Best Hotel Ice Maker Dispenser

Top 6 Hotel Ice Machine of 2020

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Owning a business means that you need to do everything humanly possible to satisfy the needs of your customers.

A lot of hotels deal with people who walk into buy drinks, wine spirits, cocktails, etc. To take these drinks, they usually demand ice, and if you have customers flocking in, you will need a hotel ice machine that can match the demand. 

So, we have compiled a list of the top-rated hotel machines that you can procure and have done extensive reviews on them to help you purchase the one that works better for your business.

BEST OVERALL
Scotsman C0530MR-1A_HD30B 511 lb 30 Remote-Cooled Medium Cube Ice Machine

This is an ultimate choice if You need the biggest amount of ice. This machine can produce up to 511 lbs/24h.  Yes, it's not cheap, but it woth its price if You're own big hotel or restaurant. Sturdy metal body will last for a long time.

Guide to Follow is Getting the Right Price for your Ice Maker

Before you purchase a hotel ice machine dispenser, you probably will not just count money to go and buy it. You would want to ensure that the pricing of the machine is well worth your money. Let’s see the guides that will help you get the right price.

  • You need to know the average cost of a good machine for producing ice in a hotel. This is because your instincts may be giving you the wrong cost. So, researching to get an average cost is a great starter to knowing what to expect when you want to purchase one.
  • When you know the cost of the machine that makes ice for hotel use, you need to compare the cost with other machine makers for hotels to see which one offers the best price for the best quality.
  • You should consider if you can get a cheap machine for your hotel. You may already have a budget, and the best thing to do is to look for a hotel machine that would do the best job in your hotel for an affordable price.
  • You should look at other costs that may be attached to your machine for your hotel, such as the cost for delivery, installation, etc.

Comparison Table

Technical Details

Brand Name

Scotsman

Capacity(24 hrs)

511 Lb

Installation Type

Freestanding

Color

Silver/Black

My Rating:
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Technical Details

Brand Name

Scotsman

Capacity(24 hrs)

356 Lb

Installation Type

Freestanding

Color

Silver/Black

My Rating:
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Technical Details

Brand Name

Manitowoc

Item Weight

163.0 Pounds

Product Dimensions

22 x 31 x 55.5 Inches

Capacity(24 hrs)

120 Lb

Installation Type

Freestanding

Color

Silver/Black

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Technical Details

Brand Name

Hoshizaki

Item Weight

240 Pounds

Product Dimensions

30 x 30 x 53 Inches

Capacity(24 hrs)

200 Lbs

Installation Type

Freestanding

Color

Silver/Black

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Technical Details

Brand Name

Manitowoc

Item Weight

210 Pounds

Product Dimensions

32 x 30 x 60.5 Inches

Capacity(24 hrs)

180 Lb

Installation Type

Freestanding

Color

Silver/Black

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Technical Details

Brand Name

Ice-O-Matic

Capacity(24 hrs)

200 Lb

Installation Type

Freestanding

Color

Silver/Black

Brand Name

Ice-O-Matic

Capacity(24 hrs)

200 Lb

Installation Type

Freestanding

Color

Silver/Black

My Rating:
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How Much Do Hotel Ice Makers Cost?

Note that different hotel ice maker types come with different costs. The brand type and its specific features are a prerequisite to the cost too. Is it a countertop or under-counter dispenser? Does it produce ice for a hotel in flakes, cubes, nuggets, etc.? Do you want to purchase a brand new appliance or just rent one? So, a lot of different factors can cause the prices to differ for these machines for hotels.

In-depth Review on the Most Recommended Machines for Ice in Hotels

When it comes to finding a commercial ice machine, the best approach is to compare different products to choose one with the necessary features for the lowest price. Let us analyze the best brands that produce ice block makers so that you can have an idea of what you want when you are ready to purchase one.

Scotsman C0530MR-1A_HD30B 511 lb 30 Remote-Cooled Medium Cube Ice Machine

Technical Details

Brand Name

Scotsman

Capacity(24 hrs)

511 Lb

Installation Type

Freestanding

Color

Silver/Black

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Easy to assemble
  • Easy to clean
  • Sturdy body
  • Easy to control

Cons

  • High cost

Currently, this product has become the highest ice machine on demand in the US. It is user friendly and will work well for your hotel. The Scotsman machine was picked as our top product because of its capacity to produce more than 511lbs of ice in a day. This ice making machine makes the best medium cubes, perfect for your customer’s drinks. It has a built-in antimicrobial property that filters bacteria and prevents them from mixing with the ice. This product comes with a Universal Smart Harness that makes it easy for the machine owner to set up, solve issues on the product when they arise, and get digital diagnostics, even as a novice. With its harvest-assist technology, ice from the evaporator surface is quickly dislodged, making your machine use a smaller amount of electricity.

Features:

  • High production capacity
  • Makes the perfect ice cubes
  • Built-In Filtration System
  • The control board system
Scotsman C0322MA-HD22B-1H 356 lb

Technical Details

Brand Name

Scotsman

Capacity(24 hrs)

356 Lb

Installation Type

Freestanding

Color

Silver/Black

Pros

  • Smart machine
  • Alerts you when ice is ready
  • Comes with ice dispenser

Cons

  • Expensive

Features:

  • Auto-alert device
  • Dispenses ice effectively
  • Proper Dispenser Insulation
Manitowoc SPA-160 22in 120 Lb

Technical Details

Brand Name

Manitowoc

Item Weight

163.0 Pounds

Product Dimensions

22 x 31 x 55.5 Inches

Capacity(24 hrs)

120 Lb

Installation Type

Freestanding

Color

Silver/Black

Pros

  • Sturdy
  • Cleaning is easy
  • Minimizes water spills

Cons

  • Limited stock

If you are looking for a cheap ice dispensing machine that you can attach to your ice maker so that it will dispense ice less messily, then this is the right product for you. The dispenser features a stainless steel exterior. It is easy to clean and resistant to scratch and corrosion. Besides, it is sturdy, and its height can be adjusted. It has 48" x 22" x 31.19" dimension, making it portable to install anywhere that it is needed in a hotel. The dispenser has a mechanism whereby the tube where the ice comes from rocks to give a boost to ice dispensing and prevent stuck ice, lost ice, or spillage. For its price, this product can store up to 120 pounds of ice.

Features:

  • Cheap and sturdy
  • Rocking tube mechanism
  • Portable machine
Hoshizaki DB-200H

Technical Details

Brand Name

Hoshizaki

Item Weight

240 Pounds

Product Dimensions

30 x 30 x 53 Inches

Capacity(24 hrs)

200 Lbs

Installation Type

Freestanding

Color

Silver/Black

Pros

  • Strong
  • Comes with polyurethane insulation
  • Ideal for hotels

Cons

  • Not always available

This 240-pound heavy appliance can give you up to 200lbs of ice daily. It is an ice machine with a dispenser. You can use it in your hotel to make as much ice as you need for your customers. This product is user friendly and perfect for your hotel services. The machine’s dispense button releases as much as 13 lb. of ice per minute. This reduces the wait time for your hotel visitors. The appliance uses a 115V electrical connection, which means that you get to consume lesser energy for more ice. The Hoshizaki has polyurethane insulation that shields the walls of the machine from any heated part that can make the ice melt fast.

Features:

  • Consumes minimal energy
  • Ensures that ice melts slowly
  • Auger agitator push button
Manitowoc SPA-310 Vending Ice Dispenser

Technical Details

Brand Name

Manitowoc

Item Weight

210 Pounds

Product Dimensions

32 x 30 x 60.5 Inches

Capacity(24 hrs)

180 Lb

Installation Type

Freestanding

Color

Silver/Black

Pros

  • Smart and efficient product
  • Can store your ice for a long time
  • Dispenses more than 200lbs of ice cubes

Cons

  • Hardly available

If you need a dispensing machine for your Manitowoc ice machine for your hotel, then this can be the right product to purchase. It is easy to use and stores your ice for a long time. All you have to do to dispense ice from the storage bin is a push. The dispenser is made of stainless steel with vinyl trim, which makes it durable and less susceptible to rust. The stainless-steel legs are flexible and can be adjusted from 6inches to 71/2 inches. It has a large drain pan that collects melting ice or slippery ice so that it doen’t overflow and wet the floor.

Features of the SPA-310 Ice Dispenser

  • Durable materials
  • Large ice drain collector
  • Adjustable Dispenser
  • Corrosion-resistant
Elevation Series CIM0530HA Modular Cube Ice Maker

Technical Details

Brand Name

Ice-O-Matic

Capacity(24 hrs)

200 Lb

Installation Type

Freestanding

Color

Silver/Black

Pros

  • Creates half-sized ice
  • Ideal for hospitals and small cafes
  • Thick insulation to reduce ice melting

Cons

  • It is operated manually

This can be the best product to use in a hospital, office, or café. This dispenser with a bin kit makes half-sized ice, which will be easy for your customers to chew. It is perfect for spirits and wine. The appliance has been designed to look beautiful and attractive to the eyes, especially with the graphic on the front of the machine. This product is strong, and its exterior does not corrode or retain fingerprints so that it will always look clean to the customers. The appliance has a power clean system that allows you to clean the machine without moving it from its spot.

Features:

  • Sturdy and long-lasting product
  • Eye-catching
  • Power clean system

Guide for Purchasing an Ice Machine

Before you purchase a commercial ice machine for hotel, there are certain qualities that you should look at to choose the right product for your business needs.

  • Short Ice-Making Time

For every machine for a hotel, this feature is the top on the list. This is because people who need ice want it at most five minutes after they ask for it. So, you have to procure an ice maker that can produce ice for your hotel guests in less than 20 minutes.

  • A User-Friendly Ice Block Making Machine

A user-friendly ice-block maker means that operating it should be easy for anyone of the hotel staff that wants to use it. And if it is the kind whereby the customer must pay some money to use the ice-block maker, then it should be simple to use as well. That’s why it can be a smart decision to invest in the model that requires you to just push a button, and the ice will come out. Besides, it would be better to get an automatic model that will send an alarm to the hotel staff when the bin is empty or when ice is ready.

  • Can It Conserve Energy and Help You Save Costs?

You should find out how much energy specific commercial ice-block machine consumes. The reason is that if it consumes a lot of energy, you will end up paying more in electricity bills. However, due to advanced technologies, there are smart commercial energy-efficient ice machines on the market. It’s better to choose water-cooled ice makers that use less electricity. But if you prefer to save on water bills, you may select an air-cooled model that will also make a lesser impact on the environment.

  • Ease of Cleaning

The more often you are planning to use an ice-block making machine, the more often you should wash it because they can contain dust particles and bacteria that can be harmful to your customers. So, you should invest in a model that you can easily disassemble and clean.

  • Pick A Suitable Hotel Ice-block Making Machine

The kind of business that you run in your hotel will determine the size or capacity of the ice machine hotel that you will invest your money in. If you have a high inflow of hotel customers, you should buy an ice-block maker that can produce a large amount of ice in a short time.

  • Pick A Popular Brand with Good Warranty

There are a lot of manufacturers on the market that claim to offer good quality machines for hotels. However, you would be safer if you go for a brand that is already known because they likely have ISO quality certification. There are greater chances that you will be satisfied with the quality. But this is not a guarantee, though, because you can end up purchasing a counterfeit product.

Ice Bucket Near Ice Dispensing Machine

 What Kind of Commercial Ice Makers Can You Choose for Your Hotel?

The type of hotel ice machine that you need depends on what you need it for. There are four different types of machines to choose from, and they include the countertop, under-counter, modular, and combination ice machines. While their main function is to make ice, they also have distinct features. Let us discuss these differences.

  • Countertop Ice Making Machine

This type of ice maker can produce up to 400pounds of chewable ice. Such machines are mostly used in health facilities. They make the nugget kind of ice that is easy to chew for patients. They are compact and may not serve for a restaurant because besides being soft, they melt quickly in drinks.

  • Under-Counter Ice Maker

This type of appliance can make a good choice for you if you own a small restaurant or café. These machines produce about 350lbs of ice, and that capacity is common for some older models. Some newer models can make more than that amount of ice. This type of appliance has both the machine and bin storage where the ice is stored after it has been made.

  • Modular Ice Making Machine

This type of ice-block machine is large and can produce up to 1000 pounds of ice daily. This type can be the most appropriate choice for your hotel needs. Such appliances are up to 48inches wide. However, you would need to have a separate ice bin or dispenser to store the ice-block that has been made.

  • Combination Ice/Water Making Machine

Such machines work both as a water dispenser and an ice-block dispenser. They can be the right choice for offices and small restaurants, cafes, etc. It dispenses up to 350lbs of ice daily. Although there are some models that can dispense more than that in a day. They mostly produce nugget ice, which is easy to chew.

 What Are Different Ice Types That Ice-Block Machines Produce?

Close Up Image Of Ice

There are different types of ice cubes that vary in shapes and sizes. They also differ in applications they are best for. Knowing the differences between them will help you select the right hotel ice machine for your needs.

  • Nugget Chewable Cubes

This is the kind of ice-block that is used in health facilities, offices, etc.  because it is easy to use and chew. It’s so chewable that it got the name “chewblet”. It’s best for soft drinks, frozen drinks, and smoothies because it blends well. However, you should note that even though it melts slowly, it reduces the concentration of whatever it is that you are drinking.

  • Crushed Cubes

The crushed ice cube works well in bars because they are the fastest way to chill a drink. All you need is a machine that crushes the ice or the kind that produces ice that you need to crush manually. Then, you use it to cool drinks and classic cocktails. Some people use crushed ice to freeze perishable items that they need to transport to a different location.

  • Chips

Most chip ice cubes are used in medical facilities. They are administered to patients after surgery to prevent sores in the mouth. Chips ice cube is smaller than a block of ice cube and softer for the patient to chew on.

  • Cube Ice

This kind of ice cube is ideal for a hotel, bar, restaurant, etc. Not only do they take time to melt, but they also look neat in the water. If you are conscious of how your business looks, this will surely make your hotel business stand out.

Quantity of Ice Produced Per Day in a Hotel

The amount of ice-block is highly dependent on the size of your hotel business and the size of the ice-block machine that you have purchased. Some ice-cube makers will produce as low as or lower than 350lbs of ice-cubes daily, and others can produce up to and more than 1000lbs of ice daily.

How to Maintain a Hotel Ice Making Machine

Your hotel ice-block machine can become a breeding ground for bacteria because it gets opened and closed at different times, gets touched by different hands, and attracts dust from time to time. You must maintain proper sanitation in your hotel. This is how you should ensure that your ice machine hotel always stays clean.

  • Wash the water filtration system of your hotel ice-block maker. Most modern ice-making machines for home, hotel, bars, etc. now come with filters. So, take time at the end of the day to wash it. Some hotel ice-block machine brands come with their solution for cleaning.
  • Do not use harsh chemicals like bleach, chlorine, etc. to wash your hotel ice maker because they will not only taste out in the drink but can also poison your customers.
  • Due to the large number of ice-cubes that ice-block makers churn out, it is important to descale to avoid calcium buildup that can eventually shorten the lifespan of your machine by weakening its core parts.
  • When your hotel machine is clogged, simply dismantle it, remove the ice piece, then clean the machine dry, and assemble back before use.
  • Ensure that your hotel machine is not in a choked-up place. It needs to be in an airy environment.
  • Make sure that the environment and air around it do not have a pungent smell. Also, be certain that your hands do not have any strong smell when putting the water in the ice maker.
Close Up Of Mens Hand Near Hotel Ice Maker Dispenser

How Does Ice Machines for Your Hotel Affect the Customer

Your ice machine will say a lot about your hotel, especially for those people who pay extra attention to the details of your services. It is important to know what kind of ice to serve your hotel guests when they need a drink. An ice cube that melts fast in a customer’s drink can make the drink taste watery, and this can make your customers unhappy. An ice machine that takes a short while to make ice will make the customer happy because they will not be kept waiting, and this will make them patronize you often.

Why Hotels Have Ice Machines

The reason is that people who visit hotels love ice and chilled drinks. When they visit hotels or lodge, they want to be able to take cold drinks when they can, especially when they are taking spirits and wines that are not cold. So, most hotels invest in these appliances to meet the needs of their customers.

Conclusion

Now that you understand all about ice block types, ice machine types, and the best 6 commercial products available in the market in 2020, you can now make a more informed purchase decision. You should always take into account your specific needs when selecting your hotel style ice machine.

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 Image Credits - Amazon.com, Photo Stocks.

About the Author Yvonne Ferguson

Yvonne Ferguson is a culinary enthusiast and dedicated cooking tech reviewer. She’s constantly looking for the most up-to-date products and information to share with IceMakersHub readers. Yvonne enjoys making family-friendly recipes while sharing tips on choosing handy appliances for a healthy life.

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