Commercial Ice Machines

Quick answer: A commercial ice machine is sized by how many kilograms of ice it makes in 24 hours. Most cafés need 20–50kg a day, busy bars and restaurants 50–150kg, and hotels or fishmongers 150kg and more. Caterzone stocks cube, crushed, flake and nugget ice machines from Hoshizaki, Manitowoc, Ice-O-Matic, SIMAG, Polar and Blizzard.

Caterzone supplies ice machines to pubs, cocktail bars, restaurants, hotels, fish counters and healthcare kitchens across the UK. Choosing well comes down to three questions: what type of ice you need, how much you use on your busiest day, and whether the machine will be air-cooled in a warm back bar.

Which type of ice do you need?

Do you need a crushed ice machine?

Most UK bars do not buy a dedicated crushed ice machine. The usual set-up is a cube ice machine plus an electric ice crusher, which gives you both cubes for spirits and crushed ice for cocktails. If you serve crushed or slush-style ice in large volumes, a flake or nugget ice machine produces soft, small pieces straight from the machine with no crushing step.

How much ice do you need per day?

As a rule of thumb, allow about 0.5–0.75kg per cover in a restaurant, 1.5kg per cover in a cocktail bar and roughly 1kg per hotel room. Add 20% for hot weather and events. A 24-hour output figure is measured at an ambient temperature of 10°C and water at 10°C; at 32°C ambient, an air-cooled machine can make around 30–40% less, so size up if the machine sits in a hot cellar or behind a busy bar.

Undercounter, modular head or countertop?

• Countertop machines (around 12–25kg a day) suit small cafés and offices, and need no plumbing on some models.
• Self-contained undercounter machines (20–130kg) combine the ice maker and storage bin and fit under a 900mm counter.
• Modular heads such as the SIMAG SVH222 sit on a separate storage bin and produce 150kg+ a day for hotels and large venues.

Plumbed machines need a cold mains water feed and a gravity drain or a drain pump. In hard-water areas a water filter protects the machine and keeps ice clear.

How often should an ice machine be cleaned?

Ice is a food under UK food hygiene law. Clean and sanitise the bin and ice-contact parts at least monthly, descale every 3–6 months depending on water hardness, and change filters as the manufacturer specifies. Always use a scoop, never a glass, to serve ice.

Need help sizing an ice machine?

Caterzone can advise on output, water and drainage before you order. Call +44 1604 969239 or email info@thecaterzone.co.uk. You may also need bottle coolers or commercial refrigeration for your bar.