Stainless Steel Ice Bins

Why stainless steel?

Commercial ice bins come with several exterior finishes: stainless steel, coated or painted metal (such as Manitowoc's Duratech or Scotsman's metallic finish), and rotocast plastic. Stainless is chosen for:

• Durability: it resists dents, impacts and corrosion in wet, busy back-of-house areas.
• Sanitation: a smooth, non-porous exterior that stands up to frequent cleaning.
• Appearance: it matches stainless kitchen equipment, which matters in open kitchens, bars and front-of-house ice stations.
• Long life: several stainless bins here carry 5-year warranties, and Manitowoc's F-series adds limited lifetime corrosion coverage on the cabinet exterior and liner.

The interior of every bin here is a seamless polyethylene liner , which is food-safe, smooth and easy to sanitize. Stainless refers to the outside of the cabinet.

Every stainless steel bin compared

Specifications from each product page. Heights include the standard 6-inch legs where the listing says so; the Hoshizaki SF bins list 46 inches. Warranty coverage areas and terms vary; confirm on each product page.

How bin capacity is rated

A bin's "capacity" isn't the volume filled to the brim. Manufacturers rate application capacity : roughly 90% of the bin's internal volume multiplied by an average ice density. Manitowoc uses about 33 lb per cubic foot, and Scotsman about 34 lb per cubic foot. Two consequences:

• Different ice types fill bins differently. Nugget and flake ice pack differently from cubes, so real storage varies.
• Capacity is not production. A 1,000 lb bin doesn't make ice. It stores what the head on top makes.

The Hoshizaki listings show storage volume too: 11.51 cu ft for the B-300SF up to 48.0 cu ft for the B-1650SS.

How big a bin do you need?

Size the bin for your busiest stretch , not your daily total. The head refills the bin slowly. A 500 lb/day head makes only about 20 lb an hour.

1. Find your peak period. For a restaurant, the dinner rush; for a hotel, evening check-in; for a banquet hall, the hour before an event.
2. Estimate ice used in that period.
3. Add what the head makes during it, then take the difference. The bin must hold at least that, plus a buffer.

Many operators run the head overnight to fill the bin so the morning and lunch rush come from storage. See our bin sizing guide .

Matching a bin to an ice machine head

• Width: the bin should match or exceed the head width: 22-inch heads on 22-inch or wider bins, 30-inch heads on 30-inch or wider bins, 48-inch heads on 48-inch or wider bins.
• Top kit or adapter: heads that are narrower than the bin, or from a different brand, sit on an adapter or top kit. Hoshizaki's high-capacity SS bins include a universal top kit ; Scotsman's BL bins include a universal adapter plate ; Manitowoc's F1300 and F1325 include a single-head adapter (K483048 and K603048).
• Depth: the Hoshizaki BD-500SF is listed for select ice machines 24 to 24-1/2 inches deep. Use Hoshizaki's application matrix to choose between the B-500SF and BD-500SF.
• Stacking two heads: large bins can carry two heads side by side or stacked with the right kit, a good way to add capacity or backup.

Always confirm the exact head, bin and kit combination on the product page or the manufacturer's application guide. See bin adapters and deflectors .

Chest bins vs upright bins

Upright bins suit high-volume operations where staff fill containers quickly at the gate, such as banquet kitchens, hospitals and food processing.

Installation

• Drain: most bins here use a 3/4-inch FPT drain; the Scotsman BL bins and Manitowoc F-series use a 1-inch FPT drain. Run a separate gravity drain with an air gap, as local code requires.
• Floor: install level on a surface that can support the bin, the head and a full load of ice. A full 1,600 lb bin with a head weighs over a ton.
• Legs: most bins ship with 6-inch adjustable legs; the Hoshizaki SS bins use stainless legs.
• Clearance: allow room above for the head and its service access, and in front for the door. The Manitowoc F-series needs 18.5 inches in front for the door to open.
• Delivery path: check doorway widths and weights. The B-1650SS weighs 375 lb empty.

Care

• Keep the scoop outside the ice, in its holder.
• Clean and sanitize the liner, door gasket and scoop on the manufacturer's schedule, usually when you clean the ice machine.
• Keep the drain clear; standing meltwater is a hygiene problem.
• Never store food or drinks in the ice bin.

Remember that ice bins are insulated, not refrigerated. Ice slowly melts, which is why bins need a drain.

Cleaning and sanitizing an ice bin, step by step

1. Turn off the ice machine on top and let the bin empty, or move the ice to a clean container.
2. Remove the baffle or deflector if the bin has one.
3. Wash the liner, door, gasket and scoop with the cleaner specified by the manufacturer.
4. Rinse with potable water.
5. Sanitize all food-zone surfaces with an approved sanitizer at the correct concentration.
6. Let surfaces air-dry, refit the baffle and restart the ice machine.
7. Discard the first batch of ice if the manual calls for it.

Do this whenever you clean the ice machine, and more often in healthcare and seafood use.

Worked example: a 150-room hotel banquet kitchen

The banquet kitchen uses up to 600 lb of ice in the two hours before a large event, and its head makes about 900 lb on a hot day, about 75 lb in those two hours.

• Ice needed from storage: 600 - 75 = about 525 lb, plus a buffer.
• A B-700SF (700 lb) just covers it. A B-800SF (800 lb) or B-900SF (900 lb) adds headroom for back-to-back events.
• Running the head overnight fills the bin before the event.

Ice handling rules for any bin

• Use only a dedicated ice scoop, and keep it in its holder outside the ice.
• Never scoop ice with a glass; broken glass in an ice bin means emptying and sanitizing the whole bin.
• Keep the door closed between uses to slow melting and keep out contaminants.
• Don't chill bottles, cans or food in the ice bin.
• Train staff to wash hands before handling ice.

Bin controls and level sensing

The ice machine on top needs to know when the bin is full, so it stops making ice. Most modular heads have a built-in bin control: Hoshizaki uses an adjustable ultrasonic bin control on many KMD and KM heads, and Ice-O-Matic GEM heads use non-contact ice detection. When you pair a head with a bin, make sure the bin control works with the bin's height and baffle. For dispensers and special setups, see bin controls and dispenser kits .

Common mistakes

1. Buying by daily output. Size for your peak period.
2. Forgetting the adapter. Mismatched head and bin widths need a kit.
3. Wrong depth model. The BD-500SF is for specific 24-24.5 inch deep heads.
4. Weak floor or no drain. Large bins are very heavy when full.
5. Overfilling expectations. Rated capacity uses about 90% of internal volume.

Related collections

• All ice storage bins
• Hoshizaki ice bins , Scotsman ice bins and Manitowoc ice bins
• Modular ice machines and industrial ice machines
• Bin controls and dispenser kits