Ice Maker Size Calculator

How many pounds of ice per day do you actually need?

Size a standalone ice maker by daily users and venue. We use restaurant-industry consumption rates (lbs per person per day) to recommend production capacity and storage bin size.

⏱ ~20 sec•Industry consumption rates•Size & Capacity

1.5

Lbs / home person

Per day

Lbs / restaurant

Per customer

Lbs / bar

Per customer

50%

Bin sizing rule

Of daily

STEP 01

Tell us where
the ice goes.

Consumption per person varies by ~3× from a quiet home to a busy bar.

Daily users

people

Usage type

Preferred ice type

Cube is the safest default.

Updates live as you type

Daily ice production

12lbs/day

Portable ice maker (20–30 lbs/day)

Storage bin

6 lbs

Ice type

cube

Under the hood

Industry rates. Real bins.

Per-person consumption rates come from foodservice industry sizing guidance used by Hoshizaki, Manitowoc, and Scotsman.

01
Daily production
Users × per-person rate (1 lb office → 5 lbs bar). Industry-standard sizing.
02
Bin sizing rule
Storage = 50% of daily production. Smaller bins force ice to rotate so it doesn't fuse into a block.
03
Plumbing threshold
Anything producing 30+ lbs/day needs a water line and drain. Below that, portable models work.

Questions

Frequently asked

Typical home use is about 1.5 lbs of ice per person per day, jumping to 2 lbs during entertaining. Restaurants run closer to 3 lbs per customer per day, and full bars can hit 5 lbs per customer.