If you are on the fence about purchasing a portable ice maker for your office, home bar, or RV, then this is the place for you. I have had a portable ice maker for several years now, and I love using it. I do not just use my portable ice maker in the summertime, I use it all year round – and that’s the truth. For every meal, my whole family will fill up their cups with ice – it’s a tradition in our home, and we enjoy it. This past summer we brought our ice maker camping with us so that we didn’t have to spend a bundle of money on ice bags. In this post, I’m going to give you the TOP 5 reasons why I love my portable ice maker and why you should consider getting one too.
1. PORTABLE ICE MAKERS ARE PORTABLE
Portable or countertop ice makers are made to travel. Most machines are small and compact and are designed to be taken on an RV camper, to a campground or even on location for a birthday party or family gathering.
One reason portable ice makers are so great for traveling is that they are lightweight, with a small compact design. The ice maker that we have at our home is a larger unit (because we wanted the option of having a larger capacity of ice), but most units are smaller and easy to carry. Another reason portable ice makers travel well is that they don’t need to drain. That’s right, no hookups or tubes running from it. You don’t need a life support to keep them running. Countertop ice makers recycle the water, as the ice melts it drips back into the water reservoir so that it can be used to make more ice. With this great design, there is no water wasted, and you can take them almost anywhere.
2. PORTABLE ICE MAKERS ARE CHEAPER
If ice is what you are craving, then don’t break the bank buying a commercial unit or a new fridge with a built-in ice maker. Portable ice makers are cheaper than commercial units or new fridges, and they produce fresh ice.Ice makers build into fridges usually produce ice that smells like the variety of foods in the freezer. Portable ice makers are only designed to make ice, and because it’s a separate unit, it creates fresh ice for you to enjoy.
3. PORTABLE ICE MAKERS WORK FAST
Though it’s true with different models you’ll have a variation of speeds, portable ice makers are generally very fast.
Most ice makers can produce the first batch of ice in less than 10 minutes. The speed of a portable ice maker means you do not have to spend money producing ice you don’t need. When you need a batch of ice (for supper, let’s say), turn on your ice maker 20 mins before, and you’ll be ready to go.
4. PORTABLE ICE MAKERS HAVE A LOT OF VARIETY
Express yourself with a portable ice maker!
Portable ice makers come in different styles, speeds, and sizes. It’s easy to find the model that will meet your need.
You can spend a lot or not so much. You can find a portable ice maker that is red, blue or stainless steel. Again, there are tons of choices.
Ice Maker Model | Time To Produce First Batch of Ice | Amount of Ice Produced in 24 Hours |
---|---|---|
6 Minutes |
26 lbs |
|
6-8 Minutes |
26 lbs |
|
6 Minutes |
26 lbs |
|
6 Minutes |
26 lbs |
|
< 20 Minutes |
24 lbs |
|
8 Minutes |
26 lbs |
|
9-10 Minutes |
27 lbs (Transparent Ice) |
|
10 Minutes |
26 lbs |
There are so many different ice makers that are available on the market today that we thought you’re probably going to need some help. We have taken the top portable ice makers that are available on Amazon and created a comprehensive buyers guide to help you out.
With a wide variety of styles, there is also a large assortment of uses. Portable ice makers are not just for using them during a meal or filling a glass for your favorite drink.
The uses of portable ice makers are many.
- Use it camping
- Bring it with you on your RV
- Use it for a wedding or a special occasion
- Use it to make slushies on a hot summer day by putting it on your deck
- Use it to keep your drinks cold at a social gathering
Portable ice makers can go anywhere there is a power source, and that means the sky is the limit on how you choose to use your machine.
5. PORTABLE ICE MAKERS ARE EASY TO CLEAN
Portable ice makers are simple to clean. You can read about how you can quickly clean your countertop ice maker here.
With just some water, cleaning solution and maybe about 15-20 mins, you can have your ice maker back in business making fantastic ice again.
The other units take hours taking it all apart and making sure everything is clean and working well.
No one wants to spend hours cleaning an ice maker!!!
A portable ice maker is a great choice. Also, you can use it for a ton of other applications.
If you are on the fence and wondering if you should pull that buying trigger and grab a new ice maker – I want to encourage you to check out the one below.
MY TOP PORTABLE ICE MAKER PICK
Frigidaire EFIC103 Countertop Ice Maker is priced right. It has an over-Sized Ice Bucket, makes 26 pounds of ice in 24 hours, has 3 ice sizes and stores 2.2 pounds of ice at one time.
The EFIC103 is our #1 recommendation for a new portable ice maker because of the variety of features that it offers. It’s lightweight and easy to carry and produces a lot of ice each day.
We love our portable ice maker and (I KNOW) you’re going to use it every day. We are discovering new ways each year how we can use our ice maker – and you’re going to as well.
If you have any questions, you can add them in the comments below. You can also add in the comments why you love your ice maker or why you are not sure if a portable ice maker is right for you.