Ice Machine Heads

Cube Ice Machine Heads

Choose between half and full cube ice, as well as water cooled or air cooled. Ice machine heads come in a variety of sizes and capacities. Match your ice machine with the proper machine head.

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Cube Ice Machine Heads

Flake Ice Machine Heads

Create a steady supply of flake ice with our machine heads. Perfect for cooling drinks and preserving food, these heads are durable and efficient, ensuring your business runs smoothly. Ideal for commercial kitchens and bars.

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Flake Ice Machine Heads

Nugget Ice Machine Heads

Create restaurant-quality ice all day long. Enjoy chewable, slow-melting ice that enhances the flavor of your drinks. Perfect for bars, cafes, and restaurants.

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Nugget Ice Machine Heads

Ice machine heads come in a variety of styles to create fresh ice in any style and quantity you desire.

Restaurants, offices, medical facilities, and a variety of other businesses use commercial ice machines every day. An ice machine head is a necessary piece of equipment for any business that wants to produce high-quality ice for a variety of customers. These machines are available in a range of configurations, including ice types, daily production, and condenser size and type. When choosing an ice machine head, think about the type of ice you want, whether it's Cube, Flake or Nugget form. Burkett has ice machine heads from top manufacturers like Ice-O-Matic, Scotsman, Manitowoc, and more.


Buying Considerations

  • Available Space: before purchasing your ice machine head, be sure that you have adequate space for both the head and the dispenser/bin you choose. You will also have to consider a few inches of clearance around the machine depending on the unit and type of cooling system.
  • Quantity of ice needed: determining the amount of ice you will require in an average day is essential before choosing your ice maker head.
  • Type of ice: choose from cube, nugget, flake, or gourmet ice depending on your business’s needs and preferences.
  • Type of cooling system: choose between an air-cooled or water-cooled ice machine head depending on whether you have a lot of proper ventilation space; air-cooled systems require more ventilation than water-cooled systems.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ice Machine Heads

What are the different types of ice?

Commercial ice makers make 4 standard types of ice - cube, nugget, flake, and gourmet.


ice types


Cubed ice is made standard for beverage service in bars, restaurants, hotels, etc.

Nugget ice is chewable ice that is perfect for healthcare as well as any business trying to add a special touch to their beverages. Nugget ice is a customer favorite, popularized in non-healthcare use as “Sonic Ice”.

Flake ice is great for displays in buffets and retail, keeping meat, seafood, sides, and more food options cool for hours while on display. Flake ice can also be used for blended drinks.

Gourmet ice is larger, usually round ice that is ideal for use in high-end bars for signature drinks. Large ice melts slower, keeping your best drinks from becoming watered down while still keeping them cool


Do I need to purchase an ice bin/dispenser?

Yes, when you purchase an ice machine head you will need an ice bin or ice dispenser to go with it. Dispensers are perfect for hotels and self-service establishments to dispense ice directly into a cup or bucket without any contact with the ice. Bins can hold a large quantity of ice to be there when needed. If you need to fit an ice machine head with a bin of a different size, check out our selection of ice bin top adapters to help create the perfect combination unit.


What size ice machine head should I purchase?

Commercial ice machine heads are sized by the quantity of ice in pounds they can produce in a standard 24 hour cycle. Since ice makers last for around 10 years (with proper care and maintenance), always consider potential growth when figuring out how much ice your business needs.

To determine the ice requirements for your business, you will need to consider business type and average customers per day.

Restaurant: 1.5 lbs. of ice per customer

Cocktail Bar: 3 lbs. of ice per customer

Salad Bar: 35 lbs. of ice per cubic foot

Hotel: 5 lbs. of ice per room

Healthcare: 10 lbs. of ice per patient

Cafeteria: 1 lb. of ice per customer


Should I choose an air cooled or water cooled ice machine head?

Air-cooled ice machine heads are the most common option as they are cheaper and more energy efficient. They are best used in well-ventilated areas with lower temperatures. If the area that the unit in used in has poor ventilation or is too hot, your machine can run harder and slow down production.

Water-cooled ice machine heads are more expensive to operate as they require a larger water intake (about 5 times more than an air-cooled ice machine). Despite this, water-cooled ice machines can be the ideal choice in smaller spaces with little ventilation space or hot kitchens.


Other Ice Machine Options

If you’re looking for a self-contained ice machine instead of a modular unit, check out ice machines with dispensers, undercounter ice machines, and ice machine & bin combos.