Ice Machine Horror: The growth within your drink

Most likely, you've never see the insides of an ice machine. What consumers don't know won't always hurt them. But it might really gross them out.

Restaurants have to meticulous about proper food storage and handling. Patron will peek at the insides of their steak, check their plate before digging in. But who of us has done the same to their drink order? If you've ever chewed an ice cube that tasted just a bit "off", here's the most likely reason why.

Terror in the ice bin

Like any machine in the kitchen, ice machines need to be cleaned. Thoroughly cleaned. At least twice a year.

That means taking it apart, chipping out old stale ice, and sanitizing every piece that touches the ice customers will be drinking in their cup.

Restaurant staff hate this. They don't always have time to clean an ice machine and their hourly pay doesn't make up for the labor involved in proper cleaning of this type of machine. Regardless of not having the right tools to open the machine, wiping out the ice box really doesn't cut it.

That means... horrors like mildew, mold, and stale ice.

Take a look for yourself at some ice machines we have had the pleasure of making right. The before pictures are stomach-churning.

So you tell us... should we handle the cleaning?