Commercial Ice Machines for Sale

Undercounter Commercial Ice Machines (50–350 lbs/day)

Undercounter commercial ice machines are typically selected for coffee shops, small restaurants, office kitchens, and satellite bars. These compact systems combine production and storage into one footprint and are best suited for operations with predictable, moderate demand.

Commercial ice machine pricing in this category depends on daily production output, storage bin size, air-cooled vs water-cooled design, and brand tier. If you are unsure how much ice your business actually requires, review our FAQ on what size of restaurant ice machine you need before selecting a unit.

Modular Commercial Ice Machines (300–1,500+ lbs/day)

Modular commercial ice machines are the industry standard for restaurants, hotels, banquet facilities, and multi-shift foodservice operations. These systems separate the ice head from the storage bin, allowing businesses to scale production independently from storage.

Most restaurant ice machines fall within the 500–1,000 lbs/day range. However, capacity should always be based on peak usage, not average demand. Oversizing increases energy consumption. Undersizing leads to downtime and emergency bagged ice purchases.

If you are comparing pricing tiers, our FAQ on how much a new commercial ice machine costs explains the cost drivers including compressor size, duty cycle, and installation variables.

Restaurant & Hospitality Ice Machines

Restaurant ice machines must recover quickly during peak service hours. Full cube and half cube models remain the most popular configuration due to durability and lower mechanical complexity.

Nugget ice systems are increasingly selected for fast-casual and healthcare-adjacent environments, but they involve auger-based production systems that require more frequent maintenance. If you're comparing ice types, see our guide on different types of ice machines before committing to a model.

Healthcare & Institutional Commercial Ice Systems

Hospitals and long-term care facilities require commercial ice machines that meet NSF standards, support strict sanitation routines, and operate continuously. Nugget or chewable ice is commonly selected for patient use.

These environments should prioritize reliability, clean-cycle accessibility, and filtration integration. When uptime is critical, redundancy planning is often more important than upfront equipment price.

High-Capacity & Multi-Unit Installations

High-volume operations including universities, stadiums, distribution hubs, and commissary kitchens often require 2,000+ lbs/day systems or multiple modular heads.

At this level, infrastructure considerations — electrical supply, drainage, ventilation, and water quality — influence pricing as much as the equipment itself. If your production needs exceed standard restaurant capacity, explore our industrial ice machines page for higher-output solutions.

Commercial Ice Machine Pricing, Brands, Models & Cost Comparison

When businesses search for commercial ice machines for sale, they are typically comparing commercial ice machine prices, production capacity, brand reliability, and long-term operating cost. Entry-level undercounter units producing 200–400 lbs per day represent the lowest commercial ice machine price tier, while modular restaurant systems in the 500–1,000 lb range fall into mid-range pricing. High-volume modular and multi-head configurations approach industrial output levels and require more advanced planning. For a detailed breakdown of commercial ice machine cost by size and configuration.

Brand selection significantly affects total ownership cost. Leading manufacturers such as Manitowoc ice machines, Hoshizaki ice machines, Scotsman ice machines, Ice-O-Matic ice machines, and Follett ice machines compete on compressor durability, stainless construction, corrosion resistance, harvest cycle efficiency, and simplified service access. While lower-priced commercial ice machine models may reduce upfront capital, long-term service intervals, parts availability, and energy efficiency determine true ROI. You can compare manufacturer strengths in our best commercial ice machine brands guide.

Energy consumption, water usage, and condenser configuration (air-cooled vs water-cooled vs remote condenser) directly impact monthly operating expense. Restaurants and hospitality operations running continuous duty cycles must evaluate efficiency carefully. Our breakdown of energy-efficient commercial ice machines and our explanation of remote condenser systems show how small efficiency gains compound over years of operation.

Sizing errors remain one of the most common causes of premature equipment replacement. Commercial ice machine models should be matched to peak demand, recovery rate, storage bin capacity, and future growth plans. If you are unsure what output tier fits your restaurant or facility, review what size commercial ice machine you need or our in-depth guide on how to determine the right ice machine capacity.

Operators comparing cube, nugget, and flake models should also evaluate application-specific requirements. Beverage-focused restaurants often prioritize cube ice, while healthcare facilities and quick-service concepts may prefer nugget production. Seafood, food processing, and bulk cooling applications may require flaker systems. See our comparison of cube vs flake ice machines and current commercial flaker ice machine pricing if your application demands specialty ice.

For operations exceeding standard restaurant output, you may need to evaluate industrial ice machines designed for continuous production, food processing plants, logistics hubs, and manufacturing environments. Industrial systems differ substantially in production capacity, duty cycle tolerance, and installation requirements.

If you're ready to compare commercial ice machine models by production capacity, price range, energy efficiency, installation cost, and brand durability, request tailored recommendations below. Our specialists help businesses evaluate real commercial ice machine pricing — including equipment, bin storage, filtration, electrical, and installation — so you can invest once and scale confidently.