What is Block Ice?
There are actually two types of block ice, so it’s not a dumb question.. There’s solid block ice and there’s compressed block ice. Solid block ice is made by pouring water into a mold and freezing it. You can use a block ice maker, or you can use a mold that you put in your freezer. Either way, you end up with a solid piece of ice.
You can also get compressed block ice, which is much more common. This is basically made by pressing ice cubes together and filling in the gaps with water. This is then frozen to form a block.
Which Type of Block Ice is Best For Shaved Ice?
Genuine solid block ice is the standard for making quality shaved ice. It will definitely produce the softest and most consistently snow-like shavings. Your customers will notice the difference.
Compressed block ice is not ideal for use in a block ice shaver. The reason is that it’s not consistent, with possible air pockets in the block. This creates an uneven surface for the blades of your ice shaver.
Where Can You Get Solid Block Ice?
Of course, you must have access to a block ice supplier in order to run your business with a block ice machine. You can always buy your own block ice maker, but that’s a significant investment. You can also buy molds and make your own block ice, but that can be a lot of work. It’s usually best to find a local ice wholesaler that can provide you with solid block ice.
What’s the Alternative?
If block ice is really not an option, there are plenty of snow cone and shaved ice vendors that operate using cubed ice shavers. There’s nothing wrong with that and we’re not going to judge you if that’s what you choose. But do yourself a favor and taste the difference in the two products before making a decision.
Ragg’s Supply provides block ice for many of the retail snow cone and shaved ice vendors in greater DFW. We deliver within the area. We also have people driving from miles away just to pick up their ice and syrup supplies because they’re outside our delivery area.