Sarah on March 12, 2014 44 Comments Portable ice makers are a fantastic option for compact living spaces, such as apartments, boats and RVs. They are also a great alternative to buying bagged ice or dealing with troublesome ice trays. Whether portable ice makers are a novel idea to you or one you’ve been contemplating for a while, you may have a few questions. We’ve compiled the most frequent questions we’ve been asked over the years. Hopefully we’ll be able to answer yours, perhaps even before you know what to ask. Do I need a water line to use my portable ice maker? How do portable ice makers work? How quickly do portable ice makers produce ice? How small are portable ice makers? What makes portable ice makers portable? How do I clean and maintain my portable ice maker? What is the difference between ice production capacity and ice storage capacity? Do I need a drain line for my portable ice maker? What type of ice do portable ice makers produce? Do I need a special plug or power supply to run my portable ice maker? Can I use my portable ice maker outdoors? If you have a question about portable or countertop ice makers that you don’t see listed here, please leave us a comment below or give us a call at 1-800-297-6076. 1. Do I need a water line to use my portable ice maker? No. Portable ice makers do not require a water line. Instead, you only need to pour water into the unit’s reservoir and turn it on in order to start the ice production process. 2. How do portable ice makers work? Portable ice makers work like any traditional freezer ice maker. Water is pumped into the rotating ice tray. The compressor and fan then freeze the water into ice. Then a warm refrigerant causes the ice to be released into the bin. More Info: How a Portable Ice Maker Works 3. How quickly do portable ice makers produce ice? Most portable ice makers drop their first cubes into the bin in a matter of minutes. Traditional ice trays take hours and hours to produce ice. There’s no more waiting around with a portable ice maker. 4. How small are portable ice makers? Portable ice makers are compact enough to fit comfortably on a countertop yet large enough to hold a substantial amount of ice. Most models stand under 15 inches and have a width slimmer than 12 inches. 5. What makes portable ice makers portable? Because portable ice makers don’t require a water line or a drain line, only a power supply, they can be taken virtually anywhere a 110-120V outlet is available. 6. How do I clean and maintain my portable ice maker? Portable ice makers are very easy to maintain. Cleaning your portable ice maker periodically is really all you need to do to ensure it runs smoothly. To clean, add an ice machine cleaner to water and pour the mixture into the water reservoir. Run the ice maker until all of the water/cleaner mixture has been made into cubes. Discard the cubes. Run the ice maker using just water. Discard the batch again. You will also want to clean your included ice scoop. Like any utensil, this will need to be washed regularly. More Info: Step-by-Step Instructions to Clean Your Ice Machine 7. What is the difference between ice production capacity and ice storage capacity? The ice production capacity is how much ice the unit can make in a 24 hour period. The ice storage capacity is the maximum amount of ice the unit can hold at any given time. The production capacity is typically much larger than the storage capacity because the machine anticipates ice usage throughout the day. No need to worry about the unit overfilling though, once the storage capacity is reached the ice maker will suspend ice making until some of the ice is either removed or melted. If the ice is melted, the unit will then use that water to make more ice automatically. 8. Do I need a drain line for my portable ice maker? No, you don’t. Portable ice makers do not require a drain or dedicated drain line. Portable units reuse melted ice to then make more ice. If you wish the unit of water completely, there is a plug located near the bottom of the reservoir, much like a travel cooler, intended to make emptying easy and hassle-free. 9. What type of ice do portable ice makers produce? Most portable ice makers produce what is called bullet ice. Like it sounds, this ice is cylindrical. There are also units that produce impurity-free clear cubed ice, much like the kind typically found in restaurants. 10. Do I need a special plug or power supply to run my portable ice maker? Portable ice makers use a standard three-prong plug that must be connected to a 110-120V outlet. A DC adaptor can be used to connect the unit to the power source in your vehicle. 11. Can I use my portable ice maker outdoors? Yes, you can use your portable ice maker anywhere that a power source is available. It must be understood though that the more extreme the ambient temperatures, the harder it’ll be for the unit to produce and keep ice.
Sudarto says April 14, 2014 at 3:05 am I am happy with your article about the best ice maker. My wife often make ice cream and I like what she made. I will inform her about your article so that she could chose the best ice maker as you inform. Thank you. Reply
A.Terry says May 13, 2014 at 11:15 am I have owned an Edgestar Ice Maker for more than four years, and I am very pleased with it. Reply
Jack W Coleman says July 9, 2014 at 11:26 pm I live in the hottest place in the USA.with temps up to 125°in July . Wilk it work in 90° .im a roofer & icr is crucial !! Also how many watts? I have solar panels& need reliability !! Reply
Sarah says July 10, 2014 at 3:02 pm Hey Jack, I live in central Texas, so I can understand your concern with warm temperatures. Portable ice makers will in fact work in 90° weather; however, the weather will affect the thickness and production rate of the machine. You will see the ice made melt more quickly than usual, which isn’t necessarily a problem since the melted ice will automatically be reused to make more ice. The EdgeStar KIM202W only uses 230 watts, so if you’re looking for efficiency, you’ll want to consider that unit. If you have additional questions on which ice maker would best fit your needs, give us a call at 1-800-297-6076. Reply
Debra Witt says September 1, 2015 at 7:14 am I am looking for an ice maker that makes pellet ice (as made in our local Sonic Restaurant? Can you tell me who makes one like that? Reply
Robert Player says January 22, 2017 at 10:10 pm my ice maker is a edgestar model kim202w ser#15111210034 intertek 3149457.it just quit makeing ice i have left it unplugged over night and drained out the water when plugged in it cycles thru but would not make ice.i have only had this machine for about 6 months.is it still under warranty Reply
Don says March 30, 2016 at 5:07 pm Do any of the portable ice makers keep the ice it produces frozen or must the ice be moved to a freezer for storage? Reply
Helena Stanaback says December 4, 2017 at 7:25 pm This is what I was wondering. Has anyone ever replied. Or did you find one that keeps the ice frozen? Reply
linda cannon says May 29, 2016 at 3:01 pm If you have an ice maker, how expensive is it to run? The ice maker is 230 watts–what would that equal in actual dollars to run for an hour? For a day? Please let me know this to settle an argument my husband and I are having about this. Thank you. Reply
lois conklin says July 21, 2016 at 10:56 am I HAVE A SPT 1M-120B portable ice maker and i need the power cord for it. Reply
Mie'chelle Harcus says November 12, 2016 at 4:11 pm Do portable ice makers use alot of power? Will they make your power bill go up? Reply
Ebb Tyre says December 28, 2016 at 8:17 pm After filling for the first time and plugging into power. I can hear it running but doesn’t make ice. What am I doing wrong? Reply
Sandra says January 7, 2017 at 8:02 pm I also have Spt usa portable ice maker and it makes the ice and drop it but it starts to melt right a way …it doesn’t keep it cold at all Reply
D. Bonville says March 18, 2017 at 3:06 pm My ice maker is not making ice and it is only 3 months old. Reply
Melissa says May 21, 2017 at 5:10 pm The ice that our countertop ice maker makes seems to be wet so when we put the ice into our big freezer the bullets freeze together and make a clumsy block of ice. Could there be something wrong with the amount of refrigerant or is this just how one of these works? Reply
Rocky says June 23, 2017 at 8:57 pm hi Melissa, From what I am gathering the countertop models appear to only have a cooling function in the mechanism that makes the ice. The bins are apparently not cooled beyond whatever cooling is put off by the freezing mechanism and the presence of ice in the bin. I would suggest keeping the ice maker in the coolest part of your house, perhaps the basement if you have one. If you happen to have a large freezer chest you could either cool the ice maker before use or literally use it while it is in the freezer. I know it’s unlikely you’ll have a large freezer with that much room but many people do so it’s a thought. Reply
Thomas Jaeger says June 8, 2017 at 2:27 pm I have a nostalgia electrics ice maker, keep it very clean but it now says add water and does not make ice. Is there any repairs that I can do to fix this problem? Reply
Fkukla says June 11, 2017 at 12:16 pm Also looking for an icemaker that keeps the ice frozen until transferred. I saw one at Home Depot advertise, keeping it frozen, but lost the details. Can you help me find one under the $300 range?looking to buy one for my son who has great parties. Need by June 24 Reply
Helena Stanaback says December 4, 2017 at 7:26 pm I was looking for one that keeps the ice frozen too. Did you ever find one? Reply
Debbie sorenson says January 26, 2018 at 9:25 pm I doubt it . Even if they did…it prob would very very expensive Reply
Bridgett says July 6, 2017 at 5:34 am Hi much water is needed to make 26lbs of ice? I can not find an answer to this question anywhere. Reply
Harvey Myers says July 23, 2017 at 11:43 am Hello, I wondered if they store ice long term, or will I have to transfer it to a freezer? Reply
Rich M says July 23, 2017 at 10:51 pm Hi, Is there a way to connect a waterline to one of these portable ice makers so you don’t have to keep adding water? I would like to place one on my counter top and have it just keep cranking out ice Reply
Heather says October 28, 2017 at 10:56 pm What’s the drain plug look like got mine from a friend and water started coming from side have no book or nothing do have no idea??? Reply
Debbie sorenson says January 26, 2018 at 9:27 pm Its a whitish/clear silicon piece you push onto drain plug like earbuds . then you screw a black cap over the top of that. go to the company that made it and you can buy it from them Reply
Linda says December 3, 2017 at 3:23 pm Is there such a thing as a portable ice maker that also freezes or maintains the ice frozen and doesn’t melt?? Reply
Libby Williams says July 19, 2018 at 9:40 pm I’m not sure if this is the correct way to ask a question. I would like to purchase a countertop ice maker that makes the soft crushed ice like you’ll find in hospitals or the Sonic Drive-In. What brand of ice makers makes that type? Thank you Reply
Joyce Rohrbach says August 30, 2018 at 8:16 pm I cleaned my ice maker, now it is leaking water from the back of it. I did use my kitchen water sprayer, maybe I got water in the back? Reply
Janell Seaberg says November 23, 2018 at 11:51 pm Should a portable counter top ice maker be turned off for any reason other than cleaning it? Reply
C.A.K. says December 5, 2018 at 10:57 am We make ice once a month and drain the machine is this bad for the pump? Reply
John says December 6, 2018 at 4:21 pm I was considering buying a portable ice maker but when you read the reviews on such places like Amazon, all the negative reviews tell that these little units only last a few months or something breaks and warranty is out. I’m talking every review has had fulls of these types of reviews. How can one justify the purchase of these units, especially if they all are running at the $100+ range? Why don’t these things last longer? Thanks. Reply
rick says November 21, 2019 at 9:31 am John, We bought a Della about 4 years ago and it’s still working great. We have the model 048-GM-48194. Rick Reply
my company says July 25, 2019 at 8:53 am Great write-up, I¡¦m regular visitor of one¡¦s blog, maintain up the excellent operate, and It is going to be a regular visitor for a long time. Reply
Kathy says August 8, 2019 at 7:58 am Hi we use our ice maker at the office, is ti ok to leave on all the time, or should we shut it off nightly, or on weekends? Reply
rick says November 21, 2019 at 9:23 am Does a portable ice maker ever need freon recharging? We have had a Della for about 4 years now. It still works great, just wondering. Thanks, Rick G. Reply
Larry says January 13, 2020 at 8:24 am Can i use favoured water to make ice in my portable ice Maker? Reply
CompactAppliance.com says January 16, 2020 at 2:58 pm This would not be recommended and could potentially violate the manufacturer’s warranty. Reply
besticemachines says July 18, 2020 at 1:14 am Flavoured water may not freezer correctly due to sugar in the flavouring affecting the freeze point of the water. I wouldn’t recommend it. Reply
