About Jason
Jason is a senior engineer at Smartool. He works on the commercial ice machines, soft serve and slushy machines, and refrigerated prep tables Smartool builds for restaurants, bars, hotels and dessert shops. His guides look at equipment from the engineering side: how to size a machine for a site, what it needs for power, water and airflow, and how to keep it running through busy service. He also helps buyers match the right model to their kitchen before they request a quote.
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A margarita machine recipe for bars: the 1:4 tequila batch ratio, a per-gallon house formula, four variations, a scaling table and fixes.
Ice machine freezing up? Learn the six common causes, what staff can safely check, what needs a technician, and how to prevent repeat freeze-ups.
How to use a margarita machine or slush machine: setup, mixing and filling, freeze time, consistency, dispensing, refills and the closing routine.
Soft serve ice cream recipe for commercial machines: sourced base ranges, a starter vanilla formula, pasteurization steps, overrun fixes and mix options.
Ice machine not making ice? Check power, water supply, filter, scale, condenser airflow and harvest in order, and know when to call a technician.
How to clean a slush machine or margarita machine: drain, disassemble, wash, sanitize, lubricate seals and reassemble, plus a weekly routine and log.
Soft serve vs hard ice cream for business: freezing process, serving temperature, overrun, equipment, and where a combined hard/soft machine fits.
Commercial ice machine installation: water line, backflow preventer, drain air gap, electrical circuit, clearance and first start-up, with Food Code rules.
Slushie machine recipes for cafés and bars: a Brix-based method, syrup-to-water starting ratios, fixes for icy or runny slush, and 15 menu drinks.
Why is McDonald's ice cream machine always broken? The reported causes, the 2024 repair exemption, and what operators should check before buying.