Blogging can take on many forms; from informative to instructional and sometimes practical. At Permul, we feel the best approach for the reader is to answer actual questions that our sales team are asked in field in order to provide you with relevant knowledge when it comes to commercial restaurant equipment in the food service industry.
Permul has distributed Hoshizaki Ice Machines for almost 35 years.
Recently, a customer asked us whether or not they could place one of our ice machines on top of one of a competitor’s bin. They needed a new ice machine but didn’t want the added expense of the bin. A polyethylene bin can cost between $1,000 to $2,500. A large stainless-steel bin can cost up to $5,000.
The short answer to this question was that if the head unit is matched with the bin width, our units will fit and function on the competitor’s bin.
Our head units will sit off the back of the bin by a little over an inch as Hoshizaki units are deeper than the competition’s units, but this will not compromise function or operation.
As a side note, the competitive ice machine heads will not fit on Hoshizaki bins as their units are too shallow in depth and will leave an open horizontal gap into the bin.
Choosing the correct pairing for your ice machine and bin is an important factor for the customer and the type of business they have. At a cocktail bar they would likely put a larger capacity bin under a smaller ice machine, say a machine that produces 600lbs of ice a day over a bin that can hold 900lbs. This way they ensure there is always have enough ice for their short but busy time. As those businesses have an influx between busy and slower periods they are storing ice that they are not continuously using. A business that has ice consistently being removed, like a hotel, could even put a large machine on a smaller bin.
We may think of bins as just a place to store the ice but sizing them is just as important as sizing the ice machine properly. Give us a call and let one of our ice experts help you manage your beverage program.
