How to choose a commercial ice maker: size, type and cooling

The right commercial ice maker keeps up with your busiest night. The wrong one runs flat out and still leaves the bar short. Choosing well comes down to four questions: how much ice you use, where the machine will sit, how it gets rid of heat, and which ice suits your drinks.

Work out how much ice you need

Ice machines are rated by the kilograms of ice they make in 24 hours, from small countertop machines to modular machines making several hundred kilograms a day. Work out your own number from your busiest day, not an average one:

• Fill one of your usual glasses with ice, weigh the ice, and multiply by the number of iced drinks you serve on your busiest day.
• Add ice for everything else: cocktails and blended drinks, ice buckets and troughs, seafood or salad displays.
• Allow some headroom for growth, hot weather, and the time the machine is off for cleaning.

Look at storage as well as output. A machine makes ice steadily around the clock, and the bin is your buffer for the rush. The Hoshizaki KM-80C-HC, for example, makes about 68kg a day and holds about 34kg at a time. If you need a lot of ice at once, the bin size matters as much as the daily figure.

Check the output at your room temperature

Output is measured under set conditions, and it drops when the room or the water is warm. The KM-80C-HC is rated at about 75kg a day with 10°C air and water, 68kg at 21°C air and 15°C water, and about 55kg at 32°C air and 21°C water. The compact Polar GK031-A makes up to 20kg a day, and its page notes an output of 11.7kg a day in conditions up to 38°C.

In a hot bar, beside cooking equipment or through an Australian summer, size the machine on the hot-weather figure and check its ambient temperature range.

Self-contained or modular?

Self-contained ice makers make and store the ice in one cabinet, and many are built to fit under a bar or bench. They're usually the simpler choice for cafes, bars and restaurants.

Modular ice makers are an ice-making head that sits on top of a separate storage bin. They suit hotels, clubs and busy restaurants that need a larger daily output, and you size the bin to the ice you need on hand. The Hoshizaki KM-660MAJ-E head makes about 280kg a day, and its page lists Hoshizaki bins from 144kg to 578kg to pair it with. Heads and bins are sold separately, and some pairs also need a top kit or adaptor plate, so order them together.

Air-cooled or water-cooled?

Every ice maker has to shed the heat it takes out of the water, and that affects where it can go.

• Air-cooled machines blow room air across the condenser, so the heat goes back into the room. They need room to breathe and a clean air filter. Some under-bench models breathe from the front and need no side clearance; others need space around them, so check before building one in.
• Water-cooled machines use water flowing through the condenser to carry the heat away. They don't heat the room and cope better where airflow is poor, but they use a lot more water and need extra plumbing.

Most of the ice makers in our range that list a cooling type are air-cooled.

Plan for water, a drain and power

• Drain: many machines drain by gravity, so the drain has to sit lower than the machine. The Polar GK031-A, for example, needs an optional drain pump if it's installed lower than the drain standpipe. If there's no drain close by, look for a drain pump: the Hoshizaki IM-65PE-25-F has one built in, allowing installation up to 10 metres from the drain and 1.5 metres in height.
• Water filter: filtered water helps ice quality and protects the machine from scale. Some brands, such as Blizzard, make a water filter a condition of the warranty.
• Power: many self-contained machines run from a standard 10A plug, while some larger machines need a 15A supply. Check the product page.

Water, drain and electrical connections should be done by licensed trades, so talk to your plumber and electrician before you buy. Plan for upkeep too: manufacturer warranties don't cover problems caused by a lack of maintenance, so follow the maintenance schedule in the manual.

Then choose the ice

The shape of the ice narrows down the machine. Our range includes cube and crescent ice for drinks, nugget ice for soft, chewable ice, flake ice for food displays, and gourmet, bullet and gala ice for cocktails. Our guide to the different types of ice explains what each one does best.

Looking for a cheap ice maker?

Price matters, but a machine that's too small costs you in lost drinks and bagged ice. Compare like with like on output and storage, then check the warranty. Every new product we sell, other than accessories and parts, comes with at least a 12-month manufacturer's warranty unless otherwise stated, and some ice makers carry longer cover, such as 3 years parts and labour on the whole KM-80C-HC.

If you've seen the same ice maker for less from an authorised Australian retailer, with freight to your door included, send it to us and we'll beat it. Terms apply, including that the item is brand new, identical and in stock, and they're on The CEO Promise page. Ways to pay include Visa, Mastercard, bank deposit, Zip and SilverChef, plus SKOPE Funding for SKOPE ice makers.

Questions we get asked

Which ice maker brand is best?

We don't rank one brand above another. Our range includes Hoshizaki, Scotsman, Ice-O-Matic, SKOPE, Blizzard, Bromic and Polar. The best ice maker for you is the one that matches your daily kilograms, space, drain, power and ice type.

Does an ice maker need a drain?

Plumbed-in ice makers need a drain as well as a water supply. If the drain is higher than the machine or further away, choose a model with a drain pump. A few small countertop machines are filled by hand and need no drain, but they make far less ice.

Who installs it?

We supply the equipment. Water, drain and power connections should be done by licensed trades, following the installation requirements in the manufacturer's manual.

Ready to choose? Browse our full range of commercial ice makers and compare the daily output, storage and ice type on each product page.

More buying guides

• How to choose a commercial display fridge for your shop
• Measure before you buy: getting equipment into your kitchen