Things to consider when purchasing a commercial iced tea urn dispenser
Fresh brewed iced tea is a favorite drink in the US, and with the Summer months ahead of us, iced tea is entering prime sales months among consumers. If your restaurant, cafe, convenience store, or catering business is thinking about adding fresh brewed iced tea to your store offerings, there are a few things to consider before investing in a tea urn dispenser.
Consider all of the features before you decide on and purchase a specific dispenser. What is most important to you? Price, size, capacity, shape, or handles? Take Note: The 3.5 gallon and 4 gallon models when full of ice tea will weigh over 25 lbs. and are the most popular because they are the easiest to fill and empty. Larger 5- and 10- gallon dispensers are also available, but can be very heavy to lift or transport when full of ice tea. At the end of the day, how will you empty the contents of the tea urn? Does it involve carrying the urn to the kitchen to pour down the sink? What if the urn is still quite full, but in need of discarding because it will be past it's shelf life? Carrying a full tea urn is not only heavy, but prone to spilling - unless you are using Saftea® tea urn Liners! (More on that later!)
Although there are many tea urn dispensers to choose from. Bunn and Curtis are commonly used and noticed by the public. This is a side by side comparison on the most popular manufactures and models used in national restaurants, and convenience stores today.
Bunn Model TDO-N 3.5
- 21 ½ ” high x 6 ¼ ” x wide x 13 ½ ” deep
- Capacity 3.5 gallon (also available in 2 and 4 gallon)
- Oval narrow shape makes it very popular to save counter space
- Front and back handles make it very easy to move for filling or to empty.
- One of the most popular iced tea dispensers used in fast food restaurants.
Wilbur Curtis Model TC-3H
- 22 ¾ ” high x 9 ½ ” x wide x 9 ½ ” deep
- Capacity 3 gallon (also available in 1.5 and 2 gallon)
- Round shape makes it very stable while on the counter.
- Side handles make it easy to move for filling or to empty.
- One of the most popular iced tea dispensers used in convenience stores.
What about the Liner?
Whichever tea urn model you choose, you'll want to have a liner to expedite the cleaning process, and eliminate the need for cleaning chemicals, and the unfortunate side effect of a bad aftertaste that can occur when these chemicals are not properly rinsed. Saftea® Liner takes the tedious chore of scrubbing your tea urns out of the equation, since the tea never comes in direct contact with the urn or spigot. That means hard to clean areas will not gather harmful molds and bacteria, making it unsafe to drink. Saftea® Liner also comes with a sliding zip locking seal, further eliminating accidental contamination, and preventing spillage when lifting or moving the urn. And with the writable panel on the liner, tracking when you should replace your tea is simple! Just note the date and time, and you will always know how fresh your iced tea is. Your customers will notice for sure, and bring them back for more!
Need larger quantities? We can accommodate pallet, and truckload requests as well! Contact our sales team to decide what the best option is for your business!
Happy National Iced Tea Month!
