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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 secIndustry consumption ratesSize & Capacity
Share
1.5
Lbs / home person
Per day
3
Lbs / restaurant
Per customer
5
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.

people
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.

  1. 01

    Daily production

    Users × per-person rate (1 lb office → 5 lbs bar). Industry-standard sizing.

  2. 02

    Bin sizing rule

    Storage = 50% of daily production. Smaller bins force ice to rotate so it doesn't fuse into a block.

  3. 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.
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Stand-alone ice production, plus everything else cold.

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