Ice to buy
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Why everyone underbuys ice
The baseline is 1 lb (0.45 kg) per guest per hour in warm weather for drinks alone. Chilling bottles is a separate, bigger job: a cooler needs ice at roughly equal weight to the drinks in it, and it needs it 30+ minutes before guests arrive. Most hosts buy a couple of 5 lb bags and wonder why the drinks are warm by hour two — the melt rate in a 30°C garden is brutal. The full ice guide covers cooler technique and the salt-water fast-chill trick.
How much ice for 50 guests?
Warm weather, 4 hours, drinks only: 50 × 4 × 1 lb = 200 lb. Add cooler chilling and it's closer to 300 lb. Yes, really — this is why events order ice by the block.
Bagged vs homemade ice?
Buy it. A standard home freezer tray cycle produces about 1 lb per day; you'd need to start freezing for a 25-guest party three weeks early.
How do I chill 24 bottles fast?
Ice + water + a big handful of salt in the cooler: bottles go from room temp to cold in about 15 minutes, versus 45+ in ice alone. Water contact is the whole trick.