Best Portable Ice Makers

If you don’t have a built-in ice maker in your fridge-freezer, you’re short on space, or don’t want a huge financial lay out for an ice maker, then a portable ice maker is perfect for you. Portable ice makers are also excellent for use camping, in your RV, holiday home or for events. Not only is ice pretty much essential for your chilled drinks when entertaining, it’s also great for aches, pains and swellings, and can be used to great effect in the kitchen, for example for serving up a fantastic shellfish platter.

Portable ice makers are generally compact, countertop models that are designed to work without a water line. This makes them ideal for use in a variety of places, as all you need on-site is power.

If you’re wondering how portable ice makers work, here’s a quick run through of what goes on inside your portable ice maker. Your portable ice maker will need to be plugged in and you’ll need to pour water into its reservoir up to the advised level. The ice maker will then super-cool metal elements around which the water will rapidly cool forming ice. This will continue until the ice cubes reach the set thickness then they will fall into the ice bucket ready for your drinks.

The machine will continue to do this until it reaches its full ice cube capacity. Some machines determine this by the amount of water in their reservoir, others use sensors to detect when the ice cubes in the ice basket reach a certain height. Once your portable ice machine has reached full capacity it will stop producing ice cubes. If you do not remove the ice cubes, they will eventually melt. This will refill the reservoir and reduce the level to below where the sensors are set, kick starting the machine back into ice production mode. If you remove all of your ice and want to make more batches, you will need to add more water.

When you’re looking for the best portable ice maker, it helps to keep an eye out for certain features that will make your ice maker easier to use. Here’s our guide to what to look out for when choosing the best portable ice maker:

Dimensions

Start off by checking out the exact dimensions of the portable ice machine that you are looking to purchase. If you are planning to use it in a variety of locations then this is less important, but you should still make sure that it will fit comfortably on your kitchen countertop, in your RV, or any other place that you will probably use it most.

Capacity

If you will need a lot of ice, then it makes sense to choose a high-capacity portable ice machine. Machines with a higher capacity will tend to be a bit larger but can produce more ice over a 24-hour period than lower capacity ones. Consider your average needs before deciding on which capacity is best for you.

Speed

Most portable ice machines produce ice cubes in around six to eight minutes. While this may seem less important now, when your drink is ready and you’ve only just remembered to get the machine out then it will seem like quite a while. If you intend to have your portable ice machine running for long periods daily, then you may want to focus more on capacity and durability rather than speed.

Ice Cube Settings

Some portable ice makers come with different sized ice cube settings. This can be useful for when you want to make different types of drinks in different styles of glass, or just to suit your own preferences. You can also opt for larger, thicker ice cubes that will take longer to make but will last longer when the weather is hotter or if you’re drinking outside.

Drain

A drain with a plug helps to you to empty out your portable ice maker after use for cleaning. Pay attention to its location and how it opens to make sure that it will be easy to use.

Removable Ice Basket

A removable ice basket makes for a quick and easy way to get all of your ice cubes out in one go. This saves you time digging around chasing ice cubes with a scoop, instead enabling you to remove the whole lot in one go. You can simply transfer to your serving bucket or place into freezer bags for use later. Furthermore, the quick-emptying provided by a removable ice basket also allows your portable ice maker to get started on the next cycle more quickly.

Control Panel

Beyond the ability to turn your portable ice maker on and off, a control panel allows you to see when you need to top up the water reservoir or when your maker has reached full capacity. Make sure that the control panel is in an easy to view location, especially if you will be making regular use of your portable ice maker. This will ensure that you notice when it needs filling or emptying as soon as possible.

Transparent Lid

A portable ice maker with a transparent lid lets you see how much ice has been made and is ready for use. This is handy when you’re waiting on ice and enables you to decide when to start preparing your drinks.

Pros

• Inexpensive – Compared to buying a freezer with ice making capacities or a dedicated ice machine, portable ice makers are relatively inexpensive. They are also much cheaper to replace or repair when anything goes wrong.
• Rapid – Portable ice machines produce ice much more quickly than dedicated ice machines or the ones you find in home freezers. They are also much quicker than waiting for a traditional ice tray to freeze. Most portable ice machines make ice cubes in as little as six to eight minutes.
• Convenient – Thanks to their portability and speed, portable ice machines are highly convenient. Simply plug yours in and add water for ice cubes in no time.
• Money saving – If you frequently call to the grocery store for bagged ice, then a portable ice maker could more than pay for itself if used frequently.
• Compact – Designed to fit on a countertop or small table, portable ice machines are compact and can be placed in numerous locations. If you need ice but don’t have much space, then you would definitely benefit from a portable ice machine.
• Easy to use – Switch it on, add water and voila! Portable ice machines are extremely easy to use. They do not require any installation or programming.
• Energy- efficient – Portable ice machines are highly energy efficient and use a very small amount of electricity. As they are insulated rather than chilled, they only use electricity when they are actually producing ice and not when they are sitting at full capacity.

Cons

• Won’t keep ice frozen – Portable ice makers are not freezers. While they are insulated, the ice they make will eventually melt if it is not removed and used or frozen. If you need large quantities of ice, you should empty your portable ice machine ice cubes into freezer bags and keep them in the freezer until needed.
• Small capacity for large events – While portable ice makers produce ice quickly, you would be advised to prepare and freeze your ice in advance if you need ice for an event with a lot of people.
• Noise – Many portable ice makers can be quite noisy during operation.