Build a Better Beverage Menu with These Commercial Drink Dispensers
Either for health reasons or a break from the ordinary, more customers are looking for drink choices beyond the traditional soft drinks and teas we're all familiar with. Expand your beverage program to include offerings such as sweet slushies, fresh fruit juice, and perfectly frozen margaritas to bring in new customers and give repeat patrons something fresh to try. This guide will help you choose the right commercial drink dispensers for the job.
Slushie Machines
Sometimes called granitas, Frusheez, or slush, slushies are sweet, cold treats made from a simple, partially frozen mixture of flavored syrup and water. Slushie machines are easy to operate, and slushie mix is affordable and available in many flavors, from the classic blue raspberry and cherry to more sophisticated flavors such as mango and margarita.
Unlike shaved ice, snow cones, and other ice-based treats, slushies don't require any ice-cutting or chopping equipment. Just add your mixture to the slushie machine's hopper, and it will freeze to the right texture in less than an hour. Machines can be set up for counter service or to enable customers to serve themselves.
While machine details vary between manufacturers, all slushie machines take advantage of a rotating auger that circulates the product through a freezing chamber, bringing the entire batch to a consistent texture and temperature. Two-bowl versions of this equipment are the most common, though some are available with one or three bowls to accommodate different flavor combinations.
Lower-volume slushie machines have capacities from 1 to 3 gallons per bowl, and each flavor is frozen in and dispensed from a single compartment. Higher-volume machines include two chambers per flavor. One chamber receives unfrozen mix and chills it to just above freezing, and then product from that chamber is automatically brought into the freezing chamber as the mix is dispensed. This two-compartment design is able to keep up with high demand and reduces the labor costs associated with the machine.
Many slushie machines can be connected to autofill systems that automatically top off each hopper from a bag-in-box syrup supply. This machine helps further cut down on the labor required for operation and guarantees there will always be product available when a customer wants to purchase a drink.
Most slushie machines can be used as margarita machines, but because drinks containing alcohol freeze at lower temperatures than drinks that do not, you must account for the slower freezing cycle and choose a machine that will be able to keep up with your demand for frozen adult beverages. For this reason, if you plan on dispensing more than a few margaritas in an hour, it's wise to choose a heavy-duty slushie machine for dispensing frozen alcoholic beverages.
Commercial Juice Dispensers
When it comes to serving cold beverages such as juice, fruit drinks, and tea, you have many options to choose from. The simplest solution – the premix "bubbler" dispenser - is the best for serving drinks without pulp and mixes that don't tend to foam when agitated. Bubblers can serve drinks mixed from powder as well as low-sediment juices, such as apple juice.
Bubblers get their name from a spray tube that pumps product from the bottom of the dispenser's bowl up to the top, spraying it in a fountain pattern. This setup circulates product for even mixing and chilling.
For drinks that tend to froth – such as high-pulp orange juice, teas, and any product containing milk – you'll want to choose a bubbler that's built with an impeller rather than a spray tube. An impeller gently stirs the product to keep it circulated without causing it to froth.
If you're looking for a low-maintenance alternative to bubblers that serves premium juice drinks from concentrate, you'll want to go with a gourmet cold beverage dispenser. These systems mix drinks on demand from a liquid concentrate that's dispensed from bag-in-box containers.
Gourmet juice machines are available in two- and four-flavor versions, and they're built to serve juice in relatively high volumes, dispensing 1 to 11⁄2 ounces of juice per second. They're simple to operate, can be set up for self-service, and are particularly popular at continental breakfast stations and in convenience stores.
Margarita Machines
Perfect for serving frozen lemonade, juice, cocktails, and more, margarita machines are capable of freezing product containing alcohol. Small units have an output of a few dozen drinks an hour, while large versions can deliver more than 1,000 servings in the same timeframe. Each margarita machine has between one and four cylinders, and their capacities are measured in quarts or gallons.
An auger agitates product to ensure it gets broken up consistently. These machines are constructed for countertop placement, though they cannot be placed right next to each other because the vents on most models are located on the side. Margarita machines are either cooled by water, air, or a remote system.
To enhance the display for guests, some margarita machines are constructed with a window at the front so customers can watch as product mixes. Units with lit panels advertise product to passersby, and multiple flavors can be housed in margarita machines with more than one cylinder.
Unlike slushie makers, all margarita machines are approved for alcohol. Configurations equipped with the autofill feature replenish the freezing cylinder from the refrigerated storage hopper without making you wait for product to freeze after refilling.
Only some margarita machines can house dairy, so if you're selling dairy product, be sure to invest in equipment approved for containing it. Units with casters can be moved around your space and are equipped with locks for any stationary setups.
A standby switch included on some models will refrigerate mixes overnight, helping prevent waste at the end of the day or time spent cleaning out the machine and refilling it later. Portable units are ideal for convenience stores and concession stands, and margarita machines with reservoirs can house extra product outside the barrel.
