Carbon Steel vs Stainless Steel: Which Freezing Surface is Right for You?
Posted July 10, 2017 in Company News
Deciding it’s time to purchase a new ice maker can seem like a daunting task. You need to research which type of machine is best for your business, when is a good time to buy, and feel confident that you’re making a sound decision with your investment.
Thankfully, deciding between a carbon steel and stainless steel freezing surface will be the easiest part of the process. It will also help narrow down the number of ice maker options to choose from.
Choosing the right freezing surface for your flake ice maker is as simple as understanding what your application requirements are. Let’s break down the benefits of each freezing surface and how to determine which is right for you.
Stainless Steel
There are ever-increasing regulations surrounding food-safety procedures. All food-related applications, such as meat or poultry processing, commercial baking, seafood processing, and produce should be using a stainless steel freezing surface in order to remain compliant with government regulations and avoid costly fines or penalties in the future.
North Star offers our stainless steel ice makers in three different configurations. Each configuration provides more food-safe components that are designed to meet any ice requirement. For example, a produce farm that is top-icing broccoli during the transportation process does not require as many specialized components in the ice machine as a meat processing plant that uses flake ice as an ingredient within the meat mixture.
Stainless steel has long been recognized as the best material for all types of food processing. The dependability and longevity of the material is supported by North Star’s lifetime evaporator warranty.
The solid stainless steel freezing surface of a North Star ice maker will not chip or pit like chrome-plated or aluminum surfaces on other ice making equipment and requires minimal maintenance over the years. The surface is highly durable, corrosion-resistant, and easy to clean. Furthermore, the high ice production capacity achieved with our special stainless steel formula allows you to get the most out of your machine while receiving the best return on your investment during the life of the ice maker.
Carbon Steel
If your application is non-food related, a carbon steel freezing surface will often times be the best choice. Carbon steel ice makers are used in applications such as
concrete cooling, chemical manufacturing, snowmaking and other recreational uses. Carbon steel has a high heat transfer rate allowing the machine to use less energy to produce more ice, giving you a higher production capacity overall.
Carbon steel is extremely durable and requires minimal maintenance over the life of the machine. Carbon steel will not chip or pit and is corrosion-resistant while kept below freezing. Additionally, there is a lower associated material cost with carbon steel compared to stainless steel so if your application allows, this is the economical choice.
Carbon steel and stainless steel freezing surfaces are both exceptional materials for producing flake ice. Either option will provide decades of reliable ice production when maintained properly. Knowing the difference is the first step in choosing the best machine that will work for you. If you’re still unsure which is the best choice and why, let North Star help you.
