LEASING BENEFITS

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

WHAT TYPE OF ICE DO I NEED?

It's easy to find the right type of ice to fit your business’ needs. Whether you want a slow-melting crescent cube for cocktails, flaked ice for food preparation, or cubelet ice for patients in hospitals and healthcare clinics, we have a suitable ice machine for you.

Crescent Ice: Crescent ice is a great all-around cube that fits most business needs. Crescent-shaped ice is hard and slow melting. These types of ice cubes are perfect for bars and restaurants.

Square Cubes: Hoshizaki, Ice-O-Matic, and Blue Air ice machines make square-shaped cubes to appeal to customers with high-end palates. These are the perfect ice cubes for luxury spirits and craft cocktails.

Dice and Half Dice: For customers who prefer types of ice with a more traditional square look. Dice and half dice machines come in virtually any production size to fit your business needs.

Cubelet Ice: Also known as Sonic ice, Cubelet (or nugget) ice is soft, chewable, and retains flavor well. This ice shape is commonly found in hospitals and schools. However, this ice type is also popular with bar patrons.

HOW MUCH ICE DO I NEED?

If you’re wondering what size ice machine you need, you’re not alone. The amount of ice each industry needs is different, so our calculator helps you determine how much ice per person you’ll need.

By following this chart, you can get a reasonable estimate of the amount of ice you need in order to choose the best ice maker. This is a midrange calculation, and your specific ice needs may vary.

If you need more help outside of our ice calculator when selecting the suitable machine for your business, no worries. Our team of Ice Machine Experts is ready to set you up with the perfect ice machine for your business at an affordable monthly price.

Hotel: 5 lbs. Per guest.
Hospital: 10 lbs. Per patient.
Restaurant: 1.5 lbs. Per customer.
Bar/Cocktail: 3 lbs. Per customer.
Cafeteria: 1 lb. Per customer.
Quick Serve Restaurant: 5 oz. Per 7-10 oz. drink / 8 oz. Per 12-16 oz. drink / 12 oz. Per 18-24 oz. drink.
Seafood/Deli Counter and Display: 30 lbs. of ice per cubic foot.
Convenience Store: 6 oz. Per 12 oz. drink / 10 oz. Per 20 oz. drink / 16 oz. Per 32 oz. drink.

WHAT SIZE ICE BIN DO I NEED?

Start by estimating your average ice usage for your industry. We have a handy chart showing some average ice usage estimates per industry that you can refer to.

Next, consider the places you use ice aside from drinks. Do you have separate stations, like a wait station, where you keep ice? What about a beer trough for game days? Do you use ice to prep food in the kitchen? These are industry-specific questions you should ask yourself and factor into your total ice usage.

If you are installing an ice machine in an area where 70-degree air is hard to maintain, you’d be wise to choose an ice machine with more ice production to compensate for the drop in volume due to heat. An additional 25-35% more ice than you need will help cover busier days and hotter summers.

Finally, make sure you have all the requirements to install an ice maker and bin. That includes: 

* A floor drain within 6 feet of the machine and space enough for a ¼ in fall for every foot of the ice machine drain pipe.
* About a foot and a half of space on ALL sides of the unit – including the ceiling. Ice machines must have proper ventilation.
* Proper electrical setups: 20-amp circuit for 110v machines and a 4-wire system for 220v appliances.
* An ice maker water line capable of delivering 5 gallons per minute with a dedicated shutoff valve within 6 ft of the machine.