Ice Machine Buying Guide

An ice machine is a vital part of any foodservice related business. There are a wide variety of configurations available and it’s very important that the proper selections are made when purchasing an ice machine. Ice machines come in many shapes and sizes, and have been organized on this website into three categories: 0-400 lb. ice machines, 400-800 lb. ice machines and 800+ lb. ice machine . These names indicate the ice producing capacity per day a machine has. Ice may be produced in various forms as well, but the most common is the solid cube. This is due to the fact that cubes melt more slowly than ice in most other forms, extending products’ cold holding times and quite possibly cutting customers’ ice consumption. For this reason, you will see that we only have cubers on this website.

After the form of ice is chosen, it must be decided whether the machine will be air-cooled, water-cooled or remote. An air-cooled machine is cost effective and involves no added water costs. Remote condenser systems are air-cooled and mounted outdoors, usually on a roof. They can be installed as far as 100’ from the ice machine. Generally, a water-cooled or remote unit should only be chosen if one or more of the following conditions exists where the machine will be installed:

• Ambient air temperatures of more than 80°F
• Air contains a high level of contaminants such as grease
• A lack of air circulation

An example of a situation where a water-cooled or remote unit should be used would be installation in a small room without air circulation or in a small kitchen where the ice machine must be located near the cooking equipment and air temperatures are typically over 80F. An air-cooled condenser needs to have 6” of clearance on all air intake and discharge areas. The tradeoff of using a water-cooled machine is that water consumption will be higher than it would be with a comparable air-cooled unit. For this reason an air-cooled unit should be selected unless conditions warrant the use of a water-cooled machine.

After the decision regarding the type of condenser is made, the next consideration is the production capacity of the unit. Proper selection in this regard is critical. A careful assessment must be made, based on your individual needs. Ice consumption at peak times should be considered, as well as any possibility for a future increase in demand. It’s better to have extra ice on hand to cover these times rather than have a machine that is too small to carry you through them. Use the following chart to help you select the correct size ice machine for you.

Quick Reference Sizing Guide by Customer Volume

Another consideration to make is the size of the ice storage bin . With many ice machine models, there are several compatible bins of various sizes. You will see that we have the compatible bins listed under each ice machine. If too large a bin is chosen, waste will be increased due to the melting of the ice in the bottom of the bin. On the other hand, it would also be unwise to have a bin that is too small, where peak usage both exhausts the supply in the bin and exceeds the production of the machine. It is preferable to have some melting occur in a bin during slow periods if it is big enough to supply your needs through peak usage times.

Finally, after all of the above decisions are made, there is one more factor that should not be overlooked. That is the filtration of the water supply feeding your machine. A filter kit is essential for preventing the build-up of mineral deposits within your new machine. A water filter is a small investment to make that will have a huge impact on the long-term service of your machine.