Guide to Choosing the Right Size Commercial Cuber Ice Machine

Choosing the right commercial ice machine is a critical decision for any business that relies on a consistent supply of ice. The key to making the right choice isn't just about finding the cheapest or largest machine; it's about matching the machine's capabilities to your specific needs. This guide focuses on cuber ice machines, which produce solid, clear cubes that are a staple in many restaurants, bars, and hospitality venues. Noriota Ltd. offers a full range of commercial cuber ice machines ranging in sizes and production capacities.

The Most Important Factor: Production Output

The most crucial specification for any commercial ice machine is its daily production output, measured in kilograms or pounds of ice per 24 hours. Undersizing your machine will lead to a shortage of ice during peak hours, while oversizing it can result in wasted energy and higher operating costs.

To accurately determine your required production output, follow these steps:

• 1. Calculate Your Base Needs: Estimate the average amount of ice you need for a typical day. A good starting point is to use these industry-standard guidelines:

• Restaurants
• 0.68 kg (1.5 lbs) of ice per person, per day.
• Beverages: This is the primary use. The standard assumes a customer will consume multiple glasses of iced beverages (water, soda, iced tea, etc.) during their visit.
• Kitchen Use: Ice is often used for food preparation, chilling ingredients, or keeping items like seafood and salads on display.
• Dispenser Loss & Melting: Some ice is inevitably lost to melting, especially in a busy kitchen environment or a customer-facing dispenser. These guidelines factor in a small buffer for this waste.
• Cocktail Lounges/Bars
• 1.36 kg (3 lbs) of ice per person, per day.
• Primary Use: The calculation is heavily weighted toward high-volume beverage service.
• Mixed Drinks: Shaking and chilling cocktails, which often requires a significant amount of ice per drink.
• On-the-Rocks Drinks: Serving spirits and liqueurs over ice.
• Highball Drinks: Filling tall glasses with ice for mixed drinks like gin and tonic, rum and coke, etc.
• Melting: A large buffer is included to account for melting ice, especially in fast-paced bar environments where ice is constantly exposed to air.
• Bar Service: This figure also accounts for other bar-related uses, such as chilling glassware or chilling bottles in ice buckets.

• Hotels
• (2.27 kg) 5 lbs of ice per room, per day.
• Primary Use: This figure is specifically for guest room ice, typically dispensed from a machine on a hotel floor for guests to fill their ice buckets.
• In-Room Use: Guests filling their ice buckets for chilling personal drinks or for use in their room.
• Coolers: This number also includes a buffer for guests who may use the ice machine to fill small coolers, which is a common occurrence, especially in hotels near recreational areas.
• Important Note: This number does not include the ice needed for the hotel's own restaurant, bar, or catering/banquet services. Those needs should be calculated separately using the guidelines for those specific applications.
• Healthcare Facilities (Hospitals)
• 4.54 kg (10 lbs) of ice per patient bed, per day.
• Patient Hydration: Ice for patient drinks, served with meals and for hydration throughout the day.
• Therapeutic Use: Ice is a critical component of medical treatment, used for cold compresses, physical therapy, and reducing swelling.
• Dietary Needs: Ice is used in hospital kitchens for food prep and chilling.
• Why it's a High Number: This is the highest figure because a hospital is a 24/7 operation with a wide range of ice applications, many of which are non-beverage-related. The "per bed" calculation is the most reliable metric because a hospital's ice needs are directly tied to its patient capacity.
• Cafeterias
• 0.45 kg (1 lb) of ice per person, per day.
• Primary Use: This figure is based on a high-volume, low-margin environment where the primary use of ice is for self-serve beverages.
• Beverages: This assumes that most people will get a cup of ice for their soda, water, or iced tea.
• Efficiency: This number is lower than a full-service restaurant because it's based on a more standardized, often self-service, model where people don't receive multiple refills from a server, which can lead to more ice usage.
• Salad Bars/Displays: This does not include ice used for salad bars or food displays. These uses should be calculated separately, typically based on the volume of the display case (e.g., 15.9 kg (35 lbs) per cubic foot of display).

 Summary chart of base needs per application:

• 2. Factor in Peak Demand: Your daily average is just a starting point. Consider your business's busiest periods. For example, a restaurant that hosts a large event on a Saturday night will need significantly more ice than it does on a Tuesday afternoon. To avoid running out, it's a good rule of thumb to choose a machine that produces 20% more ice than your estimated peak daily needs. For very high-volume businesses (over 1,000 lbs/day), a 10% buffer may be sufficient.

• 3. Consider External Factors: The production ratings on ice machines are often based on ideal conditions (e.g., a specific ambient air temperature and water temperature). At Noriota Ltd. we rate our machines based on the most commonly cited conditions, 50 degrees incoming water and 70 ambient air temperature. At higher water or air temperature the production output may be significantly lower. Hotter climates or locations with poor ventilation can reduce a machine's production. It's wise to consider a slightly larger capacity if you operate in a hot environment or the machine will be installed in a hot kitchen.