Commercial Ice Makers

For Partners
Commericial Ice Machine

Automatic commercial ice makers are used in restaurants, bars, hotels, hospitals and a variety of commercial and industrial facilities for both food and patient care applications. The equipment is selected based on a combination of features that best fit the application. Common attributes include ice type, ice production capacity, ice hardness and ice clarity, as well as form factor and size of footprint. Commercial ice makers can be classified into either of two general equipment types, batch-type (also called cube-type) and continuous-type. Batch-type ice makers harvest ice with alternating freezing and harvesting periods and can be used in a variety of applications, but are generally used to generate ice for use in beverages. Continuous-type ice makers produce ice through a continuous freeze and harvest process and include flake and nugget ice makers. Flake ice is used primarily in food displays, such as seafood grocery store displays or salad bars, whereas nugget ice (also known as chewable ice) is primarily used in beverage applications.

Each ENERGY STAR certified commercial ice maker can save businesses energy and money on their utility bills. When considering batch-type ice makers, ENERGY STAR certified systems save, on average about 1,200 kWh annually, or $130/year in electricity bill costs. These ENERGY STAR batch-type ice makers are on average 15 percent more energy efficient and 23 percent more water-efficient than standard models. By purchasing batch-type equipment that meets the new ENERGY STAR criteria, consumers can expect to save an additional $40/year and 6,300 gallons/year due to reduced water usage. For continuous-type ice makers, ENERGY STAR certified machines save, on average about 1500kWh annually, or $160/year on utility bills. These ENERGY STAR ice machines are on average 15 percent more energy efficient than standard models.

Air-cooled, batch-type and continuous-type commercial ice makers are eligible for ENERGY STAR certification, including ice-making head (IMH), self-contained (SCU), and remote condensing units (RCU). Also eligible are remote condensing units designed for connection to a remote condenser rack. Qualifying models must meet maximum potable water and energy consumption limits to earn the ENERGY STAR. EPA updated this specification in 2012.

Related Information

Current Specification Effective Date: February 1, 2013

  • Covers air-cooled batch-type and continuous-type automatic commercial ice making machines
  • Includes ice making head, remote condensing unit and self contained unit designs with ice harvest rates between 50 and 4,000 pounds of ice per day, depending on equipment type.

Commercial Ice Maker Key Product Criteria: ENERGY STAR

Learn How a Product Earns the Label

What else should I look for when buying a commercial ice maker?

For a list of ENERGY STAR partners that sell ENERGY STAR qualified equipment, see Where to Buy.

For a list of CFS incentives, please see either the CFS Incentive Guide or the ENERGY STAR CFS Incentive Finder.

The ENERGY STAR CFS Incentive Finder displays utility incentives for ENERGY STAR qualified commercial food service equipment.

The CFS Incentive Guide Excel icon is an excel spreadsheet that includes incentives for both ENERGY STAR qualified equipment and energy efficient equipment not covered by the ENERGY STAR program.