How to Keep Ice from Sticking Together: Essential Tips for Bar and Restaurant Owners
There is no doubt that perfect ice cubes in cocktails have a great importance for all bars and restaurants as one of the cocktail components. This is the reason why most of them want to know how to keep ice from sticking together after making it in an ice block maker machine. Let’s learn some useful advice for cocktail makers about what storage methods are the best for preventing clumping.
Why Does Ice Stick Together?
The main reason why ice sticks together is a molecular interaction. Water molecules form hydrogen bonds, that is why ice cubes can clump together while melting or defrost cycles. As the craft cocktail creator, most likely you know that the freezer needs to be defrosted from time to time. It helps to increase its service life and functionality. So, your ice can start melting and sticking. That is why you need to know how to keep ice from clumping together in freezer.
Common Causes in Bars and Restaurants
There are some reasons why catering establishments often face ice sticking together:
- Wrong temperature conditions – unsuitable temperature can have a negative impact on ice. If it is higher than necessary, ice will start melting and sticking together.
- Frequent use of the freezer – when we are talking about bars and restaurants, it’s worth saying that the refrigerator is used not only for ice, but for other products. So, it is opened again and again to take something from there. This leads to the fact that the temperature regime may change inside the freezer.
Incorrect ice storage – one of the most common mistakes is improper storage of ice cubes. This proves once again that it’s crucially important to know how to keep ice maker ice from sticking together.
Handling and Packaging Techniques
Talking about how to keep ice cubes from sticking together it should be noted that the right packing and handling plays a major role.
The Importance of Plastic Separators During Storage
Use plastic containers with paper separators while making ice, it will help to prevent ice cubes touching each other and their clumping. Plastic things will also help during ice storage, just use them to avoid negative effects like sticking. Use it to get the ideal ice cubes for cocktails.
Effective Drying Methods to Prevent Ice Fusion
If you have an aim to provide effective and high-quality drying for your ice, the best idea is to use plastic forms with fairly high sides that will separate ice pieces. This approach will help to prevent ice cubes sticking together in the refrigerator, chest or shock freezer.
Packaging with Foil Dividers for Safe Transportation
Thinking about how to keep ice from clumping together in freezer it’s impossible not to say about the right ways of ice transportation. Keep in mind that storage plays a major role not only at your freezer, but also while delivery. Use foil dividers or paper bags to leave the ice for rye whiskey in good condition.
How to Keep Ice Maker Ice from Sticking Together
Here are some more important tips on how to keep ice from sticking together to create the perfect ice and prevent cubes sticking together. Just learn them and make aesthetic ice for your drinks.
Choosing the Right Ice Maker for Your Business Needs
Take care of high-quality and the most suitable ice maker for your bar. Pay your attention to the manufacturer’s reputation and assortment. As an example, BF.Tech provides a great choice of ice maker machines, you can choose P300, P150 or P30 based on your preferences and the amount of ice you need at your restaurant or bar.
Benefits of Using a High-Quality Ice Block Maker Machine
Professional ice block maker machine has it own advantages, like:
- Crystal-clear ice – just imagine you can create cube of ice with dense structure to use them as one of the craft cocktail ingredients, in rye whiskey and while creating ice sculptures.
- Make ice in hot conditions – ice makers from BF.Tech make it possible to create ice in all conditions, including high temperature rooms, because of the polyurethane insulations.
- Easy to use – our high-quality ice machine can be operated by one person, so it is easy to create the perfect ice for different purposes.
- Optimal electricity consumption – produce ice with not so huge electricity consumption to save some money for important purposes.
- Customer experience – bring your visitors an unforgettable experience of balanced cocktails, aesthetic cold drinks and alcohol-free cocktails.
How to Prevent Ice Cubes from Sticking During Storage and Delivery
Are you still thinking about how to prevent ice cubes from sticking? So, let’s take a closer look at the right ways of ice storage and delivery to drink American whiskey brands with a perfect ice.
Foil Dividers and Parchment Paper
Foil dividers and bits of paper can be used both while transporting and storing the ice. Foil will help to avoid ice clumping together, because it makes cubes separate from each other. Talking about parchment brown paper bags, it’s worth saying that this method works perfectly. Freeze the ice and put it into the brown paper grocery bag, be sure there will be no sticking. The thing is that paper absorbs moisture, which can appear while melting.
Optimal Temperature and Humidity Control
One more important aspect is to control temperature and humidity conditions in your freezer. The optimal temperature level to create and store your ice cubes is about -18°C. Keep in mind that the high level of humidity may have a negative impact on ice. Excess moisture condenses on the ice surface making it uneven.
Common Mistakes That Cause Ice to Stick Together
Let’s learn the most common mistakes to have a clear understanding how to keep ice from sticking together. Below there is a list of mistakes, avoid them to always have ideal and non-sticky ice.
- Temperature is not low enough – your ice can melt, especially if you often open your freezer to take something from there.
- High level of humidity – extra moisture condenses on the ice surface.
- Improper storage – neglecting the use of separators or paper bags can lead to ice sticking together.
Conclusion
If you want to know how to prevent ice cubes from sticking, just learn some important tips: the temperature needs to be not higher than -18°C, the right ice storing with the plastic or foil separators and paper bags can help you to avoid the clumping. Don’t forget that you need to take care of the right level of humidity to get perfect ice for your drinks.
FAQ
What is the best way to store ice to prevent it from sticking?
The best option is to store ice cubes using separators or clean paper sacks to avoid sticking together. Temperature and humidity level are also important factors, so control them all the time.
How should I package ice to prevent it from sticking during delivery?
The most effective way is to put ice in a paper bag to save its original appearance and avoid clumping. Bags of cubes are easy to use while creating a cocktail.
How does the BFTech ice block maker help keep ice separate?
BF.Tech ice block maker machines make it possible to avoid ice clumping, because our equipment provides the controlled freezing cycles and prevents the formation of excess water on the ice surface.