How Do Commercial Ice Makers Work?

Commercial ice machines serve nearly every industry. They keep ice stocked in restaurant kitchens, hotels, hospitals and break rooms, and fill crew coolers for landscaping and telecom fleets before each shift.

Regardless of the setting, the ice-making happens out of sight, as water and refrigerant move through a few key components. Understanding what happens inside the machine makes it easier to choose the right model and keep it running well.

Below, we break down how ice machines work and how each type of ice is made.

How ice machines work

A commercial ice machine uses refrigerant to pull heat out of water until it freezes. The refrigerant circulates through a closed loop of components while water moves through the machine to be frozen and stored. As ice is used, the machine starts the process again, so the bin stays stocked throughout the day.

The steps below follow a typical cube ice machine, and we’ll cover how nugget machines differ in the next section.

1. Water enters through the filter

Every batch of ice starts at the water supply. A commercial ice machine connects to your building’s water line, and in many setups, water passes through a filter that reduces particles and other substances before it reaches any of the freezing components. Some machines, including Culligan Quench ice machines, have built-in filtration, while others use a separate filter installed on the supply line. 

From there, the water fills a reservoir inside the machine and sits until the freeze cycle begins.

2. The compressor pressurizes the refrigerant

Meanwhile, the refrigeration system gets to work. Refrigerant cools water by absorbing its heat, so it needs a way to release that heat before it can absorb more. That’s where the compressor comes in. By pressurizing and heating the refrigerant, the compressor raises its temperature above that of the surrounding air or water, allowing it to release heat in the condenser.

3. The condenser cools the refrigerant

The refrigerant flows through a set of metal coils called the condenser. As it passes through, air or flowing water carries heat away from the coils, depending on whether you have an air-cooled or water-cooled unit. This lowers the refrigerant’s temperature, transitioning it from a high-pressure vapor to a high-pressure liquid.

4. The expansion valve drops the temperature

The expansion valve is essential for rapidly expanding the refrigerant and releasing pressure. This process, called adiabatic cooling, results in a significant temperature drop in the refrigerant. You can think of it like spraying a can of compressed air. As the pressure drops, the can quickly turns cold. Rapid expansion is what turns a high-pressure liquid refrigerant into a low-pressure, low-temperature liquid during ice production.

5. Water freezes on the evaporator

Next, the cold refrigerant reaches the evaporator, which transfers heat from the water to the refrigerant. A pump circulates water from the reservoir over the evaporator, where it gradually cools until it reaches its freezing point. The evaporator is divided into a grid of small cells, so the water freezes into individual cubes. The refrigerant, now warmed back into vapor, returns to the compressor to restart the loop.

6. The machine harvests and stores the ice

Once the ice cubes have formed, your unit initiates the harvest cycle. This involves warming the evaporator with either hot gas or room-temperature water, which loosens the ice and releases it into your commercial ice bin. When the bin is full, a sensor pauses production, then restarts it as you use the ice. That way, ice is ready whenever your staff, guests or patients need it.

How ice machines make different types of ice

While an ice maker is generally made up of the same core components, there’s a slight difference in how commercial ice makers operate depending on the type of ice you want to offer. 

Here’s how the process works for three common ice types:

Crescent ice

This half-moon-shaped ice is ideal for liquid displacement in beverages: It allows a glass to hold more ice, which makes drinks look fuller. Crescent ice also limits splashing when added to beverages and is less likely to pack together or “bridge” during storage. This ice type is commonly used in ice bagging, soft drinks and mixed drinks.

Ice maker steps to produce crescent ice:

1. Water cascades over a chilled evaporator plate with curved molds, where ice forms a crescent.
2. After the ice freezes, the evaporator warms up to release the ice into the storage bin.

Note: Some crescent systems freeze ice on both sides of the evaporator, which allows a unit to produce more ice in fewer cycles.

Nugget ice

Also known as cubelet ice, Chewblet® ice or pellet ice, this ice type is highly popular for its soft texture and ability to retain liquid. Because nugget ice is soft, it’s popular with people who like to chew ice. It’s common in restaurants because the small, semi-soft pieces absorb the flavor of drinks, and in healthcare facilities because it’s easy to chew. 

Ice maker steps to produce nugget ice:

1. First, water flows into a refrigerated cylinder containing a rotating auger.
2. As ice forms on the cylinder’s chilled inner wall, the auger scrapes it off in flakes.
3. Finally, the auger pushes the flakes through a narrow opening, compressing them into nuggets.

Note: Unlike cube machines, nugget machines produce ice continuously rather than in separate freeze and harvest cycles.

Tulip ice

Named for its rounded, cupped shape, tulip ice is often used in countertop water and ice dispensers in offices and hotels. Where softer nugget ice tends to absorb the liquid for drinks and melt faster, tulip ice is more solid and takes longer to melt, so it’s less likely to dilute drinks. 

Ice maker steps to produce tulip ice:

1. The process begins by submerging chilled evaporator “fingers” in a water bath, where ice forms around them. 
2. The machine then drains the water bath and briefly warms the fingers.
3. The ice melts off of the fingers and falls into a collection bin for storage and use.

Find the right ice maker for your business

If you’ve been looking for a way to elevate your workplace water supply with great-tasting ice, Culligan Quench can help. As a trusted provider of high-quality water and ice solutions, we have a range of commercial ice makers available to deliver added value to your business.

Discover some of our top ice machines to determine which option is the best fit for your business:

• 960/965 Water Dispenser and Ice Machine: Ideal for professional services, offices, salons, spas and higher education settings, this all-in-one filtered water dispenser and chewable ice machine features 7 lbs ice storage, hot- and room-temperature water dispensing and antimicrobial surface protection.
• 960-16/965-16 Water Dispenser and Ice Machine: For workplaces with higher foot traffic, the Culligan Quench 960-16 unit provides the same delicious nugget ice and filtered water with ice production of up to 165 lbs in 24 hours and 16 lbs ice storage. 
• 956 Freestanding Water Dispenser and Ice Machine: This unit offers cold, hot and room-temperature water and produces up to 44 lbs of tulip-shaped ice in 24 hours, provides 13.2 lbs of ice storage, and features advanced reverse osmosis filtration technology. 
• 980-30 Water Dispenser and Ice Machine: Designed for workplaces that demand rapid ice distribution, such as warehouses, distribution centers and health clinics, this Culligan Quench machine provides a combination of filtered water dispensing and fan-favorite Chewblet® ice production, with an ice-making capacity of up to 380 lbs per day and 30 lbs of ice storage.

Keep ice on hand with Culligan Quench

Every step in the ice-making process relies on a specific component, from the filter to the storage bin. That means an ice maker only works as well as its components. Culligan Quench products are designed with premium quality in mind. Our experts are also standing by to provide maintenance and support when you need them.

Ready to provide your employees and customers with fresh ice on demand? Use our product finder to match your space with the right ice machine.