FAQ
Short answers from guides already on this site. Each answer links to the page it comes from.
How do I size an ice machine for a venue?
Commercial ice machines are sold by pounds of ice in 24 hours, not by "small / medium / large." Manufacturer "up to" numbers are measured at about 70°F air and 50°F inlet water. In a 90°F kitchen with 70°F water, the same machine often makes 15–30% less. Count peak-day guests, seats, rooms, or iced drinks, multiply by the starting point for that venue, add prep, display, bagged, and catering ice as separate lines, then add a 15–25% reserve. Compare the total to the machine's 90/70 production when that column is on the sheet. Source: How to size a commercial ice machine
What is the difference between air-cooled and water-cooled?
The condenser rejects heat. An air-cooled machine dumps that heat into the room, or outdoors if it has a remote condenser. A water-cooled machine dumps it into condenser water that goes down the drain or through a loop. Most small venues should start with air-cooled unless a mechanical engineer already specified water-cooled. Air-cooled uses potable ice-making water only and needs intake and discharge clearance. Water-cooled uses ice-making water plus condenser water, often 150–190 gallons per 100 pounds on cube heads, and many cities restrict or ban once-through cooling water. Source: Air-cooled vs water-cooled ice machines
What is the difference between cube, nugget, and flake ice?
Ice type is a shape, hardness, and machine choice. You cannot turn a cuber into a flaker by changing a setting. Cube ice (full, medium, crescent, gourmet, sphere, or top hat) is for drinks, bagged ice, and general foodservice. Half-dice is a smaller cube that fills a cup quickly and melts faster than a large rock. Nugget ice, also called cubelet or Pearl, is compressed ice from an auger, for soft drinks and some frozen drinks; it dilutes cocktails. Flake is auger ice that is not compressed into nuggets, for salad bars, seafood, produce, and medical use, not a beverage cube. Source: Cube vs half-dice vs nugget vs flake ice
What is the difference between an ice machine head and a bin?
A modular ice machine is two purchases: a head that makes ice and a bin, or a dispenser, that stores it. The brochure "up to" number is pounds harvested in 24 hours, not pounds sitting in the cabinet when the dinner rush starts. Modular heads are sold as the head only. A 500 lb head does not include a 500 lb bin. Source: Ice bin sizing for modular commercial ice machines
What is the difference between an undercounter machine and a modular machine?
An undercounter machine is one cabinet: maker and bin. Typical make on current 115-volt examples is about 50–300 pounds in 24 hours, usually with a cord and plug. A modular machine is an ice-making head plus a matching bin or dispenser. Typical make is about 300–1,200 pounds or more in 24 hours per head. Power is often 115 volts or 208–230 volts, and it is frequently hardwired. The head does not store ice. Source: Undercounter vs modular vs countertop ice machines
How often should a commercial ice machine be cleaned?
The brands in this directory do not print one interval, and this site does not average them. Manitowoc owner manuals say every six months. Hoshizaki cubers say at least once a year. Hoshizaki flakers, and the Hoshizaki DCM line named in the cleaning guide, say at least every six months. Scotsman undercounter manuals cited on that guide say at least once a year, preferably twice. Some Scotsman planned-maintenance sheets say typically twice per year, or every six months. Read the data plate, then that model's current manual. Source: How to clean and sanitize a commercial ice machine
What does production at 90/70 mean?
Manufacturer "up to" numbers are measured at about 70°F air and 50°F inlet water. The 90/70 column is the same machine at 90°F air and 70°F water. In a 90°F kitchen with 70°F water, the same machine often makes 15–30% less. Use the 90/70 column if the machine will live next to a range. Source: How to size a commercial ice machine
Does VenueIce sell ice machines?
No. Independent directory and buyer’s guide for commercial ice machines. Not a dealer. The site exists so a cafe, bar, food truck, small restaurant, church, hotel, or office can size a machine in pounds per day and compare public spec sheets, not so a dealer can capture a lead. Source: About
Does a water filter replace cleaning the machine?
No. A filter change is not a clean cycle. Cartridges cited on the cleaning guide (NSF/ANSI 42, and sometimes 53) cut chlorine, taste, odor, and particles. They are not a sterilizer, and a filter does not replace clean-and-sanitize. Source: How to clean and sanitize a commercial ice machine
Where do the numbers on a model page come from?
Model numbers and pounds-per-day figures come from manufacturer product pages and spec sheets. If a figure is missing or the sheet is ambiguous, the page says so. There are no testimonials and no invented reviews. Source: About