Easy Ice Calculator for Your Business
Ice Calculator for Every Industry’s Needs
The Iceologists at Easy Ice created an ice calculator with a list of typical ice needs for specific industries. If you’re wondering what size ice machine you need, you’re not alone. The amount of ice each industry needs is different, so our calculator helps you determine how much ice per person you’ll need. By following this list, you can get a good estimate of the amount of ice you need to in order to choose the best ice maker. Keep in mind, this is a midrange calculation and your specific ice needs may vary.
If you need more help outside of our ice calculator when selecting the right machine for your business, no worries. Our team of Ice Machine Experts are ready to set you up with the perfect ice machine for your business at an affordable monthly price.

We’ll Determine Just How Much Ice per Person You Need
Our team is here to give you an expert recommendation to guarantee you get the best ice equipment for your business.
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Healthcare
Hospitals and healthcare clinics typically need the most ice per person. You can measure your ice needs by taking the amount of ice a patient needs daily (10 lbs. per patient) and multiply it by the number of beds you have on your floor. When using our ice calculator, don’t forget to account for your visitors and staff.
Restaurants and Bars
To the right you’ll find the general amount of ice you need per customer, but it’s also important to consider how much ice you use outside of drinks. Ice is also used to prep food or shock vegetables. If you know your kitchen uses ice, factor that in when using our ice calculator. What about beer tubs during game days? Again, ice is used in a lot of areas when it comes to restaurants and bars. Don’t short yourself.
Convenience Stores
Convenience stores need to think about the volume of fountain drinks per day when using our ice calculator.
Running out of ice can end up hurting your establishment. Easy Ice is available to help you calculate the amount you need for your specific location, so you can find the best ice makers to install on top of your soda dispensers.
Once you calculate what size ice machine you need, there are several other things to take into consideration as well. We’ve developed this handy commercial ice machine guide to answer all of your questions!
Approximate Daily Use
Hotel | 5 lbs. Per guest |
Hospital | 10 lbs. Per patient |
Restaurant | 1.5 lbs. Per customer |
Bar/Cocktail | 3 lbs. Per customer |
Cafeteria | 1 lb. Per customer |
Quick Serve Restaurant | 5 oz. Per 7-10 oz. drink 8 oz. Per 12-16 oz. drink 12 oz. Per 18-24 oz. drink |
Seafood/Deli Counter and Display | 30 lbs. of ice per cubic foot |
Convenience Store | 6 oz. Per 12 oz. drink 10 oz. Per 20 oz. drink 16 oz. Per 32 oz. drink |