Commercial Ice Machines

Q: Why does my ice machine make less ice than the rating says?

Because the headline rating is measured at 70F air and 50F water, an ideal condition rather than a kitchen. The second published figure, at 90F air and 70F water, is the AHRI rating and it is much closer to real service. Across published specifications for machines in this class the gap is about 14 percent on a modular head and 25 to 31 percent on a self-contained undercounter unit. A blocked condenser, a dirty air filter or no clearance around the intake makes it worse still.

(20 products)

Commercial ice machines from 120 to 1000 lb a day, led by our own Polarman line — undercounter units built to slide under a 36" bar counter, and modular production heads that ship on a matched storage bin. All cube ice, all air-cooled, all on R290, with 1 year labour, 2 years parts and 5 years on the compressor part. Competitively priced with free nationwide shipping.

Commercial Ice Machine Buying Guide

Undercounter ice machines

Icemaker, condenser and storage bin in one cabinet, 15–30" wide and built to slide under a standard 36" counter. The right answer when the ice has to be where it is poured — behind the bar, at the espresso station, at the drive-through window. Our Polarman undercounter units are rated 120 lb and 280 lb a day with 40 lb and 80 lb bins. Shop undercounter ice machines →

Modular heads and storage bins

A production head sitting on a separate bin, 22" or 30" wide. You size production and storage independently, and replace either one on its own. This is the answer above about 280 lb a day, and usually below it too if there is a back-of-house home for the machine. Polarman heads run 350, 500 and 1000 lb a day, each on a matched bin. Shop modular ice machines →

How to choose a commercial ice machine

Size off the 90°/70° number, not the headline. Every machine is rated at two conditions. The big number on a product page — ours included — is 70°F air / 50°F water, an ideal maximum. The AHRI figure at 90°F air / 70°F water is what a working kitchen in summer actually gets.
Estimate demand, then measure it. Start from a planning figure — roughly 1.5 lb per cover in a full-service restaurant, 3 lb per bar seat on a busy night, 0.35–0.6 lb per iced drink in a café, about 5 lb per occupied hotel room. Then empty the bin at close on a Friday and see what is left after the next service.
Buy bin capacity for the rush. A 500 lb machine makes about 20 lb an hour, so it contributes only about 80 lb during a four-hour service. Everything else has to already be in the bin.
Undercounter for placement, modular for volume. Many bars end up with both — a head in back and a small unit at the service well.
Check the circuit and the drain before you order. Every Polarman up to 500 lb a day is 115 V; the 1000 lb PLM-1029 needs 220 V. Modular bins need their own gravity drain with an air gap.
Fit a scale filter at install. Ice machines fail on water first. A filter is the difference between cleaning twice a year and cleaning every six weeks. Full commercial ice machine buying guide →

Rated capacity vs real capacity

Every machine is rated at two conditions and manufacturers publish both: 70°F air / 50°F water, the ideal maximum, and 90°F air / 70°F water, the AHRI condition that stands in for a working kitchen in summer. The headline figure on a product page — ours included — is almost always the 70°/50° one.

Across the published specification sheets for cube machines in this class the pattern is consistent: a modular head loses about 14% between the two conditions, and a self-contained undercounter unit loses 25–31%. The reason is structural rather than a matter of build quality — an undercounter unit has the icemaker, condenser and bin packed into one boxed-in cabinet, rejecting heat into a space that is already warm, while a modular head sits in open air with a clear path across the condenser.

Rule of thumb: from a single published figure, expect about 85% of it from a modular head and about 70–75% from an undercounter unit in a real kitchen.

Sizing by business

Peak-day demand below is real ice out of the machine, so the ratings are already derated.

Peak-day demand	Typical business	What to buy
Under 90 lb	Small café, one service well	PLM-129S — 120 lb rated, 40 lb bin
90–200 lb	Busy coffee shop, small bar	PLM-289S — 280 lb rated, 80 lb bin
200–300 lb	Full-service restaurant, mid-size bar	PLM-329 — 350 lb rated, 275 lb bin
300–430 lb	High-volume restaurant, hotel, banquet	PLM-529 — 500 lb rated, 375 lb bin
430–860 lb	Hotel, healthcare, production kitchen	PLM-1029 — 1000 lb rated, 440 lb bin, 220 V
Above 860 lb	Multi-outlet, large hotel	Two machines — splits front and back of house, and keeps you open when one is down

Polarman ice machines at a glance

All air-cooled, all on R290, all shipped with a matched bin. Figures at the 70°/50° condition — apply the derate above when you size.

Model	Style	Ice / 24 hr	Bin	W × D × H	Electrical
PLM-129S	Undercounter	120 lb	40 lb	19 7/10" × 23 1/5" × 35 2/5"	115 V, 3.5 A
PLM-289S	Undercounter	280 lb	80 lb	26" × 27" × 38 1/5"	115 V, 8.6 A
PLM-329	Head + bin	350 lb	275 lb	22" × 33 4/5" × 67 7/10"	115 V, 8.51 A
PLM-529	Head + bin	500 lb	375 lb	30" × 33 4/5" × 68 7/10"	115 V, 11.26 A
PLM-1029	Head + bin	1000 lb	440 lb	30" × 33 4/5" × 75 3/5"	220 V, 10 A

Every Polarman machine carries 1 year labour, 2 years parts and 5 years on the compressor part.

Commercial ice machine FAQ

How do I size a commercial ice machine?

Start with a planning figure for your business type — about 1.5 lb per customer in a full-service restaurant on the peak day, 0.5–1.0 lb per customer in quick service, about 3 lb per seat in a bar on a busy night, 0.35–0.6 lb per iced beverage in a café, about 5 lb per occupied hotel room, 7–10 lb per occupied bed in healthcare. Then measure it: empty the bin at close, run overnight, and check what is left after the next service on a Friday and a Saturday. Size the machine off the 90°F/70°F rating, not the headline number, and make sure the bin covers your peak-period draw.

Why does my ice machine make less ice than the rating says?

Because the headline rating is measured at 70°F air and 50°F water — an ideal condition, not a kitchen. The second published figure, at 90°F air and 70°F water, is the AHRI rating and it is much closer to real service. Across published specs for machines in this class the gap is about 14% on a modular head and 25–31% on a self-contained undercounter unit. A blocked condenser, a dirty air filter or no clearance around the intake makes it worse still.

What is the difference between an undercounter and a modular ice machine?

An undercounter machine has the icemaker, condenser and storage bin in one cabinet that fits under a 36" counter — convenient placement, small bin, and a steeper capacity loss in a hot room. A modular machine is a production head on a separate bin, so you choose production and storage independently, replace either one on its own, and get much larger capacities. Our undercounter units run to 280 lb a day; the modular heads run to 1000 lb.

Do you sell nugget or flake ice machines?

Our own Polarman line makes hard cube ice, air-cooled, from 120 to 1000 lb a day. We do not build nugget or flake machines. Nugget is common in healthcare and soda programs and flake is used for seafood and produce display — both are real commercial requirements, and we would rather say so than sell you a cuber that does not suit the job.

How often does a commercial ice machine need cleaning?

Manufacturer installation manuals in this class specify that the appliance must be cleaned and sanitized at least once a year, and more often in some water conditions, with the air filter inspected every two weeks and washed with warm water and a neutral cleaner when dirty. Hard water, a greasy or flour-heavy room, or any drop in production or change in cube appearance all push the interval shorter. Cleaning and sanitizing are two separate steps with two different chemicals.

Does an ice machine need a dedicated circuit and a drain?

Yes to both. The compressor cycles continuously, so the machine belongs on its own circuit sized to its nameplate at the code-required margin — not shared with the espresso machine. It also needs a cold potable water supply and a gravity drain with an air gap, and a modular bin needs its own separate drain. Every Polarman up to 500 lb a day is 115 V; the 1000 lb PLM-1029 is 220 V.

Air-cooled or water-cooled?

Air-cooled for the large majority of operations, and every Polarman machine is air-cooled. It uses no water beyond what goes into the ice, but it needs room air and the clearance the manual specifies — the published normal operating range for this class is 45°F to 100°F ambient. Water-cooled only makes sense in a genuinely hot enclosed room where an air-cooled unit cannot reject heat, or where the load on the building's air conditioning matters more than the water bill. Some jurisdictions restrict single-pass water-cooled machines.