Making Slushies

While most bars lean on commercial slushy machines to chill the mixture and prevent the cocktail from freezing into a block, most frozen formulas can be executed with a blender whether you’re blending with ice or freezing the mixture ahead and whirring it before serving. If the recipe calls for the former, note that the average blender won’t take well to cubed ice, so lean on crushed.

If you are making frozen drinks for a few guests, using your blender in the kitchen or at a bar will work just fine. Keep in mind the noise and the mess when considering the location options. If you’re entertaining a bigger group, consider owning a frozen drink machine. It will free you up from the blender so you can enjoy your guests. If you are using a frozen drink machine, the noise won’t be a problem, but it might be a bit bulky in your kitchen. The frozen drink machine should come on a rolling cart. Consider putting it in a doorway to a laundry room, or on a shaded patio. Also, keep in mind that the machine weighs nearly 200 lbs., so make sure that your location does not require the machine to be carried up or down any stairs or other steep, difficult areas. This will avoid extra charges for additional labor or special equipment.

Frozen beverages like cocktails are a fail-safe way to get the party started and keep it going or just to bring an air of the festive to a hot, lazy afternoon. Building your drink in a pitcher then pressing a button to pulse it into chilled boozy puree is not only satisfying, but so easy. Technology these days are very highly advanced. You can make frozen beverages like mint juleps and rum swizzles using crushed ice. All you need to prepare crushed ice is a mallet and a bag. Place your ice cubes in a plastic bag and mash away until your ice is chipped to bits.

You will need extra dilution in your drink to get it to slushy texture, which can be achieved in two ways. Although it might seem simplest to blend with crushed ice, this requires you to move fast; if your ingredients aren’t cold enough when combined with ice in the blender, and whirred quickly, you’ll risk the drink hitting the table with the wrong consistency. So, start with very cold ingredients: place your spirits in the freezer and other ingredients in the fridge, use a measured amount of crushed ice and blend quickly. Alternatively, you can achieve greater control by pre-diluting your mix and freezing it. The drink will freeze into a pliable mass in your freezer, but it can be quickly agitated either by whipping by hand or in a blender for service.

Garnish your frozen beverages with something dramatic. Like a big topical fruit wedge, a cocktail umbrella or a lit sparkler to make it more beautiful and pleasing to the eyes.

Ice Maker Machine – A Modern Convenience

Among the many inventions of man, the ice maker machine is among the most underrated and are remembered only when they are needed. However, they are loved by people in the tropics who want some of their food really cold (ice cream, shakes, water). People living in temperate countries also love it during the hot months of summer.

There are several types of ice maker machines as there are several types of ice needed with their many applications and uses. As time went by, people discovered many ways on how to use ice and some of this ice have to be made by specific ice makers.

To date, the most commonly used ice makers are those classified as commercial units. They are abundantly used in bars, restaurants, hospitals, supermarkets and convenient stores. There are also residential models used in homes, specially built under-counter ice makers.

Portable ice makers are favored by those people constantly on the go or those living in small places (RV, boats, dorms and small apartments). This is good to avoid having an integrated ice maker in your refrigerator.

Here are some of the more popular models of ice makers in use these days.

To help give you a better understanding of what an ice maker is, how you will benefit from one, and which one may be best for you, we put together the below guide.

Portable ice maker

They are called portable and countertop models because they are compact in size, plugs into a standard 110V outlets, and does not need a permanent water line, except only the water poured into them when using.

They designed to be on your countertop and they make ice fast enough (some in as little as 10 minutes). You need to know they are not actually freezers and cannot keep the ice for long. As the ice melts, it will continuously make ice from the melted water.

It can also hold only to a smaller quantity of ice so you need to keep it making more ice if you need more. Their size makes them great for bringing along picnics and other outdoor activities.

Under-counter ice maker

These ice makers are designed with front ventilation and built-in or between cabinets. (They need professional installers.) They will a permanent water line and some have a drain line as well.

These are designed to store larger capacity of ice than the portables, and can freeze the ice longer. It is a bit more expensive, too. 

Modular

These machines are used to produce ice in larger quantities. These are the types used for commercial quantities in restaurants, bars, and hospitals.

It needs a separate unit for collecting the produced ice that will be ready for use. Typically, these are stackable and placed beneath the modular unit.

Self-contained

The self-contained ice makers are smaller, use lesser space, and produce lesser ice quantities but are in separate units. These ice machines are the most practical options when space is a problem and deciding which machine to buy. An ice maker machine is one convenience in our world that we need in hot times.

Coca Cola Mix

The name post mix comes from the fact that the drink mix of syrup and carbonated water is mixed after (post) leaving the syrup box, as opposed to a premix as in the case of a bottle of soft drink. Most of the big bottled soft drinks from cola brands to spirit mixers and pops are now available as a post mix option. The classic cola is rich and full-flavored, sweet and caramel-laced. It's not quite as tart and citric as Coca-Cola. Choosing coca cola post mix Australia brand to go for comes down to the taste of the drink and how important branding is in delivering higher revenues. In a fine hotel bar, brand recognition is important, but arguably less so in a busy pub where for the customer the atmosphere and conversation rivals the need to know the brand of the soft drink.

Maintenance of a coca cola post system isn’t difficult. The dispense heads need dismantling and cleaning daily, along with the drip trays and the bar-top founts, as the high sugar content of post mix invites bacteria and bugs. The mix of syrup to carbonated water also needs regular checking. Too little syrup and the drink lacks taste, too much syrup and the flavours become too strong. The adjustment of carbonated water to syrup in the cellar is called Brixing, after the German chemist Brix, who found a way to determine the amount of sugar in a solution.

The profit on soft drinks has always been healthy, but on post mix the profit is vigorous. A box of syrup can, depending on the brand and the purchasing deal, cost between £25 and £35. A 10oz (half-pint) serving will have a typical ex-VAT revenue of 70p and the syrup will cost between 10p and 16p. If mixing your own product, wait a week for the soda to fully carbonate. Dispense soda into an ice filled glass. Adjust the CO2 pressure down if the soda is all foam with no carbonation left after dispensing or adjust the CO2 pressure up if the soda dispenses too slow.

Kinds Of Coca Cola Post Mix:

Diet Cola: The diet cola is more like the regular cola than like the 'naturally sweetened' version, but there's nothing wrong with it. It has a straightforward cola profile and just about the right amount of sweetness.

Cola Free: This one is targeted at Coke Zero fans, and shares that soda's slight richness, but it also confused us a bit by throwing in some fruity flavors.

Cherry Cola: It has the crispness of a good cola and the round fruity flavor of cherry without veering into medicinal or oversweet territory.

Diet Cherry Cola: A little more tart, a little less round, and little less rich-tasting than the regular Cherry Cola.

Diet Cola with Lime: This soda's flavor brings cola together with a blast of full-flavored lime lollipop, but the lime side is more lime-oil and peel than fresh, tart squeeze of citrus.

Coca cola post mix Australia soft drinks were once regarded as offering lower quality and lower profit margins than bottled drinks. A plastic gun beneath the bar would fire a shot of soft drink into a glass for a nominal mark-up of 10p. But that situation has changed, and post mix is now heavily branded, with instantly recognised names coming from bar-mounted founts with high visibility.

Mix Machines

Bars, clubs and restaurants have a common machine that they use in their businesses, post mix machine. These post mix machines help them earn profit from their business. In a Bar or Pub beer panel is the dispensing point from which beer is served or pulled. It usually consist of three main components the taps that is mounted on the side face of the panel, the instantaneous beer cooler which is used to bring draught beer to the correct in glass temperature and the drip tray used to catch waste beer.  A café have their own machine that helps them prepare their coffee, they use espresso coffee machines in their bar and coffee shops. Post mix machines or multi-mix machines are used to make and dispense soft drinks, especially carbonated drinks for which there is heavy demand. It mixes carbonated water and post mix syrups to produce sodas or carbonated drinks.

These machines are very vital to their business because it brings profit to the company. Post mix machines can be custom made by some manufacturers as for the request of the business establishment. A unique kind of post mix machine Australia can bring an added attraction to the store, for example just like using a dispensing gun. The bar tender or employee is just using a hose with a single nozzle like a gun but it has lots of buttons to choose from to served the drinks that the customer ordered. The dispensing machine that a bar and food stores use has the same principle. Soda fountains uses carbonator and syrup pumps to mix flavored syrup in order to create soft drinks and exit out to the nozzle and serve to the customers, while in a bar beer panel also use pump, beer cooler and motor to pump beer from the draught and exit to the nozzle.

Bars and fast food stores are well aware of the importance of maintaining high levels of hygiene and cleanliness. Proper maintaining of the post mix machine on a daily basis will guarantee superior quality beverages and extend the lifespan of the machine. When dispensing post mix syrups, juices and cordials the post mix gun can become blocked with a buildup residue and so it is vital to take care of the equipment to ensure results time and time again. To keep your post mix gun clean it is just simple. You just remove the nozzle from the gun and place it into the bucket, brush the thread and inside of the gun, place the gun and nozzle in the bucket and fill with soda water until it submerge and leave it soak overnight. During daytime you can remove the parts from the soda water and dry, connect to the machine and let a few pints of soda water flows through it to ensure that there is no residue left behind.

Food establishment is always looking for new options for post mix machine Australia that is reliable and fits to their nature of business. Other stores use remote post mix coolers, some are counter and drop-in coolers, and others use post mix towers and guns. In some areas there are machines use to mix coolers and cocktails. A daiquiri machine that makes a frozen daiquiri and margarita is on the market. It is your choice which machines brings you profit, as long as the customer is satisfied we are also satisfied.

Post Mix Machine Components

Post mix machine has the system in which soft drink flavoured syrup is shipped to the retailer to be mixed at the point of sale with chilled and purified water, and carbon dioxide usually dispensed from a soda fountain or soda gun. Most post mix machines use a procon pump to boost water pressure to the carbonator that makes the soda water, this pump is essential in post mix machines. Many post mix machines also have a second procon pump for soda recirculation this pump continuously circles the soda water from the guns to the machine keeping the soda cold and fresh, this procon pump is required in machines where the dispensing point is further away from the soda generator then about 1 metre.

Some post mix machine also has a third procon pump that recirculates plain water, keeping the water cold. You will generally find two types procon pump on post mix machines brass or stainless steel. The stainless steel pumps can be used anywhere in the machine but are generally more expensive. The brass bumps can only be used for plain water. For example, on the booster pump for the carbonator and for the plain water recirculation. Brass pumps cannot be used for soda recirculation as exposure to carbon dioxide will create carbonic acid. Carbonic acid not only tastes extremely bad but is poisonous to drink.

To check whether this pump is working most systems have a flow strainer installed close to the outlet side of this pump. These flow strainers have a small black ball on a spring set after the conical strainer that looks like a clear piece of plastic about 10cm long with a strainer inside. You can tell if this pump is working by looking at the ball if it is pushed back against the spring it is working, you can turn the machine off and on to see if the balls position moves. Another good way to test is by the temperature of the pump, this pump should be cold. This pump is circulating cold soda at about 2 degrees centigrade so the pump should be very cold to the touch.

Some post mix machine owners uses “Componants”. The componants are concentrated Soda Syrup, water supply, Co2, and a Carbonator. When a post mix machine button is pushed, a pump at the fountain head open and draw water pressure that draws the syrup. The 2 mixes together and the carbonator took the Co2 and water supply and make the soda water, mix with the syrup and then dispense it. The new Coke machines actually instead of syrup uses a powder, far most concentrated that the syrup. The powder comes in a cartridge about the size of a tape, which explains how they can offer so many flavors in one machine. It's the same principal as syrup post mix. Carbonator takes the water and Co2 makes soda water, the powder is injected in to mix and it dispenses in the post mix machine.

Installation and Components of Ice Machines

Ice machine and beverage dispensers are available as counter top units with the ice stored in the dispenser cabinet above the level of the valves, or as low-profile, under counter units with the ice stored below the counter. The decision to select a countertop or under counter ice and beverage dispenser depends on the level of aesthetics, safety and convenience desired for the operation. Models with under counter ice storage are generally preferred in those instances where the facility appearance is very important, where the dispenser will be used in the front of the facility or in a beverage island, or where manual loading is preferred.

Installation Considerations in Ice Machine

• Space and Ventilation: Make sure you have enough space for the machine, bin, and filter. Adequate air flow is crucial for maximum ice production, so installing an ice machine in a storage room or closet is not recommended. Read the manufacturer's specification sheet carefully to ensure that you have the proper amount of space for the install, and consider the placement of the machine and bin within your operation as well. A well-placed ice machine Australia can increase worker productivity and efficiency, but a poorly placed ice machine can cost you more for labor and utilities.
• Water Supply & Floor Drain: Your ice machine will need a cold water supply with a shutoff valve. A floor drain is needed too. Check your local codes for specific drain type and placement requirements.
• Power Supply: Many ice machines do not come with a cord and plug, so a visit from your electrician will be needed to hard wire the machine. Make sure you understand and can meet the machine's power requirements not all ice machines operate on standard 110V electric. Electrical requirements and any other special installation considerations will always be found on the machine's Specification Sheet.

Ice machine Australia with the integral beverage cooling uses either a cold plate or ice-waterbath system to cool the beverage lines. Since both can use up to 50 percent of the ice in storage to accomplish this, integral beverage cooling must be included in your calculations to determine how much capacity you need. If you expect to dispense 200 lbs. of ice into cups during the course of a day, you will also use 200 lbs. of ice to chill your beverage lines. Your total ice consumption requirement would therefore be 400 lbs.

Cold plates are the most common type of integral beverage cooling system. Located below the dispenser storage bin, cold plates usually consist of an aluminum plate through which the carbonated water and syrup lines are run before they connect to the back of the soda valves. As ice is dispensed into a cup, ice also drops through a hole in the back of the dispenser storage area onto the plate. Heat transfer occurs between the warm product in the beverage lines and the cold ice in physical contact with the aluminum. Cooling of the lines occurs as long as there is ice on top of the cold plate. Although simple and inexpensive, there are disadvantages to cold plate systems. Because they require physical contact between the ice and the cold plate surface, uneven cooling and warm spots can result.

In ice-water bath systems, ice from the dispenser storage area enters a water bath located in the dispenser cabinet. All syrup and water lines are totally immersed in this 32° ice and water slurry. A pump circulates the ice water slurry in the bath to ensure that beverage lines are cooled consistently. Each time the dispense lever or button is actuated, additional ice enters the ice-water bath and an automatic timer agitates the water bath at intervals when no dispensing occurs. This ensures that the temperature of the syrup and water lines is kept consistently cold.

The Uses of Ice Machine

Operators of ice machine who want to eliminate the need to manually load an ice and beverage dispenser have two ways to automatically load the dispenser with ice. An ice machine can be mounted on top of most countertop ice and beverage dispensers, or the operator can select an ice machine with technology that will transport ice to a countertop or under counter dispenser up to 75 feet away.

Automatic load Ice Machine and Manual load Ice Machine

While automatically loaded ice and beverage dispensers have become increasingly popular with many operators, there can be valid reasons for manually loading the dispenser. With manual load applications, however, the dispenser type should be evaluated carefully to maintain efficiency and safety. Operators who want a manual load beverage dispenser perhaps because they already have an ice machine in the back room or because high traffic during lunch or dinner exceeds the dispenser capacity should investigate ice and beverage dispensers that sit in the counter rather than on it and store ice below the counter rather than above it.

In some cases it may be preferable to use a separate mechanical cooling system to chill the syrup and water lines. When using a separate cooling system, no ice from the dispenser storage area is needed to chill the beverage lines, so more beverages can be served from the same dispenser. Mechanical cooling systems that accommodate one or multiple dispensers are available from a number of manufacturers. The primary disadvantages are cost and physical size, but in high volume operations, these systems provide a viable alternative to using an integral beverage cooling system.

Dispensed beverages generally return a 60 percent profit margin double that of cans or bottles. Because of this, most operators want the beverage center to be highly visible and easily accessible to promote the sales of dispensed beverages. When considering the type of ice and beverage dispenser to select, consider carefully where it will be located and whether the size of the unit will compromise the aesthetic appearance of the facility and/or restrict visibility. Always remember that a countertop ice and beverage dispenser with a top mounted ice maker can result in a height of 73" or more. When placed on a standard 36" counter the unit towers 9 feet above the floor.

It may seem easier to supply all your ice from one large machine and bin, but in the end this is usually inefficient. With only one large machine, your staff will constantly be running back and forth from the ice bin to soda machines, under bar ice chests, and salad bar costing you time and also increasing chances of cross-contamination. Instead, consider using several smaller machines, one on top of the soda dispenser, a small underbars unit, and a small ice machine maker with a bin near your salad bar, for example. This way your staff will always have ice when and where they need it, while also keeping the ice safe and sanitary.

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.