How to Choose the Right Ice Machine

Mar 9th 2012

Note: This writeup focuses on larger undercounter and modular machines. If you need an ice dispenser or a smaller countertop unit, call us for more information. 

In this guide...

  • Style of Machine – Self Contained vs Modular
  • Cooling Method – Air vs Water Cooled
  • Ice Style – Cube, Flake, or Nugget
  • Size of Machine – Ice Production vs Ice Storage


Style of Ice Machine – Self Contained vs. Modular

Undercounter Ice Machine

Undercounter Ice Machines 

Undercounter ice machines are generally used for smaller applications and fit under counters, just like their name states. They are self contained machines, meaning that the ice machine and bin are all integrated, so all the operator needs to do is plumb in a water line and plug in the machine. These machines are most likely found at bar with low traffic or a very small restaurant. Undercounter ice machines generally can produce anywhere from 80 lbs – 750 lbs per day (assuming non-extreme ambient temperatures). 

Advantages of Self Contained Undercounter Ice Machines

  • Compact Design
  • Can fit in tight spaces
  • Plug and play design

Disadvantages of Self Contained Undercounter Ice Machines

  • Capacity can not expand over time
  • Limited storage capacity

Modular Ice Machine

Modular Ice Machines

Modular ice machines come in two pieces, the actual ice machine, and the ice machine bin that stores the ice.
The ice machine itself comes in various production capacities depending on what the needs are of the application. The smallest production machine makes roughly 250lbs / day up to machines that produce over a ton of ice in a day. See our Ice Machine Sizing Guide for proper sizing. 

Ice machine bins come anywhere from a 240 to a 2,000 lb capacity. Depending on the type of use, and size of the ice maker on the bin would determine the bin that is used. The operator needs to be aware of the maximum amount of ice that they would need in a day, and size the bin correctly. 


Cooling Method – Air vs Water Cooled

Air Cooled Ice Machine

Air Cooled 

Air cooled machines are by far the most popular ice machines on the market today. Many air cooled machines are even Energy Star compliant today which is a drastic change in the marketplace from just a few years ago. The only place you would not really want to use an air cooled machine would be an environment where the ice machine is in hot, humid areas such as outdoors, or kitchens in southern states. When these machines are in those environments, the air that is being blown over the condenser can not efficiently remove the heat, so the machine will not produce the ice it is rated for.

Advantages of Air Cooled Machines

  • Low installation costs
  • Will meet all local water consumption standards
  • Energy efficient

Disadvantages of Air Cooled Machines 

  • Hot air discharge will increase the temperature of the room the ice machine is in 
  • Needs venting on the sides or top (depending on where the discharge is) 
  • Maximum ice capacity may be reduced in warmer environments

Water Cooled Ice Machine

Water Cooled 

Water cooled machines are the most efficient type of machine for removing heat from the machine, but in doing so, use a large amount of fresh water. Rather than having air blown over the evaporator, water is passed over the coils to remove the heat. Since water is being used and not air, the ambient temperature does not have any effect on the production capacity of the machine. Many cities and towns have water conservation laws on the books and have banned the use of water cooled machines because of the amounts of water that is used. 

Advantages of Water Cooled Machines

  • Does not increase the ambient temperature of the room the ice machine is installed in 
  • Most effective way of removing heat from the refrigeration system 
  • Can be used in any type of temperature environment 

Disadvantages of Water Cooled Machines 

  • Uses a lot of water – roughly 100 gallons for each 100 pounds of ice produced 
  • Can increase the operators water and sewer bills



Ice Style – Cube, Flake, or Nugget Top

Full and Half Ice Cubes

Full and Half Cubes


Full size cubes or dice cubes get their name from their shape. They are a cube shape that look like dice. These cubes are good for mixed drinks, carbonated beverages, ice dispensing, ice displays, ice retailing and banquet services. This cube is good for drinks that you want to have cold, but not have the ice melt that quickly such as a fine brandy, whiskey, or bourbon. 

Half size or half dice cubes are just like the dice cube, but are roughly the size and the shape of a ½ of a dice. These are the most common cube because when they are put in a glass, they take up the most space to visually give the customer the most product but in actuality dispensing the least. These cubes are good for mixed drinks, carbonated beverages, ice dispensing, ice displays, ice retailing and banquet services. 

Advantages of 1/2 Size Cubes

  • Smaller cube size means more ice fits in each glass. The more ice, the less beverage will be in each glass 
  • Great for blended drinks because there is less to break down and less wear on blenders 
  • Best fit for ice dispensers because of the smaller size

Advantages of Full Size Cubes

  • Larger cube takes longer to melt. This is ideal for liquor drinks you want to sip 
  • Great for bagging and bulk cooling

Nugget or Pearl Ice

Pearl / Nugget Cubes

Nugget ice is a slow melting cube that can cool drinks without foaming. These cubes are very soft compared to the dice cubes, and because they are porous it is easily chewable. They are ideal for bar fountain beverages, blended cocktails, salad bars, produce displays, and for therapeutic uses.

Advantages of Pearl/Nugget Ice Cubes 

  • Easily chewable and will not crack teeth 
  • Absorbs the flavor of the drink that they are in 
  • Virtually no foam when pouring soda 
  • Easily dispensable 
  • Blends easily and quickly 
  • Will maximize the ice capacity in a drink

Flake Ice

Flake Ice

These cubes are basically shaved ice cubes. These are very often seen in seafood or meat displays, salad bars, for therapeutic uses and sometimes in blended cocktails. These types of cubes can easily mold to any shape making them great for crocks and bowls in salad bars, or even patient care in the health care industry.

Advantages of Flake Ice

  • Great for seafood and product displays
  • Packs well for catering transport to maintain temperatures of food 
  • Ideal for salad bars because bowls can easily be molded into the ice 
  • Perfect for health care when ice packs need to be filled


Size of Machine – Production vs. Storage Top

Many people believe that the size of the ice machine needs to be the same as the ice maker, but that is not always the case. Sizing the ice bin and machine are very important since you could save yourself a lot of money by getting the correct machine.

If your application calls for a lot of ice, that is used all at once, you may be able to get a smaller ice machine on a larger bin. For example, a stadium that needs to produce ice for an event will require a lot of ice but for a short period of time. In a case like this, they could use a machine that produces a smaller amount of ice, but has a huge storage capacity. 

Conversely, a bar may use a lot of ice quickly, so they would want to get a machine that has can produce 700lbs in a day on a 500lb bin. By having a configuration like this, they the ice machine bin should always be full.

Again, sizing your ice machine can is important since you don’t want to have too much ice that will melt, or not enough ice during your peak times. Please check out our Ice Machine Sizing Guide for information on how to pick the correct size ice machine for your application.