Canes is a popular fast food chicken finger restaurant that is known for its fresh, never frozen chicken fingers served with crinkle-cut fries. One of the signature items at Canes is their freshly squeezed lemonade served over chewy ice. Understanding the type of ice Canes uses can help unlock why their lemonade tastes so refreshing.
The Importance of Ice at Canes
Ice plays a critical role in the Canes dining experience. Their lemonade is their top selling drink, and the ice helps keep the lemonade chilled and refreshing on hot days. Beyond lemonade, the ice helps keep all of Canes’ beverages frosty cold from soft drinks to iced tea. So the quality and taste of the ice does matter at Canes.
Types of Ice
There are a few common types of ice used in the restaurant and beverage industry:
- Cube – These small square cubes are the most common ice used for drinks. They cool beverages down quickly.
- Nugget – Small pellet shaped ice that cools drinks down faster due to more surface area.
- Crushed – Small grains of crushed ice useful for blending drinks.
- Flake – Very thin, snow-like ice flakes that cool drinks rapidly.
The Ice at Canes
So what type of ice does Canes use specifically? After some investigation, it appears that Canes uses flake ice for their lemonade and beverages.
Flake ice is made by shaving ice flakes off a block of ice. This produces very thin, small ice flakes that have a lot of surface area. Flake ice cools drinks down rapidly while not diluting the drinks too quickly.
Here are some key advantages of the flake ice used at Canes:
- Flakes melt quickly for fast cooling.
- Thin ice doesn’t overly dilute drinks as cubes can.
- Light, crunchy texture.
- Allows drinks to stay cooler longer compared to cubes.
- Aesthetic appeal of “snowy” ice.
Why Flake Ice Works Well for Canes
There are some clear reasons why flake ice is the right choice for a restaurant like Canes serving fresh lemonade and cold drinks:
| Advantage | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| Fast cooling | Gets lemonade cold fast since it is made to order in batches. |
| Texture | Light crunch complements the lemonade. |
| Fresh taste | Thin ice doesn’t dilute lemonade too quickly. |
| Consistency | Each lemonade has the ideal iciness. |
Flake ice really brings out the best in the fresh squeezed lemonade at Canes. It cools the drink down fast without diluting the flavors. The crunchy texture also makes Canes lemonade extra refreshing. This seems to be the ideal ice for Canes to use with their lemonade to highlight its freshness.
Equipment Needed for Flake Ice
To make flake ice, Canes needs the right ice machine equipment. Here is what is required:
- Ice machine with flake ice molds and shaver blades.
- Water filtration system to filter impurities.
- Durable interior with stainless steel or similar material.
- Commercial grade compressor to freeze ice quickly.
- Large storage capacity.
The best flake ice machines for restaurants produce up to 1400 lbs of flake ice per day. They can shave uniform flakes off ice cylinders to maximize chilled beverage enjoyment for customers.
Flake Ice vs. Cubed Ice
While flake ice works great for Canes, you may be wondering how it compares to normal cubed ice. Here’s a quick comparison:
| Factor | Flake Ice | Cubed Ice |
|---|---|---|
| Cooling speed | Very fast | Moderate |
| Drink dilution | Low | High |
| Texture | Crunchy | Hard |
| Shape | Small, thin flakes | Small cubes |
As this shows, flake ice has some advantages that make it a great choice for Canes fountain beverages. The light, crunchy texture and rapid cooling benefit Canes’ fresh lemonade in particular.
Conclusion
Canes utilizes flake ice specifically for its lemonade and cold drinks. Flake ice, made from shaving ice blocks into thin flakes, cools drinks rapidly while providing a pleasant crunch and minimizing dilution. It helps highlight the fresh-squeezed lemonade Canes prides itself on by cooling it quickly without diluting the flavors. The flake ice machines used by Canes allow them to churn out the light, crunchy ice that completes the refreshing Canes beverage experience.
