The Lowdown on Supercubes

Hubbard Systems tells you why gourmet supercubes bring out the best in your drink

For such a seemingly simple item there are a dizzying number of ways to make an ice cube. These different forms each have their own strengths and uses. Ice is ice? Don’t you believe it!

For example, pouring bourbon over ice will stop aromatic compounds within the drink evaporating. This allows more of them to be released within the drinker’s mouth, making for a more complex taste.

With these kinds of drink, the longer lasting the ice the better. Some of the lighter kinds of ice melt too quickly, diluting the drink too much. This is where gourmet supercube ice cubes come in.

The science of the supercube

Supercubes are designed to look great and last a long time. The key to this is making ice that is absolutely clear. One of the biggest factors in achieving this is to ensure air bubbles are not allowed to form during the freezing process, as they can trap impurities in the ice. These will release unwanted flavours, tainting the drink as the ice melts.

Gourmet supercubes are made by spraying water upwards into a mould.  This allows for an even freezing process, causing impurities in the water to drop down and stopping air bubbles from forming. You can think of them as reverse icicles, freezing inwards rather than outwards. This creates a crystal clear cube with dense, slow-melting ice, perfect for keeping drinks cool for as long as possible without watering them down.

A supercube for every situation

An added bonus with Scotsman supercubes is their thimble shape makes them less likely to stick together in the ice bucket, so they are easier for staff to handle. It’s this combination of great looks, quality and practicality that has made the Scotsman supercube the most popular ice cube and the cube of choice for discerning mixologists the world over.

Hubbard Systems supplies a range of Scotsman ice machines capable of producing supercubes in a range of sizes. They can be used to present every drink in the most appealing way. For example, the 8g small size will glitter appealingly in a glass, while the medium (20g) and large (39g) sizes can be used for cocktails, iced coffee or other milk drinks that you want to keep cool without adding extra water.

For situations where you really want to make a statement, the extra-large 60g “super-supercube” looks amazing in a glass and lasts a long time, keeping the drink cool for as long as required.

Scotsman machines make eight types of ice. As well as the supercube this includes dice, superdice, cubelet, nugget, flake, superflake and scale ice. In order to help operators understand each ice type better, Scotsman has published an Ice Varieties Guide which can be downloaded from its website.

Hubbard Systems is the UK distributor for the market-leading Scotsman range, which is available via dealers nationwide.  For more information on the full range of Scotsman ice machines, and details of local stockists, freephone Hubbard Systems on 0800 616559, call 01473 350045 email sales@hubbardsystems.co.uk or visit www.scotsman-ice.co.uk