16. Should I soften my ice before serving and what is the number of servings per bag of ice?

Ice temperature and blade setting is the main factor in making great shave ice. The more soft the ice is, the better the quality your shave ice will be. HC-8E cube shaver holds about 3lbs of ice in its hopper. The 9 lbs cube ice sold in convenient stores holds around 30-35 pieces. It will make about 22-25 servings of 8oz cup. If you are using a cube bagged ice you can get about 4 to 5 servings of 8 oz. For 4 oz cups it will make around 35-40 servings. The 12oz will make around 17-22 servings. HF-500E Block Ice Shaver holds about 10 to 12 lbs of ice in its ice holder. It will make about 18-23 servings of 8 oz cups. The 4oz will make around 27-33 servings and 12oz cups will make around 11-16 servings.