I have this very ice maker. The first batch is always smaller because the water is either room temp or tap cold. As you make ice, and it melts, it chills the water and after awhile, the ice gets much larger because of the chilled water. If you want large ice to start, chill the water first so it's nice and cold to start.
i had one for about 4-5 years. one thing to be aware of is if you have very hard water bottled water is going to be needed, i was fine with that (i just did the huge cheap "drinking water" store brand stuff, but family members kept using tap in it & over time too much scale built up in areas i could not clean & blocked up parts. that's the only downside to it. worked amazingly well though.
They are great! I was skeptical at first but I am sold on these. Some tips: They all use the same internal parts with a different body, so find the lowest priced usually around $79 US. Use the scoop! Avoid using your hands on water or ice internally to prevent bacteria which can buildup. If you have a lot of sunlight where you are locating this device avoid the clear top units as sunlight will override the ice full sensor and cause it to keep making ice. (I cover mine in sunlight) I use one of these all day every day and they do the job. Highly recommend for remote rooms or small kitchens, dorm rooms etc..
The ones that make the bullet shaped ice cubes are all mostly thr same I agree, but once you start looking at the models that make the small sonic ice cubes your spending a substantial amount more.
If you asked me what was the best splurge I ever made it would be this ice maker. It's perfect for scooping out enough for one drink and ready to go again the next refill. I hated filling ice trays so much. This was a life changer! My family loves this so much I have bought multiple as presents!
@@myaccount__7269yes this is true. Many new fridges and old have automatic ice makers Now, I have a newer fridge but my husband never hooked up the ice Maker so we have to do it the crappy way😊
I live alone so I simply have a oven tray I fill with water. Then drop it out when frozen and use hammer to break up. Get about 1 kilo of ice in one go...
@@myaccount__7269 My family's new subzero can't keep up even with normal day-to-day use. I enjoy ice a lot so this is great not only for general use, but now when we host, we can actually have ice. A pound an hour is better than no ice at all Also good luck getting a new fridge if you're renting or simply want only ice, and have a perfectly working fridge otherwise...
Been using that type of ice maker for 5 years now (been through 3 of them) The "size" difference is time, the ice builds up on the posts for X amount of time and it's a bit shorter for small so they are slightly smaller diameter since less is formed in a shorter time. Also the first batch or two seem to take a little longer. What goes bad in these is 2 things, 1 is the infrared detector (tells if the basket is full) and second is the plastic gears that do the harvesting.
3 in five years doesn’t give me the most hope for longevity for these. I got a similar one Oct 2022 and it still works so far. Honestly love it for what it does. Curious to see what breaks first on mine (not that curious though!).
@@triadwarfare possibly. but if there aren't then you can print some parts. gears aren't hard to make. and they may even be a standard that is on mcmaster if so you can download the model from there and print it
I also have this machine. Icemaker in my fridge stopped working, called repairman, who was familiar with my brand and the icemaker woes. He told me $300 to get it going again. Spoke to friends about it, and within days one of them called me from Sam's club. They had this unit on sale, and he offered to get it if I wanted. After setup and first run I fell in love with it! It makes more ice than my fridge did. Best purchase in a long time! I run it for a day, put the ice in the freezer, and it lasts me 3 or 4 days before I need to run it again. The added bonus is how well it chills drinks because liquid surrounds one, AND goes into the center as well. If or when it breaks down I will buy another without hesitation!
We have one of these in our house and it's pretty good! My favorite thing about it is the amount of ice it can produce if you are in need of some for later that day, like family coming by or a gathering. The worst part is that because the ice isn't completely frozen in an air controlled freezer while it's being made, when you do transfer the ice for later use, The ice really gets stuck to itself or even past batches if you keep it in a larger container or bin in the freezer. Sometimes I forget it's on while making the ice, it's so quiet!
@@pixelatedsilva I need the ice for my Coldest Water water bottle it’s one of the 32oz ones I drink a lot of water throughout the day and it HAS to be ice cold. 😉🌈🐈🐈⬛💖
I've had this Frigidaire model for a year with zero issues. Our freezer ice maker broke (Samsung) and the cost of this unit is cheaper than replacing the one in the freezer. Usually run it twice a week all day for a family of 4. I bought on Amazon for $79 and got the 3 year warranty for another $19 since they are known for breaking after a year or so of heavy use.
We have the GE profile opal ice maker. It was quite a bit more expensive but it works very well and is quiet, makes a good amount of ice quickly and the cubes are the smaller nugget ice. The good ice as wifey says. We're happy with it.
Good to know. Our fridge has an ice maker but there's no water where the fridge goes and because we're renters we can't change that. So we thought about getting one of these small makers. The GE Opal one shows up on woot periodically for about the same price as this one.
Great review! I picked up the Frigidaire model at Costco for 79.00 last summer for use in a RV and it has worked perfectly. No more messing around with ice cube trays or having to worry about being out of ice while on the road. Reusable silicone storage bags work great for storing the ice and hold up to being abused when trying to break the frozen together cubes apart. I kept the original packaging for travel and so far the ice maker has withstood bouncing around in the back of the trailer for thousands of miles.
This is about the only reason I could see to own one of these. Most fridges have ice makers nowadays and they keep it cold. And even with trays, you can store in bags and keep making it.
@@todd-makes-videosWe do have a fridge with an ice maker, the problem is that there's no water where the fridge goes and we're renters so we can't change that. After I got tired of being the ice fairy we got in the habit of buying a bag of ice about once a week. We just dump it into the dispenser bin in the freezer so we have the convenience of an ice maker without the actual convenience. At the rate we buy ice one of these countertop makers will pay for itself in a year.
@@todd-makes-videosI bought a fridge without an ice maker because they're too high maintenance. It's the same reason I bought an RV without slides, they're too much trouble. Can't miss something I never had. Love this ice maker.
@@todd-makes-videosour fridge don't have 1 either & I use ALOT of ice so it sucks constantly filling up ice trays. The biggest issue is trying to find room for ice trays with a full freezer...
Got this same ice maker, the biggest issue is cleaning it. It is IMPOSSIBLE to get this darn thing well cleaned. And after you've had it for a few years it gets gross. We don't use it anymore and just went back to ice cube trays.
We had a model similar to this for several years. Worked great for a family of three and the issue of the ice melting isn't a big deal. There was pretty much always ice. The big issue we did run into is that the "ice full" sensor is just a light sensor across the top and if something gets stuck (or you put the basket in crooked) you can trip that sensor even with an empty tray. I did show up tot the machine a few times with an empty tray because of that. As for why we got rid of it (and upgraded to a bigger model) the unit just died. It was after several years of daily use, but it, it just died without warning. No noise, no indication anything was wrong. So be wary of that. All in all, very happy with it.
I have owned three countertop ice makers, and one of them was this very model. I run the ice maker all day long and refill the water when I hear the pump "whine." Descaling it once a month keeps it free of slime and running well. Ice storage: Our fridge can dispense ice through the door, but it can't make it (that part is broken) so I just dump the ice maker's ice in the storage bin and dispense it from the fridge. Nice if you have this feature. One last thing, two years used daily is just about the life of these things. They aren't family heirlooms for sure.
We do have 2 of these, we don't use them all the time but they are awesome to have when needed. Also, if you are someone who likes to eat ice, it makes soft cubes and they are easy to eat. They also melt kind of fast in drinks because they are a soft ice cube. 👋🤠
Use an insulated cup, like one of those Stanley or Yeti types that claim to keep ice for 24hrs or more. I've filled one of these 40oz cups with ice, poured in room-temp soda, and over a day later still have ice floating in it.
When you put a batch in your freezer it turns into a clump because the cubes are wet and they all freeze together. That was my experience with this. Also it uses a lot of power (1800 Watts) on my model.
Exact same experience. The ice maker on my fridge is broken. Thought putting the cubes into the fridge freezer basket/tray would be good. Big No-No!! The ice cubes stuck together and the fridge system couldn't unstick them to drop them out the front of the fridge. For ice for the guests, I ended up having to try to break the ice with a hammer and ice pick. After everyone left, I ended up taking the tray and leaving it in the sink to melt the remaining ice. My only thought is that I should have run the fridge system every 15-30 minutes to dry them and to keep the cubes loose and then put those that poured out back into the fridge freezer basket.
@@Sarafimm2Try storing all your ice cubes in a paper bag. Problem solved. Ice cubes won’t stick together. We did this growing up with ice trays because we are large family. Not sure why this works, magic? Probably because the bag is breathable…
I do not have this issue, but I saw a similar comment for the one I bought on Amazon. Right after it hits the fill line and pauses on making more ice is the perfect time to put them in the freezer. You can also shake any excess water off by shaking the ice bucket before you take the ice out to bag it.
We have this exact model. Got it before the summer. It's been running continuously, and we drink more because of the ice. The good thing about the sensor is that as the ice melts it knows when to make more to replace it, so the lack of refrigeration is moot.
I have a model that looks very much like this one. Mine works the same and yes, the ice does stick together in the plastic bag. A nice little slap on a hard surface will loosen all of the cubes. After use put those cubes back in the freezer and you don't have to do the slap method again. I set mine up on a Sunday morning and it dumps ice every hour. About 3 bags are good for a week. That takes about 4 hours. By noon I'm done. Nice review.
I have exactly the very same model. You can speed up the process by using cold water to fill up the tank, and let the first two batches fall into the tank. It works nicely in warm weather.
I got one very similar (Avera Brand) for my office. It is great to have available ice in a place where you can't have even a mini-fridge, so many of my teammates are very grateful that I got one of those. It makes ice pretty fast, and each batch is more than enough to satisfy a personal glass of (water/ice tea/soda). It is not noisy and the capacity is sufficient to share ice with at least 8 people at the same time. Some tips: It is best to fill the machine with cold water, this helps in making ice quite faster The ice is wet, keep this in mind if you need to use the ice for anything apart from cooling a drink, like putting them in a bag for first aid. When you drain the leftover water, which you should to keep mold from growing, take care to not wet yourself, the water is cold.
I've had three of those. The first two lasted about a year. The current one has been going for over 5 years. I don't know why they say not to use distilled water, i use nothing but distilled water and it works fine. I also use it everyday. Refrigerator ice makers don't last long so now I just use this one. But even though the various models look the same the quality seems to vary from brand to brand..
I do HVAC/R in Vegas and for ice machine the first drop is always off never count the first drop of ice when starting for the first time. I think you should try both out to show what the difference is. Awesome job keep it up.
I have the white one of these, slightly smaller and only one cube size. I always keep a 4-cup Ziploc container in my fridge of filtered water ready to make ice. The colder the water, the better. Since the first couple of runs are smaller, just dump them back in the water to get it colder. I’m in Minnesota and I’ve also found that my cubes are “beefier” in the winter because the house isn’t as warm.
I have an ice maker just like the one shown. When we were a family of 6 we kept running out of ice. This solved that problem. Now that there are only 4 of us, I don't use the ice maker daily. If I know we're having company or going to be needing ice for a trip, picnic, etc. I start making batches of ice and store them in freezer bags to use when we need it. I try to keep a couple of pounds of ice in the freezer for "just in case" and this ice maker works great for that. I know I could use ice trays in my freezer but I don't have room and always end up spilling half the water (LOL). I would recommend this ice maker to anyone.
I own the Frigidaire 40lbs countertop ice maker. It has been fantastic so far. We bought it a little over a year ago. It was our 3rd ice maker. The previous two were off brands on Amazon and both of those failed prematurely. Our Frigidaire shows no sign of slowing down. I did buy it from Walmart with a 3 year extended warranty because of my previous experiences. You definitely get what you pay for with these ice makers. My advice is to buy a reputable brand and make sure you spring for the extended warranty because they can definitely be finicky. So far I have been super pleased with our current machine.
FYI...When it says "basket full" it simply means that the one side of the basket is above the ice full line. If you knock it down & close the lid, the light goes off & it will go back to filling the basket. If you close the lid, the ice stays cold enough to use without completely melting. Even if you pour ice into a bag immediately, it's going to freeze together turning into a lump. The large cubes lasts longer than the small cubes. The difference is in the thickness.
I have one very similar to yours and I use it everyday in the summer. We are in winter right now so I haven't used it at all....They are a softer cube which is great, because I love to eat the ice and I don't have to worry about breaking a tooth.....Best "gadget" I have ever bought!👍👍
I've had this exact same ice maker in black for about 2 years now after the built in ice maker in my freezer broke, and your experience is about the same as mine, you have to remember to keep an eye on it, or the ice does melt. I've also noticed that if I keep it in my ice basket in my freezer to keep an ice pick handy to break it apart as they like to clump together, and they don't seem to last as long as the square cubes that come off in sheets I get from my standing larger under counter ice maker I have at work, but for the cost it works well enough. so 👍
They don't last as long due to the hole in the middle creating more surface area to leech heat from, I have a similar machine and it is nice for parties. I just get a small bag from the store or if I plan ahead make a bag then use the machine to keep making more. To keep the ice cold I drilled a hole in an old ice chest to run the power cord through and put the whole machine inside
I have countertop, ice cube maker. The colder the water is when you put it in the reservoir the larger the first batch of ice cubes is going to be, and they won’t seem to melt as easily as when you use tapwater.
I had one of these used daily for 6 years until it gave up. Loved it. Yes the cubes melt, and yes they clump if you just dump them in the freezer after the basket is full. I just used a metal scoop to break them back into useable pieces. We lived in a rental home for those years and the provided fridge had no ice maker. On slow days we just wouldn’t even empty it, never more than a couple minutes from a new batch
The guts inside this ice maker are used in literally dozens of models. The outside may look different but the mechanism is identical. The first batch is smaller because the refrigerant is butane and not as efficient as old Freon machines. It takes time to reach a point where butane works well. Air conditioners and fridges using butane all take time to get cold. The best way to use these ice makers is let it run, drain the basket of loose water, then empty into a freezer bag. The 2.5 gallon bags are best. Bag and bag and bag ice and keep it all in the freezer. Make it ahead like that and keep a rubber mallet in the freezer to break up the bagged ice. They say don't use distilled water because it tastes bland. Normal water tastes better as ice. Cleaning these machines is essential. Best thing to use is food service sanitizer (Sams sells it) but others can work. Slime and mold grow in these things and bugs love to get in the water. You HAVE to clean and sanitize it at least weekly or you are just taking a risk with your health. Your choice.
I have the exact same ice maker is you do. Well, at least it looks exactly the same but might have a different brand name. Anyway, we love it. It's great when we have a party because we just have to check the water level once and awhile and it just keeps making ice. You can also use it to fill up ice in a cooler or something if you started the day before and put the ice in the freezer right away. Like you noticed, the first batch is always smaller because it has to get warmed up, or maybe cool down, before it reaches Peak efficiency. I also paid right around a hundred bucks at Walmart a year or so ago. When I was researching these, I saw a lot of people say that they love taking them camping. If you get a site and that has an electrical hook-up, you can have unlimited ice for your beverage while sitting around a campfire or use it to replenish your cooler
Thanks for doing this review. I always wondered about these machines because I like ice in my drinks and I don't have an ice maker in my freezer. But I have a small kitchen and do I really want another machine in my kitchen, probably not. What I did not like about this machine is that it is not refrigerated and the cubes because they are hollow would melt really fast in a drink. It was kind of humorous to see the size difference of the small and large cubes (not much). I currently make ice with large sphere molds that I bought at Amazon. There were 6 in the set. I use 2 - 4 of the spheres on any given day. I just fill them up every night before I go to bed and I always have ice. Because they are large, they melt slowly. I put my drinks in an insulated tumbler. Simple and works for me. I know my Dad had an ice maker at his house, but because he lived alone after his wife passed away his ice maker would fill up and jam if he didn't use a lot of ice and he'd have to empty it out frequently and that was a downside. I'll stick with my simple large sphere program. lol! Who knows, maybe I'll order another set. 😃
Got this a couple years ago. We just keep it one, and scoop ice as need be. Summer mornings I fill the cat bowls with ice so as to keep a constant new addition of water. Cons, very soft ice. Easy to chew, but melts in seconds in a room temp drink. If you want your ice to cool your drink down you will have to put it into the freezer. If you are like me and chew ice - this is for you.
I love mine! You can put them in the freezer, but lay them flat at first because they're still a bit wet. It is very quiet. I only know when it's running because I hear the ice crackling into the bin. It's a fun machine. I like it!
Bought this Frigidaire icemaker from Walmart for $88 and also got a plan for three years for another $12 so for 100 bucks this things covered for three years and it makes enough ice and save me three dollars for a 20 pound bag which we were going through every week. Appreciate the video. Keep them coming.
My icemaker in the fridge went kaput, and to replace it would cost over $300.00. Bought this ice maker and like it a lot. What is cool is that it has a cleaning feature not stated in the instruction book. If you hold the on/off button down for about fifteen seconds, it will go into cleaning mode. I use vinegar/water and the machine (without making ice) cycles water into the collection cup where the ice is made, and then just dumps the water out into the water reservoir over and over for about a half hour. Pretty cool.
We've used one just like this for years, mostly in the RV. With intermittent use we've had no problems. We've used it at home when the fridge icemaker was down. Would be interesting to see higher end models tested.
I have this machine and love it. It might not be refrigerated but the ice is cold enough that you really don't loose any ice capacity. I think at most some will melt into half size. It's insulated enough that it always feels cool with a full ice tray.
Tip for ice: Put the cubes in a brown paper bag in the freezer and the cubes won’t stick together! We had one of these in an office I worked in 15-20 years ago, so these have been around for quite some time. Worked great!
I have the same ice maker and i only use filter water in our ice maker. The first 3 months I used tap water and then began to notice a odd smell coming from it. There was green algae/mold growing at the bottom of the water tank. I took the advice of a friend and drained, poured super hot water with two drop of hydrogen peroxide and cleaned it really good. After that I only used filtered water from my Zero water filter reading 000 TDS and after 2 and half year NO MOLD OR ALGEA has come back, I still clean 4-6 month when I change my zero water filter. Also the ice way clear then when using regular tap water which make white cloudy ice cause of the impurity in the water .
I have this same exact ice maker in my camper. I've been using it for over 2 years and still works great. I love ice in my drinks and it hasn't disappointed me yet.
We have a ice maker as well and we love ours. Pretty much the same story here. Wish it had an alarm for a full basket or it had a refrigerated storage area but over all very pleased.
I have this one as well..got it when the built-in ice maker when out in 2020 and I couldn't get parts. I have found cleaning it is a pain in the butt. I also found that if I use water that is filtered it takes it longer to need cleaning. I'm using a Zero filter pitcher, that lives in the frige. I still prefer to make 3 rounds of ice and dump it back into the machine.. that way it is colder and makes the ice a bit thicker.. I put my ice in a zip lock as well before placing in the freezer.. as the ice is wet and will freeze together. normally by the time the basket is full, the ice in the freezer is solid.. so i just take the smooth side of a meat mallet and hit it to break it up.
It might not be refrigerated, but if it's pretty well isolated it doesn't need to be. Ice is pretty great at staying cold with some mass. It might be a bit wasteful, but I could see someone running this constantly with the thermal mass of the ice in there keeping it cold for the most part
We've had one a couple of years & love it. If we are not in the kitchen doing things we set an alarm to go empty the basket. We use filtered water. My only problem is keeping it clean.
I 'inherited' a Vivo brand countertop ice maker that someone in my apartment building didn't want. It ran well 24/7 for about a year before dying. My choice was to try to fix it from TH-cam videos or just replace it; I decided to replace it. I just bought the Fridgidaire one for about $65 on Amazon, and it's working well. From my research, these ice makers last about a year with no special care. It's advisable to periodically clean them, as they develop mold and/or bacterial colonies. Best way to clean is to run half-water/half-bleach through the appliance, drain, then run several changes of water to rinse out the bleach. I plan to start doing this once a month, which is more than I need to but may extend the life of the appliance. This should combat both mold and bacterial content. If you see a pink color on the plastic interior, that's bacteria. My understanding is that it isn't harmful, but who wants bacteria showing up in their ice? If you see grey, that's mold and it can harm you, especially if you are allergic. In either case, toss out the water and run the half-bleach solution I previously mentioned. Before flushing with clean water, wipe down the emptied interior with a lint-free cloth dipped in a very light solution of water and dish detergent. Then flush several times with water. Flushing with water works best if the ice maker has a self-cleaning option. It doesn't actually 'self-clean', it just flushes with water without making ice. These ice makers, regardless of brand, run about $100/ea on average. They seem to be delicate machines, so they appear to break down in one of a number of places about a year into continuous use. To repair them requires a difficult and complicated disassembly. The problem may be structural failure (dust, rust, leaks, clogging of water hose, worn/broken cog, etc) or it can be electrical (blown fuse, broken connector, other parts gone bad). You may need to purchase and replace a part, which could require soldering or specialized tools. It will certainly require great care and attention to the many tiny screws and making certain they are tightened properly. Add to this the necessity of keeping the appliance standing upright, as laying it on its side or top can permanently damage the compressor that causes the ice cubes to form. My personal belief, considering I am adventurous and quite handy with small appliance repair, is that for a delicate, complicated item that only costs about $100 to replace once a year, the hours required to repair a malfunctioning ice maker isn't worth the savings. That's why I elected to buy a new one. My personal belief is that good care of a new appliance will most likely extend its functionality. Well-maintained, I may get more than a year out of this new ice maker. Even if it still quits after a year, at least my drinks will be using clean ice.
I have the same thing: 1) the first 2 passes of ice cubes will be small so I put them back in the water and the next ones will be bigger 2) I always used distilled water, makes the machine last longer (I also use distilled for my cpap machine) 3) when the basket is full, put the ice into a large ziplock bag and keep making more til the bag is full-takes a few hours
I have been interested in this appliance since I became aware of them last Thanksgiving. Thanks for this review...it just may make my shopping list for September!
I also have this Ice maker. Bought it 2 years ago so we could have ice for my wife's knee surgery. And now we use it in our camper and it still works as good as the day we got it.
I have owned several models of this type of ice maker. As the ice melts, it refills the reservoir to make more ice, so that’s not a huge problem. We live in AZ and our kids go through a ton of ice. This ran 24/7 for about one year. All of ours broke down after 1 year, so buy the extended warranty. Don’t have one anymore, but they were great for households with slow refrigerators.
If you are going to store the ice in the freezer put them in a brown paper grocery bag. The paper absorbs the moisture and they ice won't clump up and stick together. Learned that trick many years ago.
While we now have a Whirlpool which replaces a Magic Chef that we used the last several years this type of ice maker is the only type my wife and I have used. The only drawback is when it fills the bin and that one piece of ice that lays in the way til the rest is melted.
This machine is a standard that can have anyone's badge on it. I have two of them. One is in my RV where it stays. The other is 6 years old, performs well. Very happy with them.
One thing that's bad about the ice cubes this makes is they have holes in the middle (or rather a void). That means they'd melt faster than a solid cube without the void in the shape. That could be good or bad depending on what you want from the ice cube (usually melting faster is bad as it dilutes the drink faster).
We have the similar type, and it works fantastically, I always start with ice cold water in the reservoir, then the first batch is fine, been going strong for years now, and we just use it for home, cheers from Melbourne Australia
if you leave them running overnight, the whole chamber gets cold enough to act as an esky and keeps the ice at about 0c, refreezing as you go. if you replace the water, you have to wait for the ice to cool all that water down again. however, if you install a float switch, and a water fountain through the drain to fill it, it only refills small amounts as the ice tray fills, so it just keeps going and going. I really need to make another one, and test the efficiency compared to a fridge. it doesn't have as much insulation, but it's also not as cold, reducing loss.
We paid $80 at a yard sale & we had ours for a year & I used ours once a week to fill up our Ice thingy in the freezer & it takes a half a day to fill the ice thingy & I love our Ice maker
My husband got one from Wayfair at Christmas and it died about two weeks ago. It was a Magic Chef brand and it cost a bit more. It only lasted seven months. I got a cheaper model (Frigidaire) from target a few days ago and I hope this one lasts longer. It’s amazing how much $$ these things can save one from having to pickup bags of ice from the supermarket that won’t take up too much space in the freezer. Fingers crossed on this one lasting at least a year. Great video as usual! Keep up the great work!😊
Thanks for reviewing a countertop ice maker. I have a Crownful ice maker and I love ❤️ it. Mine doesn’t usually melt down, unless the power goes out and being in Florida, there are power outages due to storms. Not too bad though. I never have to put them in the freezer, as it goes right into my Yeti type cup and it lasts me all day. I love the size, too… as I often suck on the ice. Large ice cubes in trays don’t work well for me and there’s little room in my freezer to make ice.
Thanks for posting this review. I have had a similar model for nearly 2 years & it has been in constant use since I got it. I drink a lot from insulated cups/jugs (currenttly using a 320z COLDEST Water Bottle) and a basket of ice fills that once. I have had ZERO Issues with it. Although if I ever replace it, it will be a BIGGER model that allows a 5 gallon water bottle to fill the reservoir.
I got an ice maker off of Amazon for a deal of $89. It makes enough of ice that I am happy with. If you know you are going to have a party, just plan ahead and freeze them. If they stick together you can always break them apart with a small mallet.
I’ve wanted one for a long time. I like using my freezer space for everything other than ice cubes/trays. Unfortunately, I don’t have extra counter space either. Lol
I have a similar model I bought years ago. You will get better results by using cold water. I let the first batch fall right back into the water and then every two or three batches pull the basket and dump them into a ziplock bag and freeze.
We have one of these at work and I agree with the wet ice sticking together if you freeze it. I stopped using it because the ice melted too fast and it was awful to clean properly. My husband works on industrial ice makers and he was able to get me some cleaner that got the water scum out but I realized that it was just easier to use the ice maker in my freezor from home because the ice lasts all day.
These work. You must change the water out each day and drain it when not in use or it will get grimey. If you are going to use it a lot, you want it near a sink. The flaws I see in these are tops that are not openable or easy to open with even a screwdriver. Cleaning would be way easier if you could take the whole top off to access where the ice is made. The drain hole is tiny for no reason. The bottom of the water basin is not angled, so water won't fully drain out. The lack of an angled bottom forces you to wipe the last bit dry or let it sit longer to evaporate. When I used mine every day, it sat partially hanging over a sink so I could pull the drain plug in the morning, rinse it all, and refill right where it sat. You want a sink with a hand sprayer to rinse out the ice area because the top of the machine doesn't fully come off so you have to spray into it sideways. If mine breaks, the biggest feature I would try to look for in a new one is an angled bottom in the water basin so water fully drains out when the drain is opened. The flat bottom lets some water sit on the bottom and not drain. This is a problem when you want to rinse and fully replace the water to avoid the water turning grimey, a 10 second rinse and drain becomes a few minutes as you either rinse multiple times to get that last bit of water out or wipe it down.
I have one… the wife wanted one so I got it for Xmas. I will tell you, this same machine has ran, nonstop since Xmas of 2021!!🤯🤯 I would of never guessed it would last that long.
I love portable ice makers. Mine makes ice a lot faster than that but the mechanism is the same. Yes they can be a bit noisy so you do have to keep that in mind. I keep one in my office on top of my small refrigerator. It’s perfect for a small office.
If you use chilled water the cubes are bigger. I usually dump the first 2 cycles of ice I to the reservoir. Also my basket seemed to hold water in the corners, so I drilled extra drainage holes in it.
I got one of these (a different brand) for my dad for Father's day this year and he loves it! My parents don't have a ice maker in their fridge and used to have to use ice trays. They use it everyday and even take it camping with them.
I run mine during the day when the solar panels are making free power and so I get free ice! these are good little units, just don't forget to clean them properly and don't leave water in them for more than a day and risk mould.
I loved mine, don’t remember the brand. I’d just leave it run and add water when needed, otherwise the ice would melt back into the reservoir and recycle. Only thing is, after exactly 2 years, it just stopped making ice. Didn’t know what was wrong, but for $100, I wasn’t about to spend a fortune to try to fix it.
I have this model ice maker. It's not too much of a pain to check on it once in a while for me. If you keep checking it, emptying it, and refilling it, you can make a lot of ice. I just use it mainly for myself, so it makes enough. If you want one for parties, probably just spend more and get a bigger one.
I have one of these and it is used every few days. I've had it a few years and the fan is starting to get noisy as it's just a 12v computer case fan. Sometimes it runs when the unit is pushing the ice out into the bin. The ice goes into a large plastic bag in the freezer. I wish that this thing kept the ice cold until you empty it. Also an alarm or even a flashing light would have been nice.
Put your first batch back in the reservoir which cools the water greatly so your next batches are cooler and faster. We have this same thing and it works for getting ready for parties or whatever. But we always dump our first batch back into the water. Highly recommend some sort of cooler/vessel for holding the ice if for a party. We have what looks like a pot with a lid but it's insulated. The ice will stay frozen for most of the day without needing fresh ice with that.
The overall design and components haven’t changed in years and I can easily point out that the most common failure will be a small ac motor that is located near the water dispenser will rust and become frozen and will need replacing eventually. If the shaft of these cheap motors were made of stainless steel it could potentially last decades without service
Here's what I'd like: A tiny top opening chest freezer for the countertop. I would use it as an odor-free compost bin! As it is now, I use a stainless steel container in my fridge. This wastes a lot of power, letting cold air out of my fridge.
I have the same model and I’m very happy. I make one batch of ice and that can last me up to week and a half, unless I have a party (for that I make 2 to 3 batches ahead of time).
I have one but it cost less than half of the price of this model. I learned it works best if you fill with refrigerated water. Some kind of soft mallet is good to have to break apart the cubes that freeze together between batches. I spent an average of 3 1/2 hours producing enough ice to fill a gallon freezer bag. It takes some time commitment.
I had one of these a couple years ago,the problem with the ice that it produced was that it didn't as last long in a drink as a regular ice cube,when it broke,I replaced it with the slightly more expensive version that made actual cubed ice and haven't regretted it
If you have an elderly person at home who has a daily limit on the quantity of water consumed and likes to suckle ice cubes to refresh themselves, or if you find that the cubes have a chlorine after-taste (because, in the summertime, municipalities often put in extra chlorine to keep the water safe) use filtered water. The cubes will taste much better and will take less time to make!
I have this very ice maker. The first batch is always smaller because the water is either room temp or tap cold. As you make ice, and it melts, it chills the water and after awhile, the ice gets much larger because of the chilled water. If you want large ice to start, chill the water first so it's nice and cold to start.
You beat me to it! I keep a 1qt. screw top Ziploc full of water in my small fridge so when we need to make ice, I always have chilled water ready.
Great Job
Great idea! I have one Similiar , makes small ice cause I love small ice. I empty it halfway so ice isn't melting
i had one for about 4-5 years. one thing to be aware of is if you have very hard water bottled water is going to be needed, i was fine with that (i just did the huge cheap "drinking water" store brand stuff, but family members kept using tap in it & over time too much scale built up in areas i could not clean & blocked up parts. that's the only downside to it. worked amazingly well though.
Same. I have the same one. It works great if you sacrifice the first batch to cool the interior, THEN, it makes ice faster.
They are great! I was skeptical at first but I am sold on these. Some tips: They all use the same internal parts with a different body, so find the lowest priced usually around $79 US. Use the scoop! Avoid using your hands on water or ice internally to prevent bacteria which can buildup. If you have a lot of sunlight where you are locating this device avoid the clear top units as sunlight will override the ice full sensor and cause it to keep making ice. (I cover mine in sunlight) I use one of these all day every day and they do the job. Highly recommend for remote rooms or small kitchens, dorm rooms etc..
The ones that make the bullet shaped ice cubes are all mostly thr same I agree, but once you start looking at the models that make the small sonic ice cubes your spending a substantial amount more.
If you asked me what was the best splurge I ever made it would be this ice maker. It's perfect for scooping out enough for one drink and ready to go again the next refill. I hated filling ice trays so much. This was a life changer! My family loves this so much I have bought multiple as presents!
Get a fridge that makes it for this case to be honest
@@myaccount__7269yes this is true. Many new fridges and old have automatic ice makers Now, I have a newer fridge but my husband never hooked up the ice Maker so we have to do it the crappy way😊
@@bumblebee0369 get a new husband that will hook it up...jk lol
I live alone so I simply have a oven tray I fill with water. Then drop it out when frozen and use hammer to break up. Get about 1 kilo of ice in one go...
@@myaccount__7269 My family's new subzero can't keep up even with normal day-to-day use. I enjoy ice a lot so this is great not only for general use, but now when we host, we can actually have ice. A pound an hour is better than no ice at all
Also good luck getting a new fridge if you're renting or simply want only ice, and have a perfectly working fridge otherwise...
Been using that type of ice maker for 5 years now (been through 3 of them) The "size" difference is time, the ice builds up on the posts for X amount of time and it's a bit shorter for small so they are slightly smaller diameter since less is formed in a shorter time. Also the first batch or two seem to take a little longer. What goes bad in these is 2 things, 1 is the infrared detector (tells if the basket is full) and second is the plastic gears that do the harvesting.
fantastic insights on their longevity! Thanks for informing us!
oh so if you have a 3d printer you can repair it by reprinting the gears
3 in five years doesn’t give me the most hope for longevity for these. I got a similar one Oct 2022 and it still works so far. Honestly love it for what it does. Curious to see what breaks first on mine (not that curious though!).
@@markburton5292i do hope there's some spare part someone's selling somewhere
@@triadwarfare possibly. but if there aren't then you can print some parts. gears aren't hard to make. and they may even be a standard that is on mcmaster if so you can download the model from there and print it
I also have this machine. Icemaker in my fridge stopped working, called repairman, who was familiar with my brand and the icemaker woes. He told me $300 to get it going again. Spoke to friends about it, and within days one of them called me from Sam's club. They had this unit on sale, and he offered to get it if I wanted. After setup and first run I fell in love with it! It makes more ice than my fridge did. Best purchase in a long time! I run it for a day, put the ice in the freezer, and it lasts me 3 or 4 days before I need to run it again. The added bonus is how well it chills drinks because liquid surrounds one, AND goes into the center as well. If or when it breaks down I will buy another without hesitation!
We have one of these in our house and it's pretty good!
My favorite thing about it is the amount of ice it can produce if you are in need of some for later that day, like family coming by or a gathering. The worst part is that because the ice isn't completely frozen in an air controlled freezer while it's being made, when you do transfer the ice for later use, The ice really gets stuck to itself or even past batches if you keep it in a larger container or bin in the freezer.
Sometimes I forget it's on while making the ice, it's so quiet!
you mean cool?
I often forget mine too and yes it clumps but I just take a hammer and tap them apart. 🙂🌈🐈🐈⬛💖
@@KatyWatson173 We have a water bottle that I left in the freezer one day and that does the trick for us.
Freeze them in a ziplock and when they are solid, drop the bag five or six feet to the floor.
@@pixelatedsilva I need the ice for my Coldest Water water bottle it’s one of the 32oz ones I drink a lot of water throughout the day and it HAS to be ice cold. 😉🌈🐈🐈⬛💖
I've had this Frigidaire model for a year with zero issues. Our freezer ice maker broke (Samsung) and the cost of this unit is cheaper than replacing the one in the freezer. Usually run it twice a week all day for a family of 4. I bought on Amazon for $79 and got the 3 year warranty for another $19 since they are known for breaking after a year or so of heavy use.
We have the GE profile opal ice maker. It was quite a bit more expensive but it works very well and is quiet, makes a good amount of ice quickly and the cubes are the smaller nugget ice. The good ice as wifey says. We're happy with it.
Yeah, that machine is great.
Wifey is right, that IS "the good ice!"
Good to know. Our fridge has an ice maker but there's no water where the fridge goes and because we're renters we can't change that. So we thought about getting one of these small makers. The GE Opal one shows up on woot periodically for about the same price as this one.
Great review! I picked up the Frigidaire model at Costco for 79.00 last summer for use in a RV and it has worked perfectly. No more messing around with ice cube trays or having to worry about being out of ice while on the road. Reusable silicone storage bags work great for storing the ice and hold up to being abused when trying to break the frozen together cubes apart. I kept the original packaging for travel and so far the ice maker has withstood bouncing around in the back of the trailer for thousands of miles.
This is about the only reason I could see to own one of these. Most fridges have ice makers nowadays and they keep it cold. And even with trays, you can store in bags and keep making it.
@@todd-makes-videosWe do have a fridge with an ice maker, the problem is that there's no water where the fridge goes and we're renters so we can't change that. After I got tired of being the ice fairy we got in the habit of buying a bag of ice about once a week. We just dump it into the dispenser bin in the freezer so we have the convenience of an ice maker without the actual convenience. At the rate we buy ice one of these countertop makers will pay for itself in a year.
@@todd-makes-videosI bought a fridge without an ice maker because they're too high maintenance. It's the same reason I bought an RV without slides, they're too much trouble. Can't miss something I never had. Love this ice maker.
@@todd-makes-videosour fridge don't have 1 either & I use ALOT of ice so it sucks constantly filling up ice trays. The biggest issue is trying to find room for ice trays with a full freezer...
Got this same ice maker, the biggest issue is cleaning it. It is IMPOSSIBLE to get this darn thing well cleaned. And after you've had it for a few years it gets gross. We don't use it anymore and just went back to ice cube trays.
We had a model similar to this for several years. Worked great for a family of three and the issue of the ice melting isn't a big deal. There was pretty much always ice. The big issue we did run into is that the "ice full" sensor is just a light sensor across the top and if something gets stuck (or you put the basket in crooked) you can trip that sensor even with an empty tray. I did show up tot the machine a few times with an empty tray because of that.
As for why we got rid of it (and upgraded to a bigger model) the unit just died. It was after several years of daily use, but it, it just died without warning. No noise, no indication anything was wrong. So be wary of that. All in all, very happy with it.
I have owned three countertop ice makers, and one of them was this very model. I run the ice maker all day long and refill the water when I hear the pump "whine." Descaling it once a month keeps it free of slime and running well. Ice storage: Our fridge can dispense ice through the door, but it can't make it (that part is broken) so I just dump the ice maker's ice in the storage bin and dispense it from the fridge. Nice if you have this feature. One last thing, two years used daily is just about the life of these things. They aren't family heirlooms for sure.
I do the same 😂
We do have 2 of these, we don't use them all the time but they are awesome to have when needed. Also, if you are someone who likes to eat ice, it makes soft cubes and they are easy to eat. They also melt kind of fast in drinks because they are a soft ice cube. 👋🤠
Use an insulated cup, like one of those Stanley or Yeti types that claim to keep ice for 24hrs or more. I've filled one of these 40oz cups with ice, poured in room-temp soda, and over a day later still have ice floating in it.
When you put a batch in your freezer it turns into a clump because the cubes are wet and they all freeze together. That was my experience with this. Also it uses a lot of power (1800 Watts) on my model.
Exact same experience. The ice maker on my fridge is broken. Thought putting the cubes into the fridge freezer basket/tray would be good. Big No-No!! The ice cubes stuck together and the fridge system couldn't unstick them to drop them out the front of the fridge. For ice for the guests, I ended up having to try to break the ice with a hammer and ice pick. After everyone left, I ended up taking the tray and leaving it in the sink to melt the remaining ice. My only thought is that I should have run the fridge system every 15-30 minutes to dry them and to keep the cubes loose and then put those that poured out back into the fridge freezer basket.
I always mix up the new ice with ice already in the freezer, that fixes the clumping together problem.
@@Sarafimm2Try storing all your ice cubes in a paper bag. Problem solved. Ice cubes won’t stick together. We did this growing up with ice trays because we are large family. Not sure why this works, magic? Probably because the bag is breathable…
About this item: Rated power : 105W
I do not have this issue, but I saw a similar comment for the one I bought on Amazon. Right after it hits the fill line and pauses on making more ice is the perfect time to put them in the freezer. You can also shake any excess water off by shaking the ice bucket before you take the ice out to bag it.
We have this exact model. Got it before the summer. It's been running continuously, and we drink more because of the ice. The good thing about the sensor is that as the ice melts it knows when to make more to replace it, so the lack of refrigeration is moot.
I have a model that looks very much like this one. Mine works the same and yes, the ice does stick together in the plastic bag. A nice little slap on a hard surface will loosen all of the cubes. After use put those cubes back in the freezer and you don't have to do the slap method again. I set mine up on a Sunday morning and it dumps ice every hour. About 3 bags are good for a week. That takes about 4 hours. By noon I'm done. Nice review.
I have exactly the very same model. You can speed up the process by using cold water to fill up the tank, and let the first two batches fall into the tank. It works nicely in warm weather.
I got one very similar (Avera Brand) for my office.
It is great to have available ice in a place where you can't have even a mini-fridge, so many of my teammates are very grateful that I got one of those.
It makes ice pretty fast, and each batch is more than enough to satisfy a personal glass of (water/ice tea/soda).
It is not noisy and the capacity is sufficient to share ice with at least 8 people at the same time.
Some tips:
It is best to fill the machine with cold water, this helps in making ice quite faster
The ice is wet, keep this in mind if you need to use the ice for anything apart from cooling a drink, like putting them in a bag for first aid.
When you drain the leftover water, which you should to keep mold from growing, take care to not wet yourself, the water is cold.
I've had three of those. The first two lasted about a year. The current one has been going for over 5 years. I don't know why they say not to use distilled water, i use nothing but distilled water and it works fine. I also use it everyday. Refrigerator ice makers don't last long so now I just use this one. But even though the various models look the same the quality seems to vary from brand to brand..
I had the same issues. What model/brand do you have now? Sounds like a good one.
Yeah what model do you have now?
I do HVAC/R in Vegas and for ice machine the first drop is always off never count the first drop of ice when starting for the first time. I think you should try both out to show what the difference is. Awesome job keep it up.
I have the white one of these, slightly smaller and only one cube size. I always keep a 4-cup Ziploc container in my fridge of filtered water ready to make ice. The colder the water, the better. Since the first couple of runs are smaller, just dump them back in the water to get it colder. I’m in Minnesota and I’ve also found that my cubes are “beefier” in the winter because the house isn’t as warm.
I have an ice maker just like the one shown. When we were a family of 6 we kept running out of ice. This solved that problem. Now that there are only 4 of us, I don't use the ice maker daily. If I know we're having company or going to be needing ice for a trip, picnic, etc. I start making batches of ice and store them in freezer bags to use when we need it. I try to keep a couple of pounds of ice in the freezer for "just in case" and this ice maker works great for that. I know I could use ice trays in my freezer but I don't have room and always end up spilling half the water (LOL). I would recommend this ice maker to anyone.
I own the Frigidaire 40lbs countertop ice maker. It has been fantastic so far. We bought it a little over a year ago. It was our 3rd ice maker. The previous two were off brands on Amazon and both of those failed prematurely. Our Frigidaire shows no sign of slowing down. I did buy it from Walmart with a 3 year extended warranty because of my previous experiences. You definitely get what you pay for with these ice makers. My advice is to buy a reputable brand and make sure you spring for the extended warranty because they can definitely be finicky. So far I have been super pleased with our current machine.
FYI...When it says "basket full" it simply means that the one side of the basket is above the ice full line. If you knock it down & close the lid, the light goes off & it will go back to filling the basket. If you close the lid, the ice stays cold enough to use without completely melting. Even if you pour ice into a bag immediately, it's going to freeze together turning into a lump. The large cubes lasts longer than the small cubes. The difference is in the thickness.
I bought one from Aldi, for under 100 bucks. Four years later, best investment I made. Mine comes with a cleaning cycle too.
I have one very similar to yours and I use it everyday in the summer. We are in winter right now so I haven't used it at all....They are a softer cube which is great, because I love to eat the ice and I don't have to worry about breaking a tooth.....Best "gadget" I have ever bought!👍👍
I've had this exact same ice maker in black for about 2 years now after the built in ice maker in my freezer broke, and your experience is about the same as mine, you have to remember to keep an eye on it, or the ice does melt. I've also noticed that if I keep it in my ice basket in my freezer to keep an ice pick handy to break it apart as they like to clump together, and they don't seem to last as long as the square cubes that come off in sheets I get from my standing larger under counter ice maker I have at work, but for the cost it works well enough. so 👍
They don't last as long due to the hole in the middle creating more surface area to leech heat from, I have a similar machine and it is nice for parties. I just get a small bag from the store or if I plan ahead make a bag then use the machine to keep making more.
To keep the ice cold I drilled a hole in an old ice chest to run the power cord through and put the whole machine inside
No need to use an ice pick, with the ice in a clump in a bag, drop it on a hard surface, I use a cinder block at my RV, to break up the ice.
@@emanresu8968how does putting it in an ice chest going to do anything? You're blocking the fan on the back and side. SMH
I have countertop, ice cube maker.
The colder the water is when you put it in the reservoir the larger the first batch of ice cubes is going to be, and they won’t seem to melt as easily as when you use tapwater.
I had one of these used daily for 6 years until it gave up. Loved it. Yes the cubes melt, and yes they clump if you just dump them in the freezer after the basket is full. I just used a metal scoop to break them back into useable pieces. We lived in a rental home for those years and the provided fridge had no ice maker. On slow days we just wouldn’t even empty it, never more than a couple minutes from a new batch
The guts inside this ice maker are used in literally dozens of models. The outside may look different but the mechanism is identical. The first batch is smaller because the refrigerant is butane and not as efficient as old Freon machines. It takes time to reach a point where butane works well. Air conditioners and fridges using butane all take time to get cold. The best way to use these ice makers is let it run, drain the basket of loose water, then empty into a freezer bag. The 2.5 gallon bags are best. Bag and bag and bag ice and keep it all in the freezer. Make it ahead like that and keep a rubber mallet in the freezer to break up the bagged ice. They say don't use distilled water because it tastes bland. Normal water tastes better as ice. Cleaning these machines is essential. Best thing to use is food service sanitizer (Sams sells it) but others can work. Slime and mold grow in these things and bugs love to get in the water. You HAVE to clean and sanitize it at least weekly or you are just taking a risk with your health. Your choice.
I have the exact same ice maker is you do. Well, at least it looks exactly the same but might have a different brand name. Anyway, we love it. It's great when we have a party because we just have to check the water level once and awhile and it just keeps making ice. You can also use it to fill up ice in a cooler or something if you started the day before and put the ice in the freezer right away. Like you noticed, the first batch is always smaller because it has to get warmed up, or maybe cool down, before it reaches Peak efficiency. I also paid right around a hundred bucks at Walmart a year or so ago.
When I was researching these, I saw a lot of people say that they love taking them camping. If you get a site and that has an electrical hook-up, you can have unlimited ice for your beverage while sitting around a campfire or use it to replenish your cooler
Thanks for doing this review. I always wondered about these machines because I like ice in my drinks and I don't have an ice maker in my freezer. But I have a small kitchen and do I really want another machine in my kitchen, probably not. What I did not like about this machine is that it is not refrigerated and the cubes because they are hollow would melt really fast in a drink. It was kind of humorous to see the size difference of the small and large cubes (not much). I currently make ice with large sphere molds that I bought at Amazon. There were 6 in the set. I use 2 - 4 of the spheres on any given day. I just fill them up every night before I go to bed and I always have ice. Because they are large, they melt slowly. I put my drinks in an insulated tumbler. Simple and works for me. I know my Dad had an ice maker at his house, but because he lived alone after his wife passed away his ice maker would fill up and jam if he didn't use a lot of ice and he'd have to empty it out frequently and that was a downside. I'll stick with my simple large sphere program. lol! Who knows, maybe I'll order another set. 😃
Got this a couple years ago. We just keep it one, and scoop ice as need be. Summer mornings I fill the cat bowls with ice so as to keep a constant new addition of water. Cons, very soft ice. Easy to chew, but melts in seconds in a room temp drink. If you want your ice to cool your drink down you will have to put it into the freezer. If you are like me and chew ice - this is for you.
I love mine! You can put them in the freezer, but lay them flat at first because they're still a bit wet. It is very quiet. I only know when it's running because I hear the ice crackling into the bin.
It's a fun machine. I like it!
Bought this Frigidaire icemaker from Walmart for $88 and also got a plan for three years for another $12 so for 100 bucks this things covered for three years and it makes enough ice and save me three dollars for a 20 pound bag which we were going through every week. Appreciate the video. Keep them coming.
My icemaker in the fridge went kaput, and to replace it would cost over $300.00. Bought this ice maker and like it a lot. What is cool is that it has a cleaning feature not stated in the instruction book. If you hold the on/off button down for about fifteen seconds, it will go into cleaning mode. I use vinegar/water and the machine (without making ice) cycles water into the collection cup where the ice is made, and then just dumps the water out into the water reservoir over and over for about a half hour. Pretty cool.
We've used one just like this for years, mostly in the RV. With intermittent use we've had no problems. We've used it at home when the fridge icemaker was down. Would be interesting to see higher end models tested.
I have this machine and love it. It might not be refrigerated but the ice is cold enough that you really don't loose any ice capacity. I think at most some will melt into half size. It's insulated enough that it always feels cool with a full ice tray.
Tip for ice: Put the cubes in a brown paper bag in the freezer and the cubes won’t stick together!
We had one of these in an office I worked in 15-20 years ago, so these have been around for quite some time. Worked great!
I have the same ice maker and i only use filter water in our ice maker. The first 3 months I used tap water and then began to notice a odd smell coming from it. There was green algae/mold growing at the bottom of the water tank. I took the advice of a friend and drained, poured super hot water with two drop of hydrogen peroxide and cleaned it really good. After that I only used filtered water from my Zero water filter reading 000 TDS and after 2 and half year NO MOLD OR ALGEA has come back, I still clean 4-6 month when I change my zero water filter. Also the ice way clear then when using regular tap water which make white cloudy ice cause of the impurity in the water .
I have the Magic Chef version that looks very similar, works great and fills the basket in under an hour.
I have this same exact ice maker in my camper. I've been using it for over 2 years and still works great. I love ice in my drinks and it hasn't disappointed me yet.
We have a ice maker as well and we love ours. Pretty much the same story here. Wish it had an alarm for a full basket or it had a refrigerated storage area but over all very pleased.
Couldn't live without this exact ice maker. Best purchase. Don't regret it.
I have this one as well..got it when the built-in ice maker when out in 2020 and
I couldn't get parts. I have found cleaning it is a pain in the butt.
I also found that if I use water that is filtered it takes it longer to need cleaning. I'm using a Zero filter pitcher, that lives in the frige.
I still prefer to make 3 rounds of ice and dump it back into the machine.. that way it is colder and makes the ice a bit thicker..
I put my ice in a zip lock as well before placing in the freezer.. as the ice is wet and will freeze together. normally by the time the basket is full, the ice in the freezer is solid.. so i just take the smooth side of a meat mallet and hit it to break it up.
It might not be refrigerated, but if it's pretty well isolated it doesn't need to be. Ice is pretty great at staying cold with some mass. It might be a bit wasteful, but I could see someone running this constantly with the thermal mass of the ice in there keeping it cold for the most part
I would imagine they would balance out since the water gets reused and the electricity to refrigerate it would get used to refreeze the ice.
We've had one a couple of years & love it. If we are not in the kitchen doing things we set an alarm to go empty the basket. We use filtered water.
My only problem is keeping it clean.
I 'inherited' a Vivo brand countertop ice maker that someone in my apartment building didn't want. It ran well 24/7 for about a year before dying.
My choice was to try to fix it from TH-cam videos or just replace it; I decided to replace it.
I just bought the Fridgidaire one for about $65 on Amazon, and it's working well.
From my research, these ice makers last about a year with no special care. It's advisable to periodically clean them, as they develop mold and/or bacterial colonies. Best way to clean is to run half-water/half-bleach through the appliance, drain, then run several changes of water to rinse out the bleach. I plan to start doing this once a month, which is more than I need to but may extend the life of the appliance. This should combat both mold and bacterial content.
If you see a pink color on the plastic interior, that's bacteria. My understanding is that it isn't harmful, but who wants bacteria showing up in their ice? If you see grey, that's mold and it can harm you, especially if you are allergic. In either case, toss out the water and run the half-bleach solution I previously mentioned. Before flushing with clean water, wipe down the emptied interior with a lint-free cloth dipped in a very light solution of water and dish detergent. Then flush several times with water. Flushing with water works best if the ice maker has a self-cleaning option. It doesn't actually 'self-clean', it just flushes with water without making ice.
These ice makers, regardless of brand, run about $100/ea on average. They seem to be delicate machines, so they appear to break down in one of a number of places about a year into continuous use. To repair them requires a difficult and complicated disassembly. The problem may be structural failure (dust, rust, leaks, clogging of water hose, worn/broken cog, etc) or it can be electrical (blown fuse, broken connector, other parts gone bad). You may need to purchase and replace a part, which could require soldering or specialized tools. It will certainly require great care and attention to the many tiny screws and making certain they are tightened properly. Add to this the necessity of keeping the appliance standing upright, as laying it on its side or top can permanently damage the compressor that causes the ice cubes to form.
My personal belief, considering I am adventurous and quite handy with small appliance repair, is that for a delicate, complicated item that only costs about $100 to replace once a year, the hours required to repair a malfunctioning ice maker isn't worth the savings. That's why I elected to buy a new one.
My personal belief is that good care of a new appliance will most likely extend its functionality. Well-maintained, I may get more than a year out of this new ice maker. Even if it still quits after a year, at least my drinks will be using clean ice.
I have the same thing: 1) the first 2 passes of ice cubes will be small so I put them back in the water and the next ones will be bigger 2) I always used distilled water, makes the machine last longer (I also use distilled for my cpap machine) 3) when the basket is full, put the ice into a large ziplock bag and keep making more til the bag is full-takes a few hours
I have this ice maker for 4 years now, it's used every single day!
I have been interested in this appliance since I became aware of them last Thanksgiving. Thanks for this review...it just may make my shopping list for September!
My Mom has an Igloo brand one of these. Looks almost identical to the one in the vid. She's used it weekly for several years with no complaints.
I see freakin reviews, I click immediately. I appreciate your content.
I also have this Ice maker. Bought it 2 years ago so we could have ice for my wife's knee surgery. And now we use it in our camper and it still works as good as the day we got it.
I have had mine 3 years now and I love it. Cleaning it’s a pain in the arse though
I have owned several models of this type of ice maker. As the ice melts, it refills the reservoir to make more ice, so that’s not a huge problem. We live in AZ and our kids go through a ton of ice. This ran 24/7 for about one year. All of ours broke down after 1 year, so buy the extended warranty. Don’t have one anymore, but they were great for households with slow refrigerators.
If you are going to store the ice in the freezer put them in a brown paper grocery bag. The paper absorbs the moisture and they ice won't clump up and stick together. Learned that trick many years ago.
I have this same model. It's been used used every single day since I got it a year ago. Love it.
While we now have a Whirlpool which replaces a Magic Chef that we used the last several years this type of ice maker is the only type my wife and I have used. The only drawback is when it fills the bin and that one piece of ice that lays in the way til the rest is melted.
This machine is a standard that can have anyone's badge on it. I have two of them. One is in my RV where it stays. The other is 6 years old, performs well. Very happy with them.
One thing that's bad about the ice cubes this makes is they have holes in the middle (or rather a void). That means they'd melt faster than a solid cube without the void in the shape. That could be good or bad depending on what you want from the ice cube (usually melting faster is bad as it dilutes the drink faster).
We have the similar type, and it works fantastically, I always start with ice cold water in the reservoir, then the first batch is fine, been going strong for years now, and we just use it for home, cheers from Melbourne Australia
I have the same one in stainless steel finish. It's a fingerprint magnet. Wish I would have picked another color. But the unit works great.
I have this same machine. Got it for 59 bucks on Amazon in 2020. Use it weekly. Love it!
if you leave them running overnight, the whole chamber gets cold enough to act as an esky and keeps the ice at about 0c, refreezing as you go. if you replace the water, you have to wait for the ice to cool all that water down again.
however, if you install a float switch, and a water fountain through the drain to fill it, it only refills small amounts as the ice tray fills, so it just keeps going and going. I really need to make another one, and test the efficiency compared to a fridge. it doesn't have as much insulation, but it's also not as cold, reducing loss.
I caught that. "Welcome back Everytoday." Lol. My ears didn't lie.😅
We paid $80 at a yard sale & we had ours for a year & I used ours once a week to fill up our Ice thingy in the freezer & it takes a half a day to fill the ice thingy & I love our Ice maker
My husband got one from Wayfair at Christmas and it died about two weeks ago. It was a Magic Chef brand and it cost a bit more. It only lasted seven months. I got a cheaper model (Frigidaire) from target a few days ago and I hope this one lasts longer. It’s amazing how much $$ these things can save one from having to pickup bags of ice from the supermarket that won’t take up too much space in the freezer. Fingers crossed on this one lasting at least a year. Great video as usual! Keep up the great work!😊
Thanks for reviewing a countertop ice maker. I have a Crownful ice maker and I love ❤️ it. Mine doesn’t usually melt down, unless the power goes out and being in Florida, there are power outages due to storms. Not too bad though. I never have to put them in the freezer, as it goes right into my Yeti type cup and it lasts me all day. I love the size, too… as I often suck on the ice. Large ice cubes in trays don’t work well for me and there’s little room in my freezer to make ice.
Thanks for posting this review. I have had a similar model for nearly 2 years & it has been in constant use since I got it. I drink a lot from insulated cups/jugs (currenttly using a 320z COLDEST Water Bottle) and a basket of ice fills that once. I have had ZERO Issues with it. Although if I ever replace it, it will be a BIGGER model that allows a 5 gallon water bottle to fill the reservoir.
Why are you using a stopwatch app with ads in it, when the default clock app has a stopwatch and timer built in 😅
I got an ice maker off of Amazon for a deal of $89. It makes enough of ice that I am happy with. If you know you are going to have a party, just plan ahead and freeze them. If they stick together you can always break them apart with a small mallet.
I’ve wanted one for a long time. I like using my freezer space for everything other than ice cubes/trays. Unfortunately, I don’t have extra counter space either. Lol
It works the same as my Aldi's ice maker that I paid $90. Works great
I have a similar model I bought years ago. You will get better results by using cold water. I let the first batch fall right back into the water and then every two or three batches pull the basket and dump them into a ziplock bag and freeze.
We have one of these at work and I agree with the wet ice sticking together if you freeze it. I stopped using it because the ice melted too fast and it was awful to clean properly. My husband works on industrial ice makers and he was able to get me some cleaner that got the water scum out but I realized that it was just easier to use the ice maker in my freezor from home because the ice lasts all day.
These work. You must change the water out each day and drain it when not in use or it will get grimey. If you are going to use it a lot, you want it near a sink. The flaws I see in these are tops that are not openable or easy to open with even a screwdriver. Cleaning would be way easier if you could take the whole top off to access where the ice is made. The drain hole is tiny for no reason. The bottom of the water basin is not angled, so water won't fully drain out. The lack of an angled bottom forces you to wipe the last bit dry or let it sit longer to evaporate.
When I used mine every day, it sat partially hanging over a sink so I could pull the drain plug in the morning, rinse it all, and refill right where it sat. You want a sink with a hand sprayer to rinse out the ice area because the top of the machine doesn't fully come off so you have to spray into it sideways.
If mine breaks, the biggest feature I would try to look for in a new one is an angled bottom in the water basin so water fully drains out when the drain is opened. The flat bottom lets some water sit on the bottom and not drain. This is a problem when you want to rinse and fully replace the water to avoid the water turning grimey, a 10 second rinse and drain becomes a few minutes as you either rinse multiple times to get that last bit of water out or wipe it down.
We use to have one in our camper used it all the time loved it
I have one… the wife wanted one so I got it for Xmas. I will tell you, this same machine has ran, nonstop since Xmas of 2021!!🤯🤯 I would of never guessed it would last that long.
I love portable ice makers. Mine makes ice a lot faster than that but the mechanism is the same. Yes they can be a bit noisy so you do have to keep that in mind.
I keep one in my office on top of my small refrigerator. It’s perfect for a small office.
If you use chilled water the cubes are bigger. I usually dump the first 2 cycles of ice I to the reservoir. Also my basket seemed to hold water in the corners, so I drilled extra drainage holes in it.
I got one of these (a different brand) for my dad for Father's day this year and he loves it! My parents don't have a ice maker in their fridge and used to have to use ice trays. They use it everyday and even take it camping with them.
If you have an rv this is a must! It pays for itself in a short while if you were buying bagged ice before!
His fit in this video makes him look like a lvl 3 runescape f2p bot
I have one similar to this. Probably one of THE best purchases I have ever made in my life. Its sooooooooooooooo good.
I run mine during the day when the solar panels are making free power and so I get free ice!
these are good little units, just don't forget to clean them properly and don't leave water in them for more than a day and risk mould.
I loved mine, don’t remember the brand. I’d just leave it run and add water when needed, otherwise the ice would melt back into the reservoir and recycle. Only thing is, after exactly 2 years, it just stopped making ice. Didn’t know what was wrong, but for $100, I wasn’t about to spend a fortune to try to fix it.
I have this model ice maker. It's not too much of a pain to check on it once in a while for me. If you keep checking it, emptying it, and refilling it, you can make a lot of ice. I just use it mainly for myself, so it makes enough. If you want one for parties, probably just spend more and get a bigger one.
I’m just amazed that it works! Cool!
I love ours. We have it running most of the day during the summer, our pitbulls love chonkin on the bullet cubes
I have one of these and it is used every few days. I've had it a few years and the fan is starting to get noisy as it's just a 12v computer case fan. Sometimes it runs when the unit is pushing the ice out into the bin. The ice goes into a large plastic bag in the freezer. I wish that this thing kept the ice cold until you empty it. Also an alarm or even a flashing light would have been nice.
Put your first batch back in the reservoir which cools the water greatly so your next batches are cooler and faster.
We have this same thing and it works for getting ready for parties or whatever. But we always dump our first batch back into the water. Highly recommend some sort of cooler/vessel for holding the ice if for a party. We have what looks like a pot with a lid but it's insulated. The ice will stay frozen for most of the day without needing fresh ice with that.
The overall design and components haven’t changed in years and I can easily point out that the most common failure will be a small ac motor that is located near the water dispenser will rust and become frozen and will need replacing eventually. If the shaft of these cheap motors were made of stainless steel it could potentially last decades without service
Here's what I'd like: A tiny top opening chest freezer for the countertop. I would use it as an odor-free compost bin! As it is now, I use a stainless steel container in my fridge. This wastes a lot of power, letting cold air out of my fridge.
Been wanting one of these machines for ever. TY for the great review.
I have the same model and I’m very happy. I make one batch of ice and that can last me up to week and a half, unless I have a party (for that I make 2 to 3 batches ahead of time).
I have one but it cost less than half of the price of this model. I learned it works best if you fill with refrigerated water. Some kind of soft mallet is good to have to break apart the cubes that freeze together between batches. I spent an average of 3 1/2 hours producing enough ice to fill a gallon freezer bag. It takes some time commitment.
I had one of these a couple years ago,the problem with the ice that it produced was that it didn't as last long in a drink as a regular ice cube,when it broke,I replaced it with the slightly more expensive version that made actual cubed ice and haven't regretted it
I just bought mine and I absolutely love it ❤
If you have an elderly person at home who has a daily limit on the quantity of water consumed and likes to suckle ice cubes to refresh themselves, or if you find that the cubes have a chlorine after-taste (because, in the summertime, municipalities often put in extra chlorine to keep the water safe) use filtered water.
The cubes will taste much better and will take less time to make!