How much ice for 50 people?
For 50 people, plan on about 75 lb of ice — 11 bags of 7 lb — the middle of Reddy Ice’s 1 to 2 lb per guest (50 to 100 lb).
How to work it out
- 50 guests × 1.5 lb = 75 lb ÷ 7 lb bags = 11 bags
Fifty guests at a backyard party, graduation or shower will go through more ice than any freezer holds. Reddy Ice’s rule — 1 to 2 lb per person — puts it at 50 to 100 lb; the weather decides where in that range.
Adjust for your project
- Bags
- 11 bags · 7 lb bag
- Reddy Ice range (1–2 lb per guest)
- 50 to 100 lb
- Use a separate cooler for the ice that goes in cups. Ice that chilled cans has had hands and cans in it.
Ice by number of guests (per-guest amount as above)
| Guests | Ice to buy | Bags |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 15 lb | 3 bags |
| 25 | 38 lb | 6 bags |
| 50 | 75 lb | 11 bags |
| 75 | 113 lb | 17 bags |
| 100 | 150 lb | 22 bags |
| 150 | 225 lb | 33 bags |
| 200 | 300 lb | 43 bags |
75 lb, and when to go higher
One and a half pounds a head is a sensible middle for a party that is partly outdoors or runs a few hours: 75 lb, or eleven 7 lb bags (four 20 lb bags if your store sells them). Indoors in cool weather, 50 lb covers it. Outdoors in July, at a pool, or with a crawfish boil going, plan the full 2 lb per guest — 100 lb, fifteen bags of 7 lb.
| Setting | Per guest | Ice for 50 | 7 lb bags | 20 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indoors, mild | 1 lb | 50 lb | 8 | 3 |
| Typical party | 1½ lb | 75 lb | 11 | 4 |
| Hot, outdoors, pool | 2 lb | 100 lb | 15 | 5 |
Where 75 lb of ice goes
- Drink tubs: two or three tubs or coolers of cans and bottles, each topped up through the party.
- Cups: a clean cooler with a scoop, just for ice in drinks.
- Food: a bowl of ice under the potato salad, coleslaw and anything else served cold.
- Reserve: a closed cooler in the shade with the unopened bags.
The drinks themselves for a party this size: how many cans of soda for 100 guests, halved. A single big cooler for a day out: how much ice for a 120 quart cooler.
Different size? Use the full Party Ice Calculator.
What you’ll need
- Galvanized beverage tubBudget price
An open tub of ice and cans by the door keeps guests out of the kitchen. Layer ice, cans, ice.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Large coolerPremium price
A big cooler for drinks and ice. A drain plug matters when you are melting 40 lb of ice over an afternoon.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
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Frequently asked questions
How much ice for 100 people?
About 150 lb at 1½ lb each — 22 bags of 7 lb (100 to 200 lb by Reddy Ice’s range).
How much ice for 50 people outdoors in summer?
About 100 lb — 15 bags of 7 lb.
How many 20 lb bags of ice for 50 people?
4 bags of 20 lb for about 75 lb.
Other common sizes
- How much ice for a 120 quart cooler — about 80 qt of ice (≈ 90 lb)
Sources
- Reddy Ice — How much ice you need for a party (opens in a new tab) — One to two pounds of ice per person attending; outdoor and pool parties need more.
- Reddy Ice — Ice calculator (opens in a new tab) — 1 to 2 lb per person; at least two 7 lb bags for a cooler.
- Home City Ice — Ice calculator (opens in a new tab) — Regular 7 lb and big 20 lb bags.
- YETI — Pack your cooler like a pro (opens in a new tab) — A 2:1 ratio of ice to chilled contents.
- USGS Water Science School — Water density (opens in a new tab) — Ice is about 90% as dense as liquid water.