Ice Machines

Allow 0.5–1 kg of ice per customer at the bar (spirits and mixed drinks) and about 0.2–0.3 kg per restaurant diner. A bar serving 100 drinks a night needs around 50–80 kg/day. With that figure, choose a machine with a 20–30 % margin above your peak.

Solid (gourmet) cubes melt slowly and last longer: ideal for whisky and craft cocktails. Hollow cubes chill fast and go further per kg: the standard for mixed drinks and soft drinks. Granular ice is for fish displays, buffets and smoothies. Serious cocktail bars combine solid for serving and hollow for shaking.

Air-cooled is the standard: cheaper and easier to install, but it needs ventilation and loses output in hot summers. Water-cooled performs constantly all year and is quieter, but uses cooling water. In hot or poorly ventilated kitchens, consider water-cooled.

Undercounter machines have a built-in bin (usually 10–40 kg). High-output modular heads sit on separate bins of 100–350 kg. The bin is not refrigerated: stored ice slowly melts, which is why daily production must exceed your consumption.