Manitowoc vs Scotsman Ice Machine Super Bowl

 It’s almost Super Bowl Sunday!  Which team will you be rooting for?  Do you have enough drinks and food to go around? You may have enough drinks, but do you have enough ice to keep all of those drinks cold?

Restaurant Source is having our own version of the Super Bowl: Manitowoc vs Scotsman Ice Machines!  Choose from a variety of ice machines and bins from your preferred vendor. Don’t know which vendor you prefer?  Check out the information below to determine which machine suits your needs the best, rather then just basing it on which vendor name you like better…

Scotsman and Manitowoc are the two largest commercial ice machine manufacturers.  They both produce dependable, efficient, and durable models, so how do you choose between them?

Manitowocis best known for its ease of repair.  No machine is perfect, and is therefore bound to break down at some point.  The evaporator plate is the most important component of any ice maker.  If this breaks, you want to make sure that it is easy to get to for repairs.  Manitowocice machines have an easily accessible evaporator.  Manitowoc plates are coated with nickel whereas Scotsman evaporator plates are coated with tin.  Many restaurant owners tend to prefer the nickel coated evaporators.

On the other hand, Manitowoc machines are much easier to clean (yes, you HAVE to clean any ice machine you purchase). These machines have a cleaning process that takes less then 30 minutes to finish.

Regardless of which factor is most important to you, you will be making a good investment with both Scotsman or Manitowoc machines.  This two vendors/teams should make for a good Super Ice Bowl matchup!

Manitowoc vs Scotsman Ice Machines

Perks of a Combo

 Are you debating about whether to buy a combo ice bin or just an ice maker or just an ice bin?  Let’s discuss some of the things to consider. 

If you are starting off from scratch, I HIGHLY recommend a combo ice machine and bin because not only is it cheaper to buy the two together, but if you are producing a lot of ice, you are going to need somewhere to store it.  You have the option to just buy a bin and then fill it with store bought ice, however this is a tedious process…  Of course you could just buy the ice machine and store the ice in the freezer, but then it takes up extra freezer space.  On the other hand, it does not take up any extra floor space to place the combo machine and bin because the bin goes directly on top of the ice machine which allows you to conserve valuable prep space.

If you are looking to purchase a combo ice machine and bin, check out the Manitowoc Combo Ice Machines & Bins.  These machines range in production size from 310 lbs of ice per 24 hour period to 1,380 lbs of ice per 24 hour period so there are options for all levels of volume.

Manitowoc Combo Ice Machines & Bins

Which Commercial Ice Machine Is Best For You?

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 Now that summer is almost here, it is extremely important to make sure that your ice machine(s) is in perfect working condition.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t like when you order a drink at a restaurant and they bring it without any ice, causing it to be room temperature or luke warm at best.

Restaurant Source offers a variety of ice machine sizes and brands.  It’s up to you to decide which model/brand works best for you, but regardless of which one you choose, I highly recommend that you invest in an efficient ice machine.  Free shipping is also provided with whichever model you choose.

Now, there are a lot of different Ice Machines out there so how do you decide which is best for you?  Two things you should consider are the shape of the ice as well as how much ice the machine can produce and whether it will meet your establishment needs.  80% of restaurants invest in Cuber Ice Machines while the other 20% go with something else.  You also need to take into account the amount of money that you will save on your energy bill if you choose a more energy efficient machine.

Below are my three favorite cuber ice machines (in no particular order) so you can narrow it down from this list and decide which is best for you.  For the full product descriptions, you can click on the model names below.

 

-Ice-O-Matic Cuber Machines

-Manitowoc Cuber Ice Machines

-Scotsman Cuber Ice Machines

 

The Ice-O-Matic Cuber Machines have a built-in antimicrobial protection for the life of the ice maker which inhibits bacteria growth on the ice surfaces. The Harvest Assist produces consistent ice production for the entire life of the ice maker, therefore reducing energy consumption and causing your energy bill to decrease.  Machine sizes range from 334 lbs of ice production per day to 1,832 lbs of ice production per day. 

The Manitowoc Cuber Ice Machines have soft round cove corners which help prevent employee injuries.  There is a removable water distribution tube that does not require tools to take apart.  Select components are made with AlphaSan antimicrobial material.  These machines have a narrow footprint and are often ideal for hotel ice makers or combined in a beverage dispensing application.  Machines range in ice production size of 325 lbs per day to 1,880 lbs per day. 

The Scotsman Cuber Ice Machines are self monitoring which enables them to alert staff when it is time for maintenance before it is too late.  This is the most energy efficient machine because it uses significantly less water then any other machine.  These ice machines range in capacity from 350 lbs of ice production per day to 1,909 lbs of ice production per day.