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Commercial ice makers are ice makers that produce high quantities of ice in a short period of time. Restaurants, bars, hotels, and other establishments depend on a high-quality ice maker each day to serve their customers. Yet, finding the best commercial ice maker for your business can be stressful and difficult, with all the options available on the market.
I’ve researched the web for all the information you need about commercial ice makers to find my readers the best ice maker to provide excellent quality ice for their business or home.
Related: The Best Ice Maker for Ice Baths
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What data did I use to create this impressive list of commercial ice makers? I used user ratings, comments, affordability of the unit, and product quality to put together this buyer’s guide to help you through the purchasing process.
Related: Scotsman HID312A-1 Commercial Ice Maker Review
Making a big purchase can be difficult and stressful. There are many options available to you, and not all commercial ice makers are created equal. Some commercial ice makers are just outright garage!
To choose which commercial ice maker is right for you, there are a few things you’ll need to determine.
Your business deserves the best commercial ice maker that not only provides excellent quality ice but will last for many years and make your business profit.
Letās begin our comprehensive buyers guide.
Commercial Ice Maker Comparison Chart
Below are the best commercial ice makers available on the market today. We have plainly marked each feature so that you can choose the best unit for your business or home.
Please note for the best results with a commercial ice maker, I suggest that you install a water filter. This will ensure that your ice is clean and always fresh for your customers. You can read about the best water filter to purchase here.
Top Commerical Ice Maker Brands
There are a lot of different types of commercial ice makers on the market today. Itās hard to know which one should be trusted and which one you should stay clear of.
Below are the top brands of commercial ice makers on the market today in no particular order:
Each of these commercial ice makers produces different types of ice and come in a variety of sizes. We added many of these brands in our top 10 list above. Below weāll break down each ice maker and discuss what makes them perfect for your home or business.
The Type of Ice
Most commercial ice makers will produce one of these common types of ice. For more information about the different types of ice, you can check out my article here.
Nugget Ice
Nugget ice is ice flakes that are compacted into a nugget-shaped piece of ice. This ice is soft and chewable and is used mostly for restaurants or food establishments.
Nugget ice is also popular in nursing homes or healthcare facilities. In fact, nugget ice is often called sonic ice (because Sonic Drive-In popularized this type of ice) or hospital ice. This ice is great for hospitals because itās soft, easy to chew, and doesnāt cause concern for choking.
Most of the ice makers that provide nugget ice are commercial units. The Opal Portable Nugget Ice Maker or the NewAir Nugget Ice Maker are portable units that produce soft, chewable nugget ice.
Crescent Ice
Crescent ice is used for a whole bunch of different applications. You can use crescent ice to pack food for shipping, fill coolers for keeping beverages cool, or for any food establishments.
Crescent ice is small and compactable ice which makes it perfect for packing food or food storage.
Cresent ice is also great for your beverages because it fits nicely in your glass, giving you more ice to beverage ratio. There are several commercial ice makers on the market that dispense or produce crescent ice.
Flake Ice
Flake ice is usually used at grocery stores for perfectly displaying seafood or other types of refrigerated food. Flake ice is also great for packing because it can be compacted into small areas and looks great on display.
Flake ice is often used for large fishing vessels for storing fish that is caught. In fact, large shipping boats will have a saltwater flake ice maker that pulls in water from the sea to make flake ice for storing fish for several days.
There are several commercial flake ice makers on the market today.
Cubed Ice
Cubed ice is your everyday ice. This ice is used by restaurants to keep beverages cool and refreshing. Cubed ice can also come in clear or cloudy which is determined by how the ice maker freezes the ice.
With cubed ice, you can have different-sized cubes. Some ice makers give you the option of half-cubed ice as well. These cubes are smaller and easier to handle at restaurants or bars.
Most restaurants serve cubed ice in their dispensers. When you go to a fast food restaurant and grab a soda, they normally fill your glass with cubed or half-cubed ice.
There are several ice makers that produce cubed ice which range in size and quantity.
Crushed Ice
Crushed Ice is cubed ice that is smashed into smaller pieces. Often businesses will want to use crushed ice because itās easier to fill a glass.
Crushed ice is often an option on most fridge ice makers but not as common in commercial ice makers. People that really like crushed ice will either purchase a cubed ice maker and crush the ice themselves or search for an ice maker that produces crushed ice.
Bullet-Shaped
Portable ice makers normally produce Bullet-shaped ice. These hat-shaped ice pieces are produced as water begins to freeze around a refrigerated cylinder sitting in water.
Bullet-Shaped ice is often harder to chew and has a white or cloudy color. Smaller commercial ice makers will produce bullet-shaped ice up to about 100 pounds of ice each day. Bullet-shaped ice is good for everyday ice, it can be used for beverages, placed in a cooler to keep your food and drinks cool, or crushed, and made into specialty drinks.
For more information on the different types of ice, read my full post here.
How Much Ice Do You Need?
The amount of ice that youāre going to need for your business will determine the type of ice maker you should purchase.
Below is a simple chart that lists the amount of ice youāre going to need for several different business applications.
| Application Type | Typical Daily Ice Needed | Ice Needed For 100 Customers | Ice Needed For 200 Customers | Ice Needed For 500 Customers | Ice Needed For 1000 Customers | Ice Needed For 1500 Customers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant | 1.5 lbs. per meal | 180 lbs. | 450 lbs. | 900 lbs. | 1800 lbs. | 2700 lbs. |
| Cocktail Bar | 3 lbs. ice per seat | 360 lbs. | 900 lbs. | 1800 lbs. | 3600 lbs. | 5400 lbs. |
| Water Glass | 3 lbs. ice per 12 oz. glass | 45 lbs. | 113 lbs. | 225 lbs. | 450 lbs. | 675 lbs. |
| Salad Bar | 35 lbs. ice per cubic foot | — | – | – | – | – |
| Beverage Only | 8 oz. ice per 12-24 oz. cup | 38 lbs. | 94 lbs. | 188 lbs. | 375 lbs. | 563 lbs. |
| Guest Ice | 5 lbs. per hotel room | 600 lbs. | 1500 lbs. | 3000 lbs. | 6000 lbs. | 9000 lbs. |
| Patient Ice | 10 lbs. per person | 1200 lbs. | 3000 lbs. | 6000 lbs. | 12000 lbs. | 18000 lbs |
| Cafateria | 1 lb. per person | 120 lbs. | 300 lbs. | 600 lbs. | 1200 lbs. | 1800 lbs. |
Now that we know what type of ice you are looking for and how much ice you’ll need, you’ll need to consider only one more option – price.
What is your budget for your new commercial ice maker? Commercial ice makers come in a variety of prices. You’ll find cheaper commercial ice makers that cost between $500-$1000 and larger units that produce higher ice quantities between $1000-$10,000.
Normally, the first four ice makers on our list are used for business and home use. These ice makers are a lot cheaper than the other commercial ice makers on the list – around $500-$600.
What Size Commercial Ice Maker Do You Need?
Commercial ice makers come in a variety of sizes. The size of a commercial ice maker is usually the result of two factors: the amount of ice it produces in 24 hours and the size of the storage bin.
You will have to determine how large a unit you are going to need. Some commercial ice makers come in two separate sections – the ice maker and a storage bin. These units are normally huge and produce several hundred pounds of ice each day.
Commercial ice makers can be standalone units, undercounter units, or countertop ice makers. Large countertop ice makers are also used as water dispensers and are perfect for any healthcare facility.
Commercial Ice Maker Reviews
Before you choose which commercial ice maker you want to purchase, make sure you have the space available.
1. Homelabs Commercial Ice Maker
The Homelabs Commercial Ice Maker is a perfect ice maker for small and medium-sized businesses. This ice maker produces 143 pounds of ice in 24 hours and makes 66 pieces of clear ice cubes in 11-20 minutes. It also has a built-in storage bin that will hold 29 pounds of ice at one time.
I found this ice maker was simple to operate. It was just a couple presses and we were making ice. The LCD indicator and easy-to-use controls give you full-control over the ice maker with ice making time and thickness of the ice.
I love that you can clean the unit with just a touch of a button. The self-cleaning feature is important to ensure that you have clean, great tasting ice.
Its size is perfect for most homes and businesses, and itās front vented which means you can enclose it in your cabinets.
| How much ice does it produce? | 143 lbs a day |
| How small or compact is the unit? | Weighs 63.7 pounds |
| How long does it take to make ice? | 11-20 Minutes |
| Storage Bin Capacity | 29 lbs |
| What Are the Uses for This Ice Maker? | Kitchen, Bar, Restaurant, Coffee Shop |
| What type of ice does it create? | Cubed |
| Rating | 4/5 Stars |
| Price | Affordable |
| Best Price Online | homelabs.com |
The ice maker itself has a sleek design and is wrapped with rust-resistant stainless steel. The 1.3L water tank connects directly to a water source, so youāll never have to worry about running out of water or ice.
You can read my full review of the Homelabs Commercial Ice Maker here.
2. Euhomy Commercial Ice Maker
The Euhomy commercial ice maker is a perfectly compact and affordable ice maker for your home or business.
This ice maker produces 100 pounds of fresh ice cubed every day. It takes about 11-20 minutes to make a batch of ice, and the ice machine will stop when the ice storage bin is full (Overflow prevention). Once you empty the ice bin, it will continue to make ice again.
This commercial ice maker has a great looking stainless steel design, an innovative control panel which allows for easy operation.
This ice maker does require a water line installation (the water line is included when you purchase this ice maker) and a drain line installation (which is also included).
| How much ice does it produce? | 100 lbs a day |
| How small or compact is the unit? | Weighs 68 pounds |
| How long does it take to make ice? | 11-20 Minutes |
| Storage Bin Capacity | 33 lbs |
| What Are the Uses for This Ice Maker? | Kitchen, Bar, Restaurant, Coffee Shop |
| What type of ice does it create? | Cubed |
| Rating | 4/5 Stars |
| Price | Affordable |
| Best Price Online | Amazon.com |
The outside panels of this maker is made using high-quality stainless steel, and ABS plastic forms the inside. This ice maker is strong and durable which makes it perfect for commercial use.
Itās not the largest commercial ice maker available on the market, but itās one of the most affordable.
This ice maker haas a boxy and extremely simple design.This means, itās not the best unit for your new kitchen renovation, but for your basement, garage or business it will work perfectly fine.
In conclusion, this commercial ice maker is a great quality ice maker at a terrific price. It’s a great ice maker if youāre looking for something larger than a portable unit, but donāt want to spend a whole lot more.
3. The VEVOR 110V Commercial Ice Maker
The Vevor 110V Commerical Ice Maker is fast and efficient. It produces 88 pounds of ice every 12-18 minutes (40 clear ice cubes every cycle).
The VEVOR commercial ice maker is produced a company that exports several different kitchen products – ice makers being one of them. This company is not the manufacturer, and they do not really know much about fixing the ice maker if it needs repairs. Finding parts for these units is also a difficult chore.
The good news is that their ice makers are cheap. VEVOR sells several different size ice makers all the way to 400 pounds of ice each day.
We are not going to list any more VEVOR ice makers in this guide, but if you are looking to purchase a VEVOR commercial ice maker, and want more ice production and capacity then I would suggest you read my review here.
| How much ice does it produce? | 88 lbs a day |
| How small or compact is the unit? | Weighs 68 lbs |
| How long does it take to make ice? | 12-18 Minutes |
| Storage Bin Capacity | 90 lbs |
| What Are the Uses for This Ice Maker? | Home use, Small Bar, Small Restaurant, Coffee Shop, Church |
| What type of ice does it create? | Clear-Cubed Ice |
| Rating | 4/5 Stars |
| Price | Affordable |
| Best Price Online | Amazon.com |
The link above will take you to my review where I break down the entire VEVOR brand and give you all the commercial ice maker options that are available to you. This article will continue to focus on the VEVOR ice maker that produces 88 lbs of ice each day.
This Vevor 110V has 90 pounds of ice storage capacity. Each ice cube is the standard .9X.9″, so it’s perfect to fit into the opening of a water bottle or for any type of beverage.
It has a powerful compressor with high-temperature protection and is designed for energy savings. The compressor is a 235W SECOP compressor which is powerful and consistent.
How efficient is the VEVOR 110V commercial ice maker? Its water usage rate is 99%. This means that there is very little waste.
This ice maker also has automatic control with a full set of accessories. It gives you full control of your ice making experience by giving you the power to set ice thickness, auto clean features, and a full ice indicator.
This commercial ice maker comes with an ice scoop to help you transfer the ice, and it has built-in water filtration.
Another great feature in the VEVOR 110V is that it has an innovative blue light nano antibacterial sterilization process to help prevent bacterial growth, clean and fresh ice is their priority, and that’s what you get with this unit.
This commercial ice maker has a wide variety of applications. It works great in campgrounds, coffee shops, any party gatherings, homes, restaurants, bars, hotels, grocery stores, and so many more uses.
It’s built with stainless steel, and is rust resistant which means it’s going to be working well for a very long time. This highly-rated unit has an excellent price tag, and with all the features that are available to you – it’s a great deal.
>> Read my FULL review of the VEVOR 110V Commercial Ice Maker
4. The Costway Commercial Ice Maker
This Costway Commercial Ice Maker produces 88 lbs of ice every day, and it also features a compact design (Built-in or freestanding application). It works with a regular household electrical current, and it’s UL approved for commercial use.
The viewing window, that’s lit by a LED light, allows you to see how much ice is available in the 8.8 pound storage bin.
This unit is high-efficiency and is equipped with a lot of great features. If the ice storage is full, then the unit will switch to ice preservation mode. This is designed to keep your ice available for a longer period of time. When ice is removed from the storage bin, then it will start to make ice again.
| How much ice does it produce? | 88 lbs a day |
| How small or compact is the unit? | Weighs 40 lbs |
| How long does it take to make ice? | 12-18 Minutes |
| Storage Bin Capacity | 8.8 lbs |
| What Are the Uses for This Ice Maker? | Home use, Small Bar, Small Restaurant, Coffee Shop, Church, bakeries |
| What type of ice does it create? | Cubed Ice |
| Rating | 3.5/5 Stars |
| Price | Affordable |
| Best Price Online | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca |
The unit is user-friendly, and installation is straightforward. It has a self-cleaning feature and a smart panel which is designed to make operation simple.
The machine is quiet to run, so you won’t mind if it’s making ice all night.
It’s also reasonably priced and has good customer satisfaction. This ice maker is perfect for bakeries, bars, restaurants, and even household use.
5. The Manitowoc UYF-0140A
The Manitowoc Commercial Ice Maker is a beast of an ice maker. This ice maker is designed to fit nicely under any counter, and it ensures that your customers will never have to wait for ice.
This ice maker is air-cooled which combines maximum ice-making production with user-friendly controls. The simple controls include: “power”, “Delay”, and “clean.” The delay feature allows you to pause the unit for 4, 12, or 24 hours which is perfect for slow times in your business.
It produces over 137 lbs of half-dice ice every 24 hours. When the ice is produced, it falls into a storage bin that can hold 90 pounds of ice at one time.
| How much ice does it produce? | 137 lbs a day |
| Storage Bin Capacity | 90 lbs |
| What Are the Uses for This Ice Maker? | Great for small to medium sized businesses |
| What type of ice does it create? | Half-Cubed |
| Rating | 4.5/5 Stars |
| Price | Average priced |
| Best Price Online | Amazon.com |
This ice maker is built to last and perform. It features an easy-clean design which means several parts come off the unit without any tools – this makes for an easy-clean process.
This ice maker is great for any small or medium sized business.
Restaurants and bars will love its simple functions and the low design which makes it easy to tuck away where no one even knows it’s there.
If you are looking at producing a lot of ice, then you may want to look into purchasing an ice storage bin for your business. The Manitowoc B-320 ice bin is a great choice and this will allow your ice maker to keep making ice during the slow times so that you always have ice available when times get busy.
If you would like to learn more about the Manitowoc B-320 Ice Bin then click here and head over to Amazon to learn more.
6. The Ice-O-Matic ICEU220HA
Sometimes you don’t have much room to place your ice maker, and this is where the Ice-O-Matic shines.
This space-saving 24.5ā wide, undercounter designed unit, is perfect for any busy business (26.3 x 24.5 x 39 inches).
This ice maker produces 238 lbs of ice every 24 hours and can store 70 lbs of ice at one time. The Ice-O-Matic ICEU220HA is made from corrosion-resistant stainless steel and fingerprint-proof plastic. Itās compact, but itās also powerful enough to get the job done.
| How much ice does it produce? | 238 lbs a day |
| Storage Bin Capacity | 70 lbs |
| What Are the Uses for This Ice Maker? | Great for busy bars, restaurants, cafeās or medium business |
| What type of ice does it create? | half-size cube |
| Rating | 4.5/5 Stars |
| Price | Medium Priced |
| Best Price Online | Amazon.com |
Fresh, clean ice is important, and that is why this ice maker is built-in with antimicrobial protection called Pure IceĀ®. This keeps bacteria from growing on the surfaces of the ice maker and ensures that your ice is clean and your customers donāt get ice thatās dirty or tastes terrible.
This ice maker is built well, and overall is a great choice. Itās manufactured from a trusted name in ice makers, and has a great customer satisfaction rate. We recommend this ice maker to anyone that needs over 200 lbs of ice each day, but is still looking for a compact unit.
7. The Manitowoc IDT0450A
The Manitowoc IDTO450A is a beast ice maker thatās a perfect choice or someone thatās looking to purchase a commercial ice maker for their hotel.
Hotels use a lot of ice each day, and will need a large unit to keep up with that demand. This Manitowoc ice maker is made to handle high-demands of ice on a daily bases.
It produces 450 pounds of ice each day. This is enough ice to provide ice for 200 customers in a restaurant setting or provide ice for 75 rooms at your hotel.
This ice maker has several storage bins that you can add to it. The D570 Storage Bin stores 532 pounds of ice at one time and the D400 stores 365 pounds of ice at once.
This isnāt just a beast because of itās size, its a beast because of its ability. It uses 23% less water than other ice makers its size. This means that the cost of operation is significantly less than other commercial ice makers. This ice maker comes with stainless steel with DuraTech clear-coat which will resist fingerprints. The ice maker is fully programmable with a icon-based touchscreen.
| How much ice does it produce? | 450 lbs a day |
| Storage Bin Capacity | D570 Storage Bin (Stores 532 Lbs) |
| What Are the Uses for This Ice Maker? | Great for Hotels |
| What type of ice does it create? | half-size cube |
| Rating | 4.5/5 Stars |
| Price | Priced Higher |
| Best Price Online | Amazon.com |
Another great feature is that this ice maker is easy to clean. The machine itself is easy to disassemble – comes with a removable water trough, water probe, water pump, curtain, and distribution tube.
The Manitowoc IDTO450A produces diced-cubed ice (Size 7ā8″ x 7ā8″ x 7ā8ā) which means that the ice comes in a perfect ice for hotels, restaurants or any type of business.
8. The Scotsman UN324A-1
This Scotsman commercial ice maker features an air-cooled condensing unit that produces 340 pounds of nugget ice each day. Itās storage ice bin holds 80 pounds of wonderful nugget ice.
This ice maker is a compact unit that measures 24 in (W) x 28 1/2 in (D) x 39 in (H). Itās size is perfect for placing under the counter of your business so that the ice maker is out of sight.
This ice maker is easy to operate. It comes with a simple-to-use control panel to ensure that you ice maker is functioning as it should. The reliable, low-maintenance, greaseless bearing is also a plus with the Scotsman UN32A-1, so itās a worry-free operation.
| How much ice does it produce? | 340 lbs a day |
| Storage Bin Capacity | 70 lbs |
| What Are the Uses for This Ice Maker? | Great for nursing homes or healthcare establishments |
| What type of ice does it create? | Chewable Nugget Ice |
| Rating | 4.5/5 Stars |
| Price | Priced Higher |
| Best Price Online | Amazon.com |
This ice maker is perfect for any nursing home because it serves soft nugget ice that isnāt a choking hazard. The 340 pounds of nugget ice each day is perfect for about 50 patients if youāre looking at providing 10 pounds of ice for each person.
The unit is front vented, and comes with an easy slide-back door that keeps your ice frozen longer. The installation isnāt hard, you need to install a water line and a drain line for the unit and youāre ready to go. I recommend that you hire a professional to help you install this ice maker if youāre not comfortable with plumbing.
9. Hoshizaki F-330BAJ
The Hoshizaki F-330BAJ is a commercial ice maker from the Japanese company Hoshizaki corporation. This company has been producing state-of-the-art ice makers for a long time. Itās a trusted, reliable brand.
This ice maker produces flaked ice which is a soft, light, chewable ice thatās perfect for your business. It makes 330 pounds of ice each day and comes with an ice storage bin that holds 80 pounds at one time.
This ice maker is totally vented from the front of the unit. It takes air in from the front and pushes the air out from the front as well. This means that it can be enclosed and itās not going to affect the air flow of the unit.
Keeping your ice maker clean can be a big job, but with the Hoshizaki you donāt have to overthink it. This machine will cycle a 2 second rinse every hour to make sure that itās free from sediment build-up.
| How much ice does it produce? | 330 lbs a day |
| Storage Bin Capacity | 80 lbs |
| What Are the Uses for This Ice Maker? | Grocery stores, markets, churches, deliās and cafe’s |
| What type of ice does it create? | Flake Ice |
| Rating | 4.0/5 Stars |
| Price | Priced Higher |
| Best Price Online | Amazon.com |
Flaked ice is used most of the time for keeping food fresh. Foods like fish and poultry are chilled at stores with flaked ice because itās proven overall to keep food cooler quicker and longer. This is why most grocery stores depend on flake ice in their meat and produce departments.
The Hoshizaki flake ice maker is a great ice maker for your business. Itās relatable and powerful to get the job done.
10. Scotsman HID312A-1
The Scotsman HID312A-1 is a perfect commercial countertop ice maker for any office, nursing home or healthcare facilities. It produces 260 pounds of beautiful nugget ice every 24 hours and has a capacity of 12 pounds of ice at one time.
This ice maker comes in a high-quality stainless steel design, with a durable stainless steel evaporator and exterior panels.
This unit has the power of a commercial ice maker, but itās built compact which maximizes your space. The ice maker comes with greaseless bearings which saves time with maintenance. To help you keep your ice maker running the way that it should there are intuitive LED diagnostic lights that tell you exactly what your unit is doing or any errors that may occur.
| How much ice does it produce? | 260 lbs a day |
| Storage Bin Capacity | 12 lbs |
| What Are the Uses for This Ice Maker? | Offices, nursing homes, healthcare facilities |
| What type of ice does it create? | Nugget Ice |
| Rating | 4.0/5 Stars |
| Price | Priced Higher |
| Best Price Online | Amazon.com |
At the rear of the unit, you will find a USB port that is used to upgrade the firmware of the unit. This should make you happy because Scotsman is continually working to make this commercial ice maker better.
You are now able to fill your glass with delicious nugget ice and then fill it with refreshing water. This ice maker is easy to operate, and with the removable sink and grill itās also easy to clean.
Conclusion
This article lists the best commercial ice makers for your home and business. These units are the top units in quality, price, and customer satisfaction.
You can click on the links provided and head over to the retailer with the best price. You can also use the links to read more about these ice makers and check out more customer reviews.
Did we miss one? Let us know in the comment section below if we missed an ice maker that you believe is one of the best. If you have any comments or questions then you can add them below as well.
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1 Comment
Thanks, I know how important ice maker is in the hotels and restaurants. I have an ice maker in my hotel which is generally used to produce ice. On the other hand, it is very important to provide proper maintenance service to it in order to run whole units in a good condition.