Ice machines are an underappreciated tool. But if you’ve ever worked in hospitality or the services industry at one point you know they’re an absolute essential. Ice machines are found under the bar or in the back room, even on the counter, where staff and patrons can access it easily.

But why do businesses like them?

Self regulation, for one. Once the ice machine is assembled, the water pump is attached and the settings are checked. This part needs attention, otherwise you could get cloudy cubes or an overflowing ice bin. As the saying goes, when you get the ice machine, you just ‘set and forget’. The machines are pretty smart. They can tell when the ice bin is full and will stop the harvesting cycle temporarily until more ice is needed.

They’re cheap to maintain, as well. In restaurants and other service shops, there’s a buildup of dust and grime. Sometimes even a couple of stray grease splashes happen from time to time. Ice & Beverage Solutions stock the Ice-o-Matic range. This brand’s manuals come with cleaning instructions, and they don’t require a lot of hard work. A general, end-of-day cleaning only needs some kind of dish soap and cloth. Fatty residue and the like, on the other hand, need a coat of oven cleaner and a rinse. Scrubbing isn’t recommended because it scratches the machine’s surface.

Restaurants, fast food eateries and even bowling alleys have ice machines somewhere on site. No customer likes lukewarm soft drink or water and staff are too busy with other jobs to worry about their ice supply. Ice machines takes out the guesswork about how much is left in the ice bin. They provide a constant supply of the cold stuff. All that’s needed is to assemble, set and forget.