Beverage Dispensers Key Terms

Discover beverage dispensers key terms to select the model best fitting your needs

Commercial drink dispensers are practically indispensable to the entire foodservice industry. Whether you are a diner owner, caterer or convenience store operator, you depend on commercial beverage dispensers to display high-profit margin drinks and provide ease and convenience when serving those drinks.

Selecting the right kind of beverage dispenser depends upon the kind of drinks you're planning to store in them. Lemonade, iced tea, juices and soft drinks keep nicely in the electrically operated machines that have become fixtures at local diners. Convenience store owners find that slush-type drinks are better in frozen drink dispensers that can prepare these concoctions with the touch of a button. Knowing beverage dispensers key terms can help you decide which model is best for you:

1. Pick the right machine to use as a juice or soft drink dispenser.

2. Know which commercial beverage dispensers to use for popular frozen drinks.

3. Select a restaurant beverage dispenser for specialty hot drinks like flavored coffees and cappuccino.

 

Choose electric drink dispensers for juices and soft drinks

Electric beverage dispensers are the most common drink beverage dispensers that you see behind the counters at diners and breakfast-lunch operations. They are perfect for orange and other juices, lemonade, iced tea and carbonated beverages. The electric dispensers come with whippers for drinks that need frothing. The commercial juice dispensers are usually made of stainless steel with clear plastic "bubblers" and front draining trays.
Try: Gala Source and Beverage Dispenser World both carry electric beverage dispensers with agitators for hot and cold drinks. Most of them have marks so you can measure the amount of liquid inside. You can choose between one bowl "bubbler" models and multi bowl "bubbler" models.

Look for commercial drink dispensers that hold slushes and alcohol-based frozen drinks

Frozen drink dispensers come in carbonated and uncarbonated models. They are for high-profit drinks, such as frozen cocktails or slushes. These dispensers are pressurized systems equipped with a freezing cylinder to hold ice, C02 and flavored syrups. They are in bars and convenience stores.
Try: Taylor makes carbonated and uncarbonated frozen drink dispensers for single and double flavors. Each has a 7-quart capacity freezing cylinder. Frozen Drink Machines & Services of Alabama sells four different kinds of frozen drink dispensers, each with high volume output. The VitaMix model uses ice rather than a freezing cylinder to mix drinks.

Choose a coffee dispenser or hot powdered mix beverage dispenser

There are airpots, insulated dispensers and hot powdered mix dispensers. Airpots, used mostly for coffee and tea, are the smallest hot beverage dispensers. They resemble large thermoses and usually have a 2- to 4-quart capacity. The insulated beverage dispenser is a large, sturdy container made of heavy-duty plastic that is used when you need to make hot coffee and tea by the gallons. The beverage comes out from a spring action faucet that allows self-service. Hot Powdered Drink Machines are counter top dispensers used for specialty beverages like cappuccino and hot chocolate and even for soup.
Try: Bunn-O-Matic is a market leader in the hot beverage dispensers industry. The company makes stainless steel push-button or lever action airpots. Kitchen Supply Direct carries at least seven different models of these dispensers, for single and multiple beverages.

 

• Compared to other kinds of restaurant equipment, commercial drink dispensers are not pricey. Still, be sure to ask about replacement parts from the manufacturer or dealer you choose to buy from.

Copyright © 2011 Business.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

---