Clear ice is the clear winner; here’s why it’s a restaurant’s goal.
If you’ve ever been bored at a restaurant, your eyes may have wandered to an unlikely place: the ice. How do restaurants make clear ice? You’ve likely thought this while marveling at the absolute clarity of the ice that comes into your water when you go out. How restaurants make clear ice isn’t some great secret either; restaurants do this not just to make it look good but because it can help it taste better, too.
Are you still wondering how restaurants make clear ice and whether or not you can make it at home? We have the full breakdown for you; let’s get into it.
Why Does Cloudy Ice Make a Difference?
First, let’s address the elephant in the room, which is that many people aren’t going to care about whether or not their ice is cloudy. Most people are just happy to have a cold drink available. However, anyone who is taking the preparation of their drinks seriously will notice that cloudy ice cubes can detract from both the aesthetics of a drink and the taste. Cloudy ice can carry a freezer-burned taste with it that could take a drink from amazing to just okay. Clear ice also tends to thaw slower, which means it’s the ideal pick for when you want to avoid your drink getting too diluted, such as in a cocktail.
What Causes Cloudy Ice?
There are a few things that can cause this. One, your water may not be filtered, which means contaminants could be causing the lack of clarity. A high-quality water filtration system should take care of that problem. Just look for a reverse osmosis (RO) system, which will remove 99% of any contaminants found in your water and should dramatically improve the taste and clarity of your ice cubes.
How Do Restaurants Avoid It?
Since restaurants know that their customers prefer high-quality ice, they take steps to install dedicated ice machines with different filtration and cooling processes to efficiently make clear ice. This might not be suitable for home purposes, but commercial ice makers can make dozens of ice cubes at once by filling molds with water. This process allows a gradual construction of the ice cube, preventing air bubbles which also prevents cloudiness.
Can I Make It at Home?
Even smaller ice machines that can make clear ice are going to run you a few hundred dollars. That might be justifiable if you make cocktails regularly or really care about the quality of your ice. Just know that doing this doesn’t make the quality of the water in the rest of your home any better. For results that are close enough, boil your water before putting it in ice cube trays. You also want to use filtered water, and it can be boiled multiple times.
Contact Pine Heights Commercial Kitchen Service, Inc.!
Since 1971, Pine Heights Commercial Kitchen Service, Inc., has been the leader in Commercial Kitchen Equipment Services in the greater Baltimore Metropolitan area. We specialize in Restaurant Equipment Repair Services, Commercial Refrigeration, Preventive Maintenance, in-shop repairs, and over-the-counter parts.
At Pine Heights, our motto is simple: “Quality Service for Less.” We provide the highest level of commercial maintenance for a competitive rate. We are veteran and family-owned and operated and located in Baltimore at 2900 West Patapsco Ave., Baltimore, MD 21230.
If you are ready for reliable Commercial Kitchen Equipment Services in Maryland, contact us today by phone, fax, or at our Baltimore location! Also, keep in touch with us on Facebook and Twitter!