve been researching about will be happy to share their experience on the internet. Just like all other industries, customers love rating and reviewing brands, companies, services, and products.
It’s nothing different here either. Log on to some of the popular pages offering reviews and see what people think about your main choices. Find out if they are satisfied as much as you love the design and features of a certain model.
You’ll notice that how a certain product is made and how much people are satisfied while using it are often two different things. Not all great products on the first look are actually as great after some time using them. See more about the importance of quality here.
5. Compare prices
Finally, the price. If you find two equally good ice makers, and they are different in the price, then you know that choosing the more affordable one is the better choice.
However, the lower price often means that you might have missed a feature of the one being less affordable or there’s a certain problem that you’re not aware about. Go through these issues and make sure that nothing’s missing in your research.
If it’s clear that there’s no problem with your research, then feel free to save some money on a product that’s great but is being sold for a much lower price than something else.
