Ice calculator
Enter your guest count, how long the party lasts and whether it is indoors or outdoors to see how much ice to buy, in pounds or kilograms and in bags. Every figure is rounded up, and you can change any assumption to fit your party.
What to buy
100 guests, indoors, 4 hours, United States bag sizes
- Ice to buy
- 100 lb or 46 kg
- Bags
- 10 bags 10 lb bags
- Ice for guests
- 100 lb 100 guests, indoors, 4 hours
These are planning estimates, rounded up. Ice melts faster in the heat and in open coolers, so switch on the buffer for a hot day. Read our disclaimer.
Assumptions
The calculator uses these common rules of thumb. Change the inputs above to fit your guests.
| Ice per guest | 1 lb (0.45 kg) indoors, 2 lb (0.91 kg) outdoors or in hot weather, for up to 4 hours |
|---|---|
| Longer events | the guest ice scales with the hours ÷ 4; events shorter than 4 hours count as 4 |
| Chilling drinks | 10 lb (4.54 kg) of ice for each cooler of drinks |
| Bags | 10 lb bags |
| Weights | 1 kg = 2.2 lb; each weight is rounded up separately |
| Buffer | +10% on every quantity when switched on |
| Rounding | every quantity is rounded up |
How we calculate
- Ice for guests. Guests × 1 lb indoors or 2 lb outdoors or in hot weather, for a party of up to 4 hours. Longer parties scale up by the hours ÷ 4.
- Ice for chilling. 10 lb for each cooler of drinks you need to chill.
- Total. The two added together, plus 10% if you switch on the buffer, rounded up. Pounds and kilograms are each rounded up from the total.
- Bags. The total ÷ the bag size for your region (10 lb in the US and Canada, 2 kg in the UK and Australia), rounded up to whole bags.
Worked example: 100 guests indoors, 4 hours
With the default inputs (100 guests, an indoor party of 4 hours, no extra coolers and US bag sizes):
- 100 guests × 1 lb each = 100 lb of ice, or 46 kg.
- 100 lb ÷ 10 lb bags = 10 bags.
Change the inputs and the answer moves with them:
- Outdoors or in hot weather, the same party needs 2 lb a guest: 200 lb, or 20 bags.
- A 6-hour party indoors scales by 6 ÷ 4 = 1.5: 150 lb.
- Two coolers of drinks add 2 × 10 lb of chilling ice: 120 lb in total, or 12 bags.
Questions
How much ice do I need per person?
The usual rule is 1 lb (0.45 kg) per guest for a few hours indoors, and 2 lb (0.91 kg) outdoors or in hot weather, where ice melts faster. That covers drinks in glasses. Drinks stored in coolers need more ice on top.
Why does the calculator ask about coolers?
Chilling bottles and cans takes a lot more ice than cooling a glass. The calculator allows 10 lb (4.54 kg) for each cooler of drinks, added to the ice for your guests.
What if the party is longer than 4 hours?
The ice for guests grows with the hours, so a 6-hour party needs one and a half times as much as a 4-hour one. Parties shorter than 4 hours are counted as 4, because ice is sold by the bag and some always melts.
How can I make ice last longer?
Chill drinks before they go in the cooler, keep the lid closed, and keep coolers in the shade. A few large blocks melt more slowly than small cubes, so many hosts mix the two.
Is it better to buy too much or too little?
Too much is the easier problem: spare ice is useful, and it can sit in a freezer. Switch on the 10% buffer for a hot day, or if the nearest place to buy more is far away.