Selecting the appropriate size ice machine is vital to any food and beverage business, and we at Snowflake Ice Mfg. know it well. While regular ice machines do offer bulk ice production, if you are looking for a solution to not only sell but also customize, standardize, and automate the process with convenience and speed, it is time to consider Snowflake Ice Vending Machine, a snowflake ice vending business ideal for restaurants, shops, and cafés as well.
In this blog post, we will discuss in detail why one should think beyond simply ice production volume while selecting an ice machine and see how our compact and automatic Bingsu Vending Machines can be a better option.
Why Size is Important for an Ice Machine
As a general rule of thumb, businesses are often recommended to choose an ice machine with the capacity to produce at least 20% more ice than their estimated daily requirement, so as to never find themselves out of ice on busy business days. For example:
- A store which needs 500 lbs of ice a day should get a 600 lbs capacity ice machine.
- For locations with greater need (say 1000 lbs/day or more) a 10% excess should be good enough.
This recommendation is, however, largely specific to traditional ice cube machines and the conventional restaurant or hotel setting. It goes without saying that if you are in the business of selling snowflake ice desserts (Bingsu), ice production capacity is only a part of the equation. Ease of operation, space footprint, machine practicality, and so on are equally (if not more) important factors to consider.
Introducing the Snowflake Ice Vending Machine
Snowflake Ice Vending Machine is not your regular ice machine with bulk ice output. Designed to make ultra fluffy and delicate snowflake ice which is essential for making Bingsu, our vending machines also turn ice production to a completely automated retail business opportunity.
With our Bingsu Vending Machines, you can not only make snowflake ice for your Bingsu products but also serve and sell them without hassles.
Key features of our Bingsu Vending Machine:
- Tiny Footprint: If you have tried the bulky footprint of a traditional commercial ice machine, you know how much space they can take up. Installation at your preferred location can be a problem. The snowflake ice vending machine on the other hand has a small footprint, and one can install it in many locations like shopping malls, theme parks, food courts, convenience stores, public squares, outdoor markets, supermarkets and many more.
- Fully Automated Operation: The customer places his order on the touchscreen, pays with cash or card (contactless payment or mobile payments are also accepted), the machine automatically prepares the Bingsu, which is ready to be enjoyed by the customer within minutes, with no staff required.
- On-demand Ice Production: As opposed to regular ice machines which make bulk ice stored in a bin, the snowflake ice vending machine produces snowflake ice when an order is placed, so the ice is as fresh as possible, retaining its texture and shape and minimizing waste.
- Customizable Flavors/Topings/Toppings Station: With a snowflake ice vending machine, operators have the option to customize both the vending machine appearance and the flavors/toppings available within.
- High Profit Potential: Low running labor and low ingredient costs make the snowflake ice vending machine an attractive business with a high return on investment (ROI).
How Much Ice Production Do You Really Need?
One must be careful not to confuse the ice machine’s daily ice output volume (lb/servings) with the number of servings it can churn out in a day. On average, every serving of Bingsu uses 80g–150g of snowflake ice. Depending on the machine configuration:
- Standard machine daily output: 600–800 servings/day
- Large-capacity option: 1000+ servings/day
For a business that plans to serve 300–500 customers a day, the standard capacity machine is more than enough. This is because once production is complete, the machines can continuously produce snowflake ice servings. If you are selling at a busy tourist attraction, you might want to consider a higher-capacity snowflake ice vending machine model.
Installation Tips
- Indoor/Outdoor Flexibility: Weatherproof design allows operation both indoors and outdoors.
- Power Requirements: Standard commercial outlets; energy-efficient design.
- Space Requirements: Machine footprint is as compact as 1.2 square meters.
Why Snowflake Ice Vending Machine Is a Better Option Than Regular Ice Makers?
| Feature | Traditional Ice Machine | Snowflake Ice Vending Machine |
| Space Requirements | Large | Small footprint (1.2㎡) |
| Labor Cost | Staff required | Fully automated |
| Ice Storage | Bulk storage | Fresh, on-demand production |
| Customization | No | Full branding + flavor control |
| Customer Experience | None | Interactive, self-service |
| Sales Capability | Ice only | Direct Bingsu sales |
Conclusion
If you are planning to set up a Bingsu store or add to your existing frozen dessert menu, we suggest you to not go for a standard commercial ice machine but instead make use of the smaller, fast, and profitable snowflake ice vending machines by Snowflake Ice Mfg. Snowflake Ice Vending Machines can work in urban or commercial settings, theme parks and playgrounds, cafés and convenience stores, or even busy beaches and tourist hotspots, giving you a fun business idea to serve snowflake ice with little labor and a high return!
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