Hoshizaki IM-240NE-HC review
The IM-240NE-HC is the heavy end of the IM series: 210 kg of full cube ice a day with a built-in 110 kg bin. This is no longer a bar machine but the central ice supply for a whole building. What does it deliver, what does it demand in siting, and who is it for?
By Jos Menting, JMGT Commercial Kitchen Equipment · Hoshizaki dealer with in-house service · Published 19 September 2026
In short
The Hoshizaki IM-240NE-HC makes up to 210 kg of full cube ice per 24 hours and holds 110 kg in a built-in bin. Air-cooled on R290, 0.93 kW, 704 mm wide and 1510 mm high, specified to 40 degrees ambient. Choose it when one central machine has to supply several service points, a banqueting kitchen or an events venue. If your demand sits below roughly 60 kg a day, the IM-65 (62 kg/24h) is enough. In between, ask us about the intermediate sizes.
Specifications
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Ice output | up to 210 kg per 24 hours, full cube (type L) |
| Storage bin | 110 kg, built in |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 704 x 665 x 1510 mm |
| Net weight | 107 kg |
| Electrical consumption | 0.93 kW |
| Supply | 1/220-240 V, 50 Hz, 5 A fuse |
| Cooling | air-cooled |
| Refrigerant | R290 (0.147 kg) |
| Ambient temperature | 1 to 40 degrees |
| Water supply | 0.07 to 0.8 MPa, 5 to 35 degrees |
| Exterior | stainless steel AISI 441 |
Figures from Hoshizaki Europe. Output is a factory rating under test conditions; in a hot kitchen with warm incoming water, real daily output will be lower.
Who is the IM-240 built for?
The step from the IM-65 to the IM-240 is not simply one size up. Where the IM-65 serves one bar or one kitchen, the IM-240 is designed as central ice supply: it fills bins that get carried around the building, or it sits in a plant room and feeds several service points. The 110 kg bin matters more here than the output figure. That buffer absorbs the evening peak, when demand runs higher than the machine produces at that moment.
Hotels with several outlets
Restaurant, bar, room service and banqueting from one machine, with the bin as a buffer for the evening peak.
Events and conference venues
Peaks of several hundred guests within two hours. Here the bin matters more than the daily output.
Large restaurants and brasseries with a terrace
Summer days when ice use doubles. One IM-240 is steadier than two smaller machines in two places.
Care and institutional kitchens
Steady draw across the whole day, plus ice for chilling down and transporting meals.
Catering operations
Filling transport bins early in the morning; the bin empties in one go and then has the day to refill.
Not sure how many kilos a day you need? Work it through in our capacity guide. Underestimating is the most common mistake: a machine that fits on paper runs flat out all day in July. Read the capacity guide
IM-240, IM-65 or IM-45?
| Model | Output per 24 hours | Storage | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| IM-45NE-HC | around 46 kg | around 18 kg | Smaller venue with steady demand |
| IM-65NE-HC | around 62 kg | around 26 kg | Busy restaurant, bar or terrace |
| IM-240NE-HC | up to 210 kg | 110 kg | Hotel, events venue, several service points |
If you sit between two models, do not automatically take the biggest. Two smaller machines in two places save walking and give redundancy: if one fails, the bar does not run dry. One large machine is more efficient per kilo and simpler to maintain. IM-65NE-HC review Which Hoshizaki ice machine?
Siting, water and maintenance
The IM-240NE-HC is designed as a plug-and-play unit: an ordinary 230 V supply, water and drainage. That makes installation easy, but it also invites careless siting. Two things decide whether you actually get the rated 210 kg: free air around the condenser and the quality of the incoming water. In a spot with no air extraction the ambient temperature around the machine climbs and output falls, even though the cabinet is nominally within its 40 degrees.
Hoshizaki uses a closed water circuit with automatic flush cycles that carry minerals away, which limits scale build-up in the cells. That does not replace a water filter. Across much of North-West Europe the mains water is medium-hard to hard; without a filter the ice machine becomes a maintenance item within a few years. We include the right filter as standard in the quote.
From the field
On machines this size the complaint we hear most is not that there is too little ice, but that the ice runs out at the wrong moment. That is almost always a bin problem rather than an output problem: the bin had already been scooped empty in the morning for transport containers and then had too little time to refill before the evening peak. So when we advise, we always ask about the rhythm of the day, not just the total. A machine that makes 210 kg a day makes it in 24 hours, not in two.
What you can do yourself and when an engineer is needed is set out in our maintenance checklist and the descaling guide. Maintenance checklist Descaling a Hoshizaki
Frequently asked questions
How much ice does the Hoshizaki IM-240NE-HC make?
The IM-240NE-HC produces up to 210 kg of full cube ice per 24 hours and has a built-in storage bin of 110 kg. That serves a hotel, an events venue, a large restaurant or a site with several service points, even on peak days.
What are the dimensions and power draw?
The unit measures 704 × 665 × 1510 mm (W × D × H) and weighs 107 kg net. Stated electrical consumption is 0.93 kW. It is air-cooled on the natural refrigerant R290 and is specified for ambient temperatures up to 40 degrees.
How does it differ from the IM-65NE-HC?
Roughly three times the output and four times the storage. The IM-65 makes around 62 kg a day with 26 kg of storage; the IM-240 makes 210 kg with a 110 kg bin. The IM-65 is a machine for one bar or kitchen; the IM-240 is central ice supply for a whole building.
What connections does the IM-240NE-HC need?
A standard 230 V supply (1/220-240 V, 50 Hz) with a 5 A fuse, plus water and drainage. Supply pressure must sit between 0.07 and 0.8 MPa and water temperature between 5 and 35 degrees. Hoshizaki recommends a water filter; we include one as standard in the quote.
Is it suitable for a hot kitchen?
Yes, it is specified to 40 degrees ambient. The same caveat applies as to any air-cooled ice machine: the condenser has to draw air. Do not wedge it between two cabinets or put it right beside a heat source, or output will fall well below 210 kg.
What does a Hoshizaki IM-240NE-HC cost?
This is a project machine whose price depends on configuration, siting and any water treatment. You get a firm price in the quote. Also check our offers page, where Hoshizaki ice machines from stock appear regularly.
Next step
Send us your guest numbers, the number of service points and the rhythm of your day. We will work out whether the IM-240 is the right size or whether two smaller machines make more sense, and include the water filter and siting in the quote.