Why are Ice Cubes Cloudy?
FOUR TIPS FOR CLEAR ICE CUBES
At your restaurant or other place of business, appearances are everything. That includes your ice. If you’re serving customers drinks with ice that looks questionable, they may wonder whether or not they want to return. Ice that’s cloudy can be off-putting.
Why are ice cubes cloudy? Turns out, it may have something to do with your water supply. Cloudy ice cubes are not uncommon. But when they go from mostly transparent to mostly opaque, you have an issue. Here are some of the most common culprits that can make ice go wonky.
It’s normal for water to have some dissolved mineral, salt, and metal content — also known as total dissolved solids (TDS). But when these levels get too high, it can lead to cloudy ice.
TOO MANY IMPURITIES
It’s normal for water to have some dissolved mineral, salt, and metal content — also known as total dissolved solids (TDS). But when these levels get too high, it can lead to cloudy ice.
Up to 500 mg/L is typically good. Any more than that? You might find your water turns an odd color, has a salty taste and stains your ice maker with deposits.
Water hardness is another related factor to consider. It’s the measure specifically of how much dissolved calcium and magnesium are in the water. Anything over 180 mg/L is considered very 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 new friends 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.
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 new friends along the way. These small particles get suspended in the ice as it freezes.
FREEZING EQUIPMENT
What you’re using to freeze your ice could be affecting its clarity. Many restaurants prefer nugget ice machines or flaker machines because they’re great for rapidly producing ice — ideal in a fast-paced environment. These types of ice are also softer and chewable.
Both of these methods freeze all of the available water into the cube. Sure, it’s less wasteful. But, there’s no way to drain out impurities like with a commercial cube freezer. This means any debris or sediment stuck in the water will naturally be stuck in the cube.