The Story Behind Modern Ice Makers
We know what a relief sipping a cool glass of water can be, and can’t even begin to imagine life without artificially manufactured ice. It is everywhere, and whether it is used in the food industry, for storage, or just for cooling thousands of drinks, no one can deny that ice is an integral part of everyday life.
Ice is of our precious natural resources, but how did humans come to think of actually manufacturing it artificially? What caused the demand to be so great? There actually is more of a rich history to the humble ice machine than you may expect. Let’s find out…
A Need for Ice is Discovered
If you think that the need for ice was discovered only a few centuries ago, it is time for this to change. From ancient times, humans have looked for ways to cool themselves down. Humans are usually never satisfied with the way things are. In the cooler months, we often desire it to be warmer, and the inverse is equally true as well. We continually are in search of ways to keep cool in the hotter months, and the thoughts of our ancestors were not far from that as well.
Historical records show us that many ancient civilizations found ways to save up their ice for warmer months. In the warmer tropics, Indians were busy moving the ice and hard snow from the Himalayas towards the scorching south of the country. In the same manner, the Russians, Chinese, and Greeks also went up to mountains or to frozen water bodies in order to bring ice home to cool their houses and put in their drinks. Later on, many wealthy Europeans opted for ice storage sheds to store their ice in. The only problem was that ice was a commodity that could only be afforded by the elite families in those times, so it was considered an unobtainable luxury for most ordinary people. This was about to change with the aid of a little technology and brilliant human minds.
The First Ice Machines
Many people who came up with original ideas were not recognized for their true genius. Sadly this was the story of Dr. John Gorrie who not only patented the first ice producing machine but also ironically died an unhappy man for the very same reason.
In the effort to reduce the Malaria cases in the region he was from, he started looking into the ways of minimizing the ‘bad air’ content in households (which was then believed to be the cause of this disease. It was later discovered that this was mosquito-borne disease). He believed that the cool air created by ice could help this process. In 1851, he received approval for his patented ice making machine which is interestingly a very basic form of modern machines. Sadly for him, even though he was a modern thinker, there were some people in Boston at the time who didn’t think so highly of him.
One such man was Frederic Tudor, who rose to fame as the ‘ice king’. He was the first person to see ice as a profitable commodity and realized its money making potential very early on. He transported ice in bulk to many places including the Caribbean, South America, and India. For this reason, he did not like the idea of people producing artificial ice and started a campaign to discredit Dr. Gorrie and his invention by saying that ‘natural’ ice was purer than artificially produced ice. He died rich, while John Gorrie died penniless, not living to see what a legacy he had left the world.
The ‘Modern’ Ice Age
The next development in the ice machine industry came when a Scottish newspaper printer named James Harrison took a keen interest in refrigeration and cooling systems, and went on to produce his very own ice machine in 1851. A few years later, he even went on to build a commercial model that was able to produce a staggering 3000 lbs per day. That’s a lot of ice, even by modern standards! This ice paved the way for people to begin transporting fresh meat across oceans.
The first edible ice was manufactured more than 70 years later in 1929 by a man named Jürgen Hans who established a company called Külinda a few years later. Many other companies took his cue and started producing ice machines of their own.
What Has Happened Since?
With all the technological advances that have happened since the time of Professor Hans, it is inevitable that the ice machines being produced now have changed significantly in looks and quality. New processes have been implemented, and the materials used to build these machines have also changed to more durable metals. Many brands also concentrate on energy conservation and seek to lessen their carbon footprint. There is also a greater focus on getting the clearest and purest ice cube at the best possible price, as people are getting far more picky about the ice they desire in comparison to the past. This has caused greater diversification in the industry, giving people the freedom to choose from a variety of brands such as Scotsman, Manitowok, Ice-O-Matic, EdgeStar, and the list goes on and on…
There are now thousands and thousands of models of ice makers produced by these brands, each catering to specific needs. Some machines are small, looking after the needs of a small household, and some ice makers are gigantic, producing thousands of pounds of ice daily. Not only are there differences in the looks and sizes of the machines, but they have also diversified the types of ice they produce as well. Whether it be slow melting ice for a long lazy day, or chewable ice for sodas, or flaked ice for your blended drinks, there is always an ice machine that can produce it.
Sometimes we forget what a journey an appliance has had to come to the stage where we are now or the many people who dedicated their lives to look to the future of any given industry. These brilliant people used their skills to think up great inventions, and the rest they say is history!