VenueIce
Independent directory and buyer’s guide for commercial ice machines used by cafes, bars, food trucks, small restaurants, churches, hotels, and offices.
Size the machine by the business, then compare brands. Tables first. No dealer quote form, no invented reviews, no stock-photo hero.
How this site worksCount peak-day ice in pounds. Pick a form factor that fits the room (undercounter, modular, or countertop). Then compare current models from manufacturer spec sheets. Production ratings assume 70°F air / 50°F water unless a 90°F / 70°F AHRI figure is shown. Hot kitchens make less ice.
Start here
- Size the machine by venue — lbs/day table for cafe, bar, restaurant, food truck, church, hotel, office.
- Pick a form factor andan ice type.
- Open the model directory or thefour-brand comparison.
Peak-day starting points
Industry rules of thumb compiled from published dealer and application guides — not a manufacturer warranty. Worked examples and citations live on thesizing page.
| Venue | Common published starting point | What that usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Cafe / coffee shop | About 0.35–1.5 lb per iced drink, or ~1–1.5 lb per customer | Many neighborhood cafes land in the 80–200 lb/day band |
| Cocktail bar | About 3 lb per seat on a busy night | 40 seats ≈ 120 lb before a peak buffer |
| Full-service restaurant | About 1.5 lb per guest | Add the bar, salad bar, and bagged ice separately |
| Food truck | Often an undercounter or 50–150 lb class machine | Power, drain, and water beat brand loyalty |
| Hotel guest ice | About 5 lb per occupied room | F&B and banquet ice are extra |
| Office / church kitchen | Often 50–150 lb/day plus event overflow | Bin size matters more than 24-hour rating on short events |
Guides
Core
- How to size a commercial ice machineSize a commercial ice machine in pounds per day by venue — cafe, bar, restaurant, food truck, church, hotel, office — then derate for a hot kitchen.
- Undercounter vs modular vs countertop ice machinesHow commercial ice machine form factors differ — built-in bin, modular head plus bin, and countertop — with when each fits a cafe, bar, or office.
- Hoshizaki vs Manitowoc vs Scotsman vs Ice-O-MaticIndependent comparison of four commercial ice brands using public spec sheets — ice shape, undercounter vs modular, energy figures, and what the sheets actually say.
- Best undercounter ice machine for a cafeHow to pick an undercounter ice machine for a cafe — iced-drink math, bin size, 115 V, and current Hoshizaki, Manitowoc, Scotsman, and Ice-O-Matic examples.
- Best ice for a cocktail bar (gourmet cube vs nugget)Gourmet cube vs nugget vs half-dice vs sphere for cocktail bars — melt, dilution, machine size, and current models from public spec sheets.
- Ice machine for a food truck (power, drain, water)How to spec a food-truck ice machine — 115 V circuits, gravity vs pump drain, tanks, and current compact models from public spec sheets.
- Ice machine for a hotel (guest ice vs F&B)How to spec hotel ice — guest-floor dispensers vs kitchen modular heads, the 5 lb per occupied room rule, hopper vs evening fill, and current models from public spec sheets.
Also
- Air-cooled vs water-cooled ice machinesHow air-cooled and water-cooled commercial ice machines differ — heat, water use, clearance, and when a remote condenser shows up on the spec sheet.
- Cube vs half-dice vs nugget vs flake iceWhat commercial ice types are for — gourmet and crescent cubes, half-dice, nugget/cubelet, and flake — with current machine examples from spec sheets.
- Repair vs replace — used vs new ice machine checklistA practical checklist for repairing or replacing a commercial ice machine — voltage, drain, clearance, ENERGY STAR, used equipment risks. Not a quote.
- Water filters and descalers for commercial ice machinesIce machine filters, scale inhibitors, and nickel-safe descalers — Hoshizaki H9320, Everpure Insurice, change intervals, and what not to invent about chemistry.
Owner: Kristopher Crawford. Independent directory and buyer’s guide for commercial ice machines. Not a dealer.