Education
Making the perfect Shaved Ice and doing it Fast – Block Ice Shaver Features and Improvements
Jan
This is a very real look at the block shaver. This video was at the request of one of our customers who had some specific questions he wanted answered in video. There was also a forum entry on another site that I had replied to about the many improvements we have made since the launch of our first block ice shaver. I address some of those as well.
The first request, is that he wanted to see us put flavor on the shaved ice, and he asked that the tops be oversized. I am not sure the intent here, but obviously, if your snow is hanging over the side, it will also drip off the side. It did just that. But what we were really looking for here, was how well the snow held onto the flavor or syrup. You see, if you pour syrup on a shaved ice, and that flavor quickly goes to the bottom of the cup, then that snow is icy. If, however, that snow sucks up that flavor like a sponge and doesn’t let go, well, that my friend is Snow!
The second concern was that the snow will back into the channel where the snow comes out. We didn’t show the shaver shaving with a tempered block, which is a common practice in the industry. Instead, we kept it cold so that you could see what to do as an alternative when your snow sticks to the topper and potentially gathers back in the chute. First, if you shave your snow small enough so that it has a top appropriate for the cup you are using, it will be far more difficult to have snow build up, back up in the chute. Remember, we are working with snow. Everything you experience here, will happen in nature as well. When you go out on those cold winter mornings and the snow is too cold and dry to pack, well, that same thing happens here. That snow gets so cold that it will not want to pack to itself, and will have a tendency to stick to the plastic. The most simple fix to this issue is to simply temper your block. That just means to let it warm up a little. You can have it sit out and just start to get glossy. You do not want a sopping wet block of ice, just one that is becoming glossy. This will work flawlessly.
The other fix to that, is to use the handle of your ice chipper and tap the snow away that is sitting at the mouth of the chute. This will open that channel and prevent any backlog of the snow.
The third concern was one that we actually came up with. This is when the block ice is shaved down past the top pressure flap. If you have a nice piece of block ice, this will not happen, but if you have a block that has a poorly frozen or broken end, then once that pressure flap is free, the block can start spinning with the blade. We have just fixed this issue completely and will cover the details of this in another video at a later time. However, we do show you how well that shaver can now hold onto even a round, small block and shave it to the end.
The last concern was volume and speed control. Could this ice shaver be used in a high volume scenario? This question kind of cracked me up. The Snowie Family of Shavers are the fastest shavers on the market. They are THE shavers to have in a high volume scenario.
If you have any further questions, please let us know and we would be happy to create a video answer for you as well.
Would like to recieve some prices on the Snowie Van’s.
Christine,
Please give us a call at 801-268-2225. The prices of the Bus vary depending on whether or not they are new or used, etc.
I will have some current pricing of Busses listed on our website shortly. But if you would like to discuss that list now, I would be happy to do so.
Basically, you have a range of about $45,000 – $75,000.
Please let me know if you have any further questions,
– Aaron
If you would like to email me aaron@snowie.com I would be happy to shoot you back a sheet of current pricing.
Does the block ice shaver make a superior quality shaved ice compared to the cube ice shaver?
Chekib,
It is really something that you may want to check out in person. But a good way to describe it is that the cube shavers have a 10% chance of getting ice pieces in the snow adding a tiny bit of crunch. Really, it depends on the cubes you are putting in the shaver. You can get block quality out of those shavers if you do it right. The bigger and more round the cube, the snowier your shaved ice will be.
The Block shaves perfect snow every time as it is shaving from a perfectly flat surface. It also rivals the cube shavers on speed as well.
This is a very cool machine. Let me know if I can answer any other questions for you.
I love this shaver and I see potential for saving the cost of ice by making your own. Is there a video that shows the container and plastic liner you freeze the ice block in and then loading the
block in the shaver? What is the cost cost for each container and is there bulk pricing? I think my freezer could hold 30-40 of the blocks. Does the block shaver have the same footprint of the 3000 cube shaver I currently own? What is the cost of the block shaver and I’ll leave you alone.
There will be a video coming out shortly with our brand new version of this single mold. I would wait for that as we have made some serious progress in the past few weeks. I do not have the exact pricing at this time, but that will be announced along with the video. The block shaver does have the same footprint as the Snowie 3000. It is taller, however. The cost of the block shaver is: $3200 and can be found here: https://snowie.com/product/snowie-block-shaver/