If you are looking for a reliable ice maker for your boat, camping trip, business, or home, then the IKICH portable ice maker may be the right choice for you.
Note: The top portable ice makers with reviews and a buyers guide.
After hearing a lot about how people just love this unit, I decided to head over to Amazon’s website and purchase it myself. before writing this review, I used the ice maker for about 3 weeks. This isn’t one of those generic reviews that you’ll find all over the internet, this is a review from someone that actually purchased the product and tried it out.
Right away, I noticed a couple of things about this ice maker.
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The Ikich Portable ice maker is a light, compact unit that can be placed almost anywhere in your home. It’s so easy to carry around so you can take it with you on vacation, camping or a friends house (if they are in need of ice).
| Model | CP173A |
| Power Supply | 115V-60Hz 1 Ph |
| Ice Making Current | 1.7A |
| Ice Harvest Current | 2.0A |
| Refrigerant | R 600a 0.74oz/21g |
| Design Pressure (High/Max) | 290 psig |
| Low/Min | 88 psig |
I picked up the ice maker, and noticed right away that this ice maker is built to be moved. This is a great feature, because I have tested ice makers that make it almost impossible to transport (some weighing as much as 45 pounds).
Let’s look more into the features of this ice maker, and see why its a good choice for your home.
IKICH PORTABLE ICE MAKER FEATURES
The IKICH Portable Ice Maker is made simple. It offers a quick ice cycle that will produce nine bullet-shaped ice pieces in about 6 minutes. We put this to the test and found that it actually took about 8 minutes to produce the first batch of ice. You can watch our review video below to get all the details.
The chart below gives you an overall of all the features the Ikich Portable Ice Maker has to offer.
| Type of ice | Bullet-shaped ice |
| Ice Production | 26 lbs of ice every 24 hours |
| Ice Cycle | 6-8 Minutes |
| # of Ice Sizes | 2 |
| Water Reservoir Size | 2.2 litres |
| Camping Compatible | Yes |
| Design Materials | Plastic |
| Value | Good Price |
| Purchase | Amazon.com / Amazon.ca |
This ice maker measures just 8.7 x 12.3 x 12.6 inches which makes it small enough to fit on most countertops, and it runs quietly and efficiently.
You’re going to need around 18.5 inches of room under any cabinet, if that’s where you want to place this Ikich ice maker.
This ice maker is super easy to install. In fact, there isn’t any installation needed. Just add the water into the reservoir, turn on the unit, and you’re ready to begin making ice.
You don’t have to set this unit up by a sink or water source.
The controls on the LED panel are straightforward. You can choose your ice size, large or small, and then begin the ice cycle. That’s all there is to it.
Taking it out of the box, giving it a cleaning for first-time use, and then adding water into the unit, took me about 15 minutes, and we were well on our way to making ice. It’s simple to set-up and easy to use.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS ICE MAKER
I like the large viewing window on the front of the unit which makes it easy to see how much ice is available.
- Affordable
- Compact and Small
- Quiet
- Easy to Operate
- Cheap Materials
I love that this ice maker was easy to clean and easy to operate. Overall, this ice maker is built well. It’s made from pure copper columns and has a high-speed exhaust fan with a large area to circulate the air in the back.
The ice maker is so light, which makes it really easy to move around. It only weighs about 17 pounds, so you can move it around your house as much as you like.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT THE IKICH PORTABLE ICE MAKER
This isn’t a premium ice maker, that’s for sure. The materials are flimsy and cheap. Even the ice basket inside the unit feels extremely cheap, but at the end of the day, you get what you pay for – and this ice maker is a great value.
It’s not going to make a ton of ice – producing only 26 pounds each day. I also found that the ice basket was small, and that I ended up emptying it a lot throughout the day.
I didn’t think it was a brilliant move putting the drain plug under the ice maker. I found that you had to place the entire unit into the sink to let the water drain.
Their website says that this ice maker produces “crewable ice” which isn’t exactly right. Although all ice can be chewable, it’s not REAL chewable ice like nugget or sonic ice.
Below are some examples of REAL nugget ice makers for your home or business.
- The NewAir Portable Ice Maker Produces 40 Pounds of Nugget Ice Each day
- The Opal Nugget Ice Maker is stylish and Produces Great Nugget Ice
- The One and Only Nugget Ice Dispenser for your Home or Business
If you are looking for an ice maker that produces REAL chewable ice in a portable unit, then the Opal Nugget Ice Maker, Newair Nugget Ice Maker or KBgoodice are options for you, but they will cost you a lot more than $150.
Overall, it’s an ice maker that’s going to work well. It’s light, easy to transport and produces 26 pounds of ice each day.
Ice Production Test
I decided to do a test on the ice production of the Ikich portable ice maker, so you can determine if this portable ice maker is right for you.
I tested how long it took to make the first batch of ice, how long it took to make a basket of ice and how much ice a basket produced.
After running the machine for several hours, below are my results.
It took 8 minutes to make the first batch of ice. I also found that the first pieces of bullet-shaped ice, where pretty small. As the unit continued to run and make ice, it improved the quality of the ice greatly.
It also took a shorter period of time to make ice, after the first batch was completed (8 mins), it took about 6mins and 20secs to make each batch of ice.
This means that if you want ice in your glass, and you turn the ice maker on – it’s going to take 8 minutes to give you some small pieces of ice. After the first batch is complete, it will take about 6 mins to give you 8 pieces of bullet-shaped ice.
It took around 50 Minutes to fill the basket full of ice. The amount of ice produced in one basket is shown below.
One basket of ice produces enough ice for five 8oz glasses.
Is this enough ice for you? You have to be the judge. You can always throw the ice into the freezer and store it for later.
GREAT USES FOR THE IKICH PORTABLE ICE MAKER
This ice maker is a pretty simple, compact unit. Its purposes are diverse, but I think it would shine as an ice maker for an RV, camping or a boat.
The reason is the size and weight of the unit.
It only weighs 17 lbs. This is great for carrying it around with you on your RV, cottage, or campground. This ice maker wouldn’t take a lot of power to operate as well, so you could use it on a generator or in any camper.
With that being said, this ice maker still would serve a family that’s looking for cold beverages or a home bar. My only concern would be the small storage bin, which can be combated with putting the ice in bags and throwing them in the freezer. I just want to make sure that there is enough ice to go around, but in day-to-day life, it should work just fine.
For the most part, this ice maker can be used for anything. If you are preparing for a large gathering then you would have to bag and freeze some extra ice, other than that, this ice maker will work well.
I also love (as I mentioned a million times, because it’s a feature that needs to be repeated), how easy it is to lift and move. It means this ice maker is perfect for transporting it outside for pool parties or gatherings.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
The IKICH Portable Ice maker is a great compact unit. It’s built with mostly plastic and feels a little on the cheap side, but it is priced pretty low. I have been using this ice maker for about three weeks, and find that it works well.
One of the reasons most people purchase this ice maker is because of its price point – and rightfully so. It is a great value, especially if it’s your first portable ice maker.
If you have any questions about the IKICH Portable Ice Maker, then please leave them below in the comments section, and we will help you out.
- Affordable
- Compact and Small
- Quiet
- Easy to Operate
- Cheap Materials
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5 Comments
where can i get a new ice bucket for my ikich ice maker?
You would have to purchase another unit. They do not sell ice buckets seperate.
I need a new bucket too
You can’t purchase accessories for these units. They price them cheap enough that you only have to purchase another ice maker.
I have had this unit for over a year and your analysis is spot on! Very informative and I learned for the first time that it actually has a drain plug. Guess I should have read the instruction manual, lol.