HOW to Combat Cloudy Ice
When it comes to your restaurant—or any business, presentation matters, including your ice. If the ice in your drinks looks cloudy or unappealing, customers might question more than just their beverage. Clear, clean-looking ice helps reinforce the quality and care you put into every detail of their experience.
Why does ice sometimes look cloudy? It turns out it may have something to do with your water supply.
The Reasons for Cloudy Ice Cubes
Cloudy ice cubes are not uncommon. But when they go from mostly transparent to mostly opaque, you have an issue. Here are some common culprits that can make ice go wonky.
Too Many Impurities
Water typically contains some dissolved minerals, salt, and metals, collectively called total dissolved solids (TDS). However, when these levels become excessively high, it can result in cloudy ice.
Typically, a level of up to 500 mg/L is considered good. Exceeding this amount may result in discolored water, a salty taste, and deposits that can stain your ice maker.
Water hardness is another related factor to consider. It’s measured by how much dissolved calcium and magnesium are in the water. Anything over 180 mg/L is considered hard and may result in cloudy ice.
Finally, you also have to consider good old dirt and particulate. If your water is flowing through dirty pipes or an unclean ice machine, it’s bound to pick up unwanted contaminants along the way. These small particles get suspended in the ice as it freezes.
Air Bubbles
Even if you’re using water with low mineral content water, you still might not be getting crystal-clear ice. It might have to do with air bubbles and water temperature.
There’s a certain amount of dissolved air present in water. Because ice cubes usually freeze from the outside, this traps the air bubbles in the middle. Also, the purest water freezes first, so depending on the type of ice machine being used, this may trap air bubbles in the center of the cube or nugget, resulting in ice with unsightly bubbles.
Cold water holds more dissolved air than hot water. So if you’re freezing refrigerated water, it might leave you with cloudy ice — even if you’ve filtered it.
Freezing Equipment
The equipment you use to freeze ice can impact its clarity. Many restaurants prefer nugget ice or flake ice machines because they efficiently produce ice, making them ideal for fast-paced environments. These types of ice are also softer and easier to chew.
Both methods freeze all available water into the ice. While this practice is less wasteful, it doesn’t allow for the removal of impurities, as commercial cube freezers do. As a result, any debris or sediment in the water will be trapped in the ice cubes.
SAY GOODBYE TO Cloudy Ice Cubes
Elevate your ice game with these simple tips:
- Use proper water filtration. This is the most important tip. If the water used in your ice machine is of low quality, the ice cubes will not be clear. Fortunately, Pentair offers a variety of commercial accessories to help your business, including water filter replacements and specialized filters for ice makers. These products can reduce particulates, such as contaminants and sediment, that may compromise the quality of your ice.
- Learn how your commercial ice machine makes ice. Commercial cubers freeze layer by layer instead of from the outside, resulting in a more transparent cube because impurities are drained away.
- Clean out your ice machine. A little scrub never hurt anyone! Make it a weekly ritual to eliminate all dirt and debris, not to mention scale deposits that might be forming.
GET YOUR WATER TESTED TODAY
Environmental risks can unexpectedly change water quality. That’s why we recommend testing your water at least once a year. Visit our Water Testing page to watch our quick video and order your Water Test Kit for cleaner, fresher water.
