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Tiếng ViệtTube ice machine vs cube ice machine are two common types of edible ice makers widely used in both industrial and commercial environments. Choosing the right machine for your business can help improve your ice production and overall operations.
Whether you prefer the moderate size of cube ice or the distinctive look of tube ice, whether you need ice that is quick to use or ice that melts slowly to keep products fresh for longer—this article explains their technical features, application scenarios, and the differences in production, storage, and maintenance. This will help you select the ice maker that best fits your business needs.
What Are Tube Ice Machines and Cube Ice Machines?
Cube ice machines produce traditional square ice cubes. These cubes are usually 22 mm or 29 mm in size and shaped like small cubes that easily fit into drink and cocktail glasses. They have high density, a hard and clear appearance, and strong cooling performance, making them widely used in bars, restaurants, and foodservice businesses.
Tube ice machines produce cylindrical ice with a hollow or solid center. Tube ice typically comes in 22 mm, 29 mm, 25mmor 35 mm diameters. It has a large surface area, strong hardness, excellent cooling performance, and slow melting, making it suitable for seafood displays, grocery stores, and industries that need long-lasting cold retention.
Both machines freeze water through refrigeration. Cube ice takes shape inside dedicated cube molds, while tube ice forms on the inner surface of vertical cylindrical tubes and is cut to the required length by an ice-cutting knife.
Daily Maintenance
Both tube ice machines and cube ice machines require regular maintenance to ensure stable performance, ice quality, and freezing speed.
Cube Ice Machine
Monthly cleaning is recommended, such as:
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Cleaning filters
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Removing scale in water pipes to prevent mineral buildup
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Checking for damaged or clogged water lines
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Ensuring proper water flow
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Cleaning the condenser for air-cooled models
Tube Ice Machine
Tube ice machines need professional cleaning of ice tubes, defrost components, and condenser coils. The water circulation system must also be maintained regularly. With proper operation and maintenance, a tube ice machine can last up to 12 years.
Main Features and Advantages of Tube Ice Machine Vs Cube Ice Machine
Tube Ice Machine
Technical Features:
Water is sprayed evenly onto the outer walls of vertical ice tubes. Inside the tubes, low-temperature refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat, rapidly freezing the water on the outer surface.
When the ice layer reaches the set thickness, the machine releases the ice from the tube walls through hot-gas defrosting or mechanical force, forming hollow or solid tube ice.
The key factors are:
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Efficient heat exchange (water freezes outside while refrigerant absorbs heat inside)
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Stable and fast ice formation
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Strong adaptability to different operating environments
Advantages:
Tube ice has a hollow center, so it melts much more slowly than cube ice. This slow-melting feature makes it ideal for maintaining long-lasting cooling without diluting drinks or food quickly.
Its shape provides long-lasting cooling with a smaller contact area.
Tube ice machines are designed as industrial equipment. Compared with large cube ice machines, they are more compact, durable, and able to run continuously under heavy workloads. This makes them suitable for businesses with limited budgets but requiring stable ice production.
Cube Ice Machine
Technical Features:
Cube ice machines freeze water inside fixed-size cube molds (such as 22 mm or 29 mm). Once the water solidifies, the machine automatically defrosts and releases the cubes into a storage bin.
The technology focuses on ensuring consistent ice formation and quick ice release during peak demand.
Advantages:
Cube ice has a dense and hard texture. Its small and uniform shape gives it a wide range of uses—from beverages to food preservation. Although tube ice offers unique benefits, cube ice remains the mainstream ice product in the edible ice industry.- Cube ice machines generally offer better energy efficiency. Although they consume energy for the defrosting process, they produce more ice with high output, making them suitable for businesses that require large-scale ice production.
- Cube ice machines are fully automatic, easy to operate, and feature built-in storage bins. They can produce a large amount of ice in a short time. Their regular shape makes them convenient to store, transport, and use.
- Cube ice requires a longer freezing time and slightly higher power consumption. However, because of its appearance and production efficiency, cube ice meets the fast-paced needs of bars, restaurants, hotels, and similar environments.
Cost Comparison
(Example comparison based on a 1-ton tube ice machine and a 1-ton cube ice machine.)
| Cube Ice Machine（1 ton） | Tube Ice Machine（1 ton） | |
| Machine Cost | 8000$ | 7500$ |
| Ice-making Capacity | 1 TON | 1 TON |
| Energy Consumption | Medium | Medium |
| Maintenance Costs | Medium (regular cleaning) | Medium (regular cleaning) |
| Service Life | 6-10years | 7-12years |
How to Choose the Right Ice Maker?
If you are planning to purchase a tube ice machine or cube ice machine and are unsure which one to choose, consider the following:
Business Needs
For high-demand venues like bars and upscale restaurants, cube ice machines with strong cooling performance are more suitable.
For industries that require slow-melting ice—such as beverages, food processing, or large commercial use—tube ice machines offer higher efficiency.
Ice Production
Tube ice machines range from 1 to 50 tons and occupy less space.
Cube ice machines are usually recommended for 1 to 20 tons.
Pecold can customize production solutions to meet your daily ice needs.
Ice Specifications
Both machines offer specific ice sizes.
Tube ice machines provide flexible control over ice length and hollow diameter.
Cube ice machines produce fixed sizes based on the mold.
Space and Budget
Cube ice machines usually take up more space but cost less and produce ice faster, making them suitable for businesses with limited budgets but high ice demand.
Tube ice machines are more compact and cost more but meet specialized ice requirements.
Conclusion
Cube ice machines and tube ice machines each offer unique benefits.
Cube ice machines are ideal for businesses that need fast, large-volume ice production with uniform cube shapes.
Tube ice machines are better suited for industries requiring slow-melting ice that maintains cooling for extended periods.
When choosing an ice maker, consider your business type, production needs, budget, and available space.
Pecold provides high-quality ice machines with custom solutions tailored to your requirements—whether you need clear cube ice or long-lasting tube ice. Explore our products today and start building a reliable ice production system.