Best Commercial Shaved Ice Machine - Which one is best for you?

If you understand the differences in cube ice shavers and block ice shavers, you still may be unsure which type of shaved ice machine is best for you. I've listed a series of questions below for you to ask yourself. You may be surprised about which machine you thought you needed.

Is block ice available in your area? Cubed ice can be found almost anywhere. Block ice...not so much. Check with your local ice distributors to see if they offer what you need. If not, you can always freeze your own ice blocks but you may need a dedicated chest freezer, depending on your business. If neither of these options is suitable for your needs, a cube ice shaver may be your best choice.

What type of ice shaver does your competition use? If prospective customers are accustomed to ice from block ice shavers your safest bet is to buy a block shaver. You will definitely want to keep up with your competitors. If they use cube ice shavers, you can safely choose either one, however, block shavers may give you one-up on your competition.

Who will be using the ice shaver? If the ice shaver is being used by a variety of people, the cube ice shaver may be your best choice. For example, at school athletic concession stands, the same people may not be operating the ice shaver from week to week. Oftentimes, volunteers operating the ice shaver will vary. The cube ice shaver requires the least amount of training and will most likely work best in these type of situations. If you have employees that are at your business daily and are willing to spend some time training, a block ice shaver should be just fine.

How fast do you need to serve customers? If you plan on attending large festivals or carnivals, I suspect you're business is focused on how many shavers you can sell in a given time. If that's the case, a cube shaver is perfect. If you're focused more on quality of your ice and count on repeat customers, the block ice machine should be your pick

Is your business mobile? Cube shavers tend to transport much easier than block shavers. Accessibility to ice and counter space is very important. Most stationary businesses use block ice shavers which typically stay in place at all times.