Compare usable yield, staff time and delivery using your own weekly numbers.
The cost of making clear ice is more than water and a freezer. A fair comparison counts the usable pieces your bar actually serves and the work needed to produce, handle and store them. Purchased ice also has receiving, storage and waste costs that belong in the calculation.
Compare the same finished product
Choose the dimensions and quality your menu requires before comparing prices. A smaller machine cube and a 2-inch serving cube are different products. Measure the pieces you can consistently serve after trimming, cracking or other losses.
Record one representative production cycle
| Cost or input | What to record |
|---|---|
| Usable output | Pieces ready for service, after rejected pieces |
| Hands-on labor | Filling, harvesting, cutting, packing, cleaning and handling |
| Equipment | Weekly allocation for purchase or lease and maintenance |
| Operating inputs | Measured or estimated energy, water and packaging |
| Storage | Freezer capacity occupied and any incremental cost |
| Resilience | Backup purchases when output falls short |
In-house cost per usable piece = total allocated production cost ÷ usable pieces. Count hands-on labor, not unattended freezing time as paid production hours unless staff are actively working during that time. Avoid counting the same equipment or energy cost twice.
A hypothetical weekly example
Suppose a bar produces 500 usable pieces, spends four staff hours at an illustrative fully loaded $25 per hour, allocates $35 for equipment and maintenance, and spends $15 on energy, water and packaging. Total allocated cost is $150, or $0.30 per usable piece. These are invented inputs to demonstrate the method, not typical industry costs or a claim about your bar.
If the same costs produce only 300 usable pieces, the calculated cost becomes $0.50 each. If producing 500 pieces instead takes eight staff hours, the total becomes $250, also $0.50 each. Yield and hands-on time can change the result substantially.
Calculate the purchased alternative
Add the supplier’s quoted product total, delivery, receiving labor and any incremental storage or handling cost. Divide by the usable pieces available for service. Use the same tax treatment on both sides. For 500 pieces at a hypothetical $0.55 each, the product-only subtotal would be $275; that is an example input, not a published wholesale offer.
WK’s wholesale pricing is confirmed for your account and formats. Standard online delivery is free at $149 or more, with a $15 fee below $149 and a $100 minimum. Confirm the terms applicable to your order rather than assuming an example includes every cost.
Include service reliability
Consider what happens when your busiest night follows a production problem. Can you produce a reserve, and where will it fit? Conversely, purchased ice needs ordering discipline and enough freezer space between deliveries. WK’s standard route is Saturday delivery, with a Thursday 5 p.m. Eastern cutoff for standard orders.
Make the decision with a trial
Run your production log, test purchased samples in the same glasses and compare the finished drinks. Review usable yield, labor and availability as well as presentation. The best choice may be in-house, purchased, or a planned combination.
Request WK samples and wholesale pricing, then use the cut comparison and glass-fit tools to match the quote to your menu.