How to calculate ice for barbecues and parties?
Calculating the right amount of ice is essential for a successful event. Nobody likes warm beer or soft drinks without ice in the middle of a party. Our calculator uses a formula based on buffet and event standards to help ensure you do not run out.
The Golden Rule of Ice
For a quick mental estimate, you can use these averages:
- Ice for glasses: about 1 to 1.5 lb per person.
- Ice for cooler (chilling): about 2 to 3 lb of ice for every 1 gallon of drinks.
Factors that influence consumption
Temperature
Hot days (above 28°C/82°F) can increase melting by up to 20%. Our calculator already adjusts for this automatically.
Duration
Long parties require refills. The ice in the cooler melts and turns into water, losing efficiency after about 4â5 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cubes (filtered): Ideal for putting inside the glass. They melt more slowly.
Crushed/flaked ice: Ideal for the cooler/ice box. It surrounds bottles and cans and chills faster, but melts sooner.
Crushed/flaked ice: Ideal for the cooler/ice box. It surrounds bottles and cans and chills faster, but melts sooner.
1. Do not remove the cold water from the cooler (it helps keep the temperature low).
2. Keep the cooler in the shade.
3. Add a little coarse salt and alcohol to the ice in the cooler to lower the temperature even further (only for chilling sealed cans/bottles).
2. Keep the cooler in the shade.
3. Add a little coarse salt and alcohol to the ice in the cooler to lower the temperature even further (only for chilling sealed cans/bottles).