I would give this 5 stars, but we were spoiled by our prior ice maker which was 28 pound capacity. We got this smaller version because I was tired lugging my heavy my old ice maker to the sink once every week or two when I wanted to give it a thorough cleaning (more on that topic in a moment) When you turn it on, the first batch will be small ice cubes, no matter what setting you put. However, after a couple batches, you will get reasonable sized ice cubes and the ice maker will continue to push out ice cubes until the in is full, or all day long if you keep using ice cubes and refilling the water bin.
Quality of Ice: Remember, this is ice-machine ice, not freezer ice. If you have used ice at a hotel or motel, then you will recognize the clear, slightly wet ice cubes. Freezer ice is white, dry and several degrees below freezing. If you want to turn these ice cubes into white, sub-zero (Celsius) freezer ice, but them in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer. At the end of the night, we put our extra ice in the freezer and save it for the next day, so we don't have to wait for the first batch of ice to come out.
Noise level. the fan and condenser are quiet. The only real noise is the falling ice cubes at the end of each batch. If you are in a camping trailer, you don't want to run this while taking a nap. Except for the falling ice cubes, it's about as quiet as a regular desktop computer.
Reliability. I just bought this ice maker, but can tell you the lifespan of a slightly larger version that appears to have the same manufacturer (though different brand name). Our last ice maker which has many of the same design and parts, lasted 5 summers. Admittedly, that would be only be 18-24 months of continuous use, but if you use this for summers or camping, I suspect you will also get about 5 years of use.
Maintenance: Our house has no A/C so when not in use, the ice maker becomes room temperature (80 degrees or more) and the interior becomes warm and humid. To keep the ice cubes fresh tasting and prevent eventual mold in the water basin, every week or two, I empty any remaining water in the sink and wipe down all interior parts with a paper towel. When the ice maker starts up each batch, it runs water through the water tubes a minute before it starts to make ice, so this helps flush out the water tubes.
Alternatives. If you don't mind losing a little more counter space, don't mind lugging a heavier model to the sink once a week, and don't mind paying an extra $50, I recommend the New Air Al-100 Ice maker. NewAir AI-100R 28-Pound Portable Icemaker, Red It is sold under a different brand and has minor appearance differences on the to. However, if you examine the fan grill, the design of the back side, and look through the ventilation slots at the interior parts, you will realize they were both manufactured in the same place. Although though the total ice per day is only a couple pounds more, the New Air model has a bigger variety of exterior colors, it puts out more ice per batch, and it hold more ice in the catch basket before it shuts itself off.
I have owned some version of a countertop ice maker for about the last five years. Doesn’t matter the brand, and doesn’t matter the size...most if them work I’m the same manner. As ice cubes are made, they are held in a basket above the cold water. If they are not used, they eventually begin to melt, the water will drain into the reservoir, and new ice will be made. The unit itself is NOT a freezer, so keep that in mind if you consider ordering ANY portable ice maker. My story has been the same...the ice maker arrives, it supplies enough ice for about one person to be satisfied with. Hot summers become more difficult for the machine to keep up with demand, and frequently the lid is opened only to find a disappointing amount of ice has been made. Add another person to the mix, and it is impossible for the machine to keep up. UNTIL NOW...This machine is AMAZING (and it is quite a bit larger than most of the units I have owned). Well that extra size appears to pay off greatly...more than adequate ice in the morning (when the ice is softest due to non-use melting), and a full ice basket all day and evening long. The basket is larger and therefore holds more ice...more than enough for 2 people to use all day long. It is with hesitation that I used to open the lid in the morning (expecting to just see bits of ice in basket), and am now almost overjoyed when I see a full basket of ice staring back at me. If you have had bad luck with an ice maker of an sort, you know what I am talking about, I am THRILLED with this machine. However....these machines do not last forever, so I would suggest you consider the following: 1) ALWAYS purchase an EXTENDED WARRANTY for your machine...at least 2 years or more. These warranties (purchased through Amazon) have covered me twice when my previous machines have “konked out” at 18 to 24 months. Full reimbursement of purchase price, no hassles. 2) CLEAN your machine. In all the owner manuals I have read, not one of the suggests cleaning (or de-scaling) the machine. Amazon sells “ice maker cleaner” which is nickel safe, and will not harm the machine. I recommend wiping down the inside of the machine with the diluted solution, AND running at least a portion of it through several ice making batches to clean out the water tubes also. I clean my coffee maker monthly...but never thought about ice machine. 3) Change the water in the machine about every 3 month (or more). Regardless of your cleanliness when removing ice and adding new water, some dust particles (or possibly more) will settle inside the water in your machine. Just drain the water, and refill, before any of that sediment moves into the water pipes, if your water has sediment in it, filter the water before adding it to the icemaker.
We're going to be spending the next year cruising around in a travel trailer and I do not want to be without ice!! So, I bought this machine. When it arrived I opened the box up and filled it with water and pushed the start button. Welllll,
I LOVE THIS! Watching this machine make ice cubes is actually pretty fun. You can choose two different sizes and I like the large bullet cubes. I love the gasback system that helps to release the cubes when they're ready to use. I think this will be perfect for me. I can make up a full container of ice before bed and put it in the freezer for the next day. The machine is a little bigger than I thought, it's about twice the height I expected so it's going to take up a little more space in the travel trailer than I was expecting, but for 6 minute ice.. I'm not going to fuss over it!
The only issue I see so far is that the cubes are extremely wet when you take them out of the machine and they tend to stick together in a big clump so you might have to stab at them with a butter knife to break them up if you plan on putting them in the freezer for future use. So far I have no regrets purchasing this machine for our upcoming adventure!
Packaging: 5 stars. Box inside a box with styrofoam. Packed very well.
Setup: 5 stars. Remove tape from ice basket and plug it in.
Ice Making Speed: 5 stars. This unit pumps out 9 small ice cubes every 8 minutes or so. Good value for price.
Ice Quality: 4 stars. We made the ice in our home at 74 degrees. Cubes were a bit wet and a little soft despite being made in an optimal air conditioned setting.
What I wish it had: I wish they put a small hanger or magnet for the scooper. I rigged up a tiny command hook right above the product name.
1 month update: consistently drops 9 ice cubes every 8 minutes. Perfect for small parties if you start full. I really like this unit.
Great value for the money. Perfect for a small dinner party--say 4-6 adults. Fill it in the morning and run it. Empty into an ice bucket at party time and refill with water to run during party--you won't run out of ice! I paid full price and get/got zero for this review.
So, I looked at a bunch of other ice makers. I really wanted one that made clear ice because the aerated ice in most makers melts too quickly and I don't like the texture. Since I didn't like what I was seeing in many of the other reviews, I took a shot on this one with no reviews and figured I would return it if I didn't like it. Luckily that was not the case. This one really did the job, the ice is perfect in little cubes with rounded indents (like many hotel ice makers). I liked is so much I ordered a second one.
Three things to be aware of:
1. When you first plug it in and turn the power button on, if you hold the power button down for 5 seconds it will allow the water to run longer making thicker cubes that melt slower. It takes about 3 minutes more per tray, but worth it in my opinion.
2. The reason I did not give it 5 stars - Occasionally the ice will fail to fallout of the freezing tray and make one giant block of ice. It happens more than I would like, but it is easy to fix. Hold the power button for 5 seconds and it will heat the freezing tray so the blocks will start to melt and slide out. This would probably happen less if I wasn't making the more solid ice, but I prefer the trade off.
3. It is fairly loud (as are all of these ice makers). Good news is, once the tray is full it maybe only runs for 10 minutes every two hours to replenish the ice that has melted. Just don't put it anywhere that the whirring fan for that time will be a problem.
Two other things you might find interesting, I have been using 12 oz plastic bottles of spring water to fill it. It took about 6 bottles to fill the reservoir the first time and few more bottles after it started making ice.
It comes with a little white, plastic ice scooper that is fine for the job but feels kind of cheap so I ordered an aluminum one from amazon for about 4 bucks.
Feature Product
- Quick & Quiet - Just add water, press the button & enjoy ice cubes in as little as 6 minutes! Ultra quiet operation gives you the convenience of a commercial ice maker without the noise
- Perfect for Parties - Makes up to 26 lbs. of ice per day, perfect for refilling ice buckets. Large enough for restocking coolers and small enough for drink refreshments
- Convenient Design - Place the icemaker on your tabletop, countertop or other sturdy service. The integrated storage bin is well-insulated
- Compact and Portable - Perfect for your RV, boat, or small kitchen, this ice maker is compact, bars, restaurants, portable and works anywhere there is an outlet available.Overall Dimension: 14-1/2"(L) x 9-3/4"(W) x 12-3/4"(H).
- Large Storage Capacity - The ice maker produces ice cubes fed by a built-in water reservoir that holds up to 1.8 liters of water. Perfect for your RV, boat, or small kitchen, this ice maker is compact, bars, and restaurants, portable and works anywhere there is an outlet available.
Description
The Della Portable Ice Maker is a premium countertop ice maker for use in your kitchen, home bar or office. In addition to quickly and efficiently making perfectly bullet-shaped ice cubes, the Della Portable Ice Maker can produce up to 26 pounds of ice per day. You are also able to control and monitor the ice production on the Touch Button and soft-touch panel.
Features:- Makes 26 lbs. of ice per day
- Removable ice bin
- Convenient ice scoop
- Quick production time
- Indicator lights
- 2 Ice Sizes
- Convenient Side Drain
- LCD display
- Automatic shut off
- Large output ice maker is perfect for parties and special events
- Simple, hassle-free ice dispenser requires no installation
- Frequency: 60 Hz
- Voltage: 115 volts
- Watts: 230 watts
- Full Ice Basket Indicator: Yes
- Add Water Indicator: Yes
- Automatic Overflow Protection: Yes
- Operating Cycle: 6 minutes
- Ice Making Capacity Per Cycle: 9 pieces
- Daily Ice Making Capacity: 26 pounds
- Refrigerant: R134a 2.25oz/64g
- Design Pressure High/Max: 290 psig
- Design Pressure Low/Min: 88 psig
- Type: Portable Ice Maker
- Ice Shape: Bullet
- Ice Making Current: 1.5A
- Ice Harvest Current: 2.0A
- Water Reservoir: 2.3 quart
- Certifications: ETL, CSA, UL Listed
- Overall Dimension: 14-1/2"(L) x 9-3/4"(W) x 12-3/4"(H)
- Countertop Ice Maker
- Ice Scoop
- User Manual
I got this to replace my Hamilton Beach Ice Maker that is now taking up space in my trash. I gather these things tend to fail and I will update my review accordingly if that happens within the next couple years. For now, here are my thoughts.
This is bigger than the ice maker that it was replacing and comes at the same price. You can see the attached images for size comparison. It appears to hold about twice as much ice, twice as much water, and makes much larger ice cubes in about the same amount of time. Obviously it takes up more counter space, also, but still fits quite comfortably on the counter.
I like that it has a timer function. I'm a bit disappointed that it isn't a timer you set like you would a light timer. You can basically set it to delay for a certain amount of time. Instead you set it for a certain delay. So it appears you need to set it each night to turn on the next morning. I get up an hour before everyone else and try to remember to turn on our ice maker so there is plenty of ice ready and waiting when needed. My forgetter works really well though, so I will forget from time to time. I thought the timer function would be helpful, and it still might be, but I will probably prove just as adept at forgetting to set a timer each night as I am at forgetting to turn the thing on every morning.
This leaves the ice cube size as my favorite thing. It is a common complaint with the hollow-bullet-shaped ice cubes that they melt very quickly. These are also hollow-bullet-shaped, but would be bullets for a much larger gun, so they seem to last longer. There are three options for sizes on this unit. If you're like I used to be before I broke a tooth and you like chewing ice, use the small setting. If not, choose the large setting. I don't know who the medium setting is for.
While longevity will be the key, I greatly prefer this unit, at least initially, to the last one. It's nearly the same price and we will spend a lot less time fetching ice and refilling the water reservoir.
I didn't receive jack for this review. Even if I had, I'm too big of a fan of honesty to let some jerk manipulate my review by giving me free stuff. The review written above represents my honest, unfiltered opinion of the product.
P.S. It's not blue. I just left the stainless steel protector film stuff on it until I got it in place.
We love this thing! We have one of those wonderful "energy saver" fridges...you know, the only kind you can find these days. Which translates to about 10 cubes of ice per tray. Which means if you go through a lot of ice you're not going to ever have a full bin. Add to that a fridge in which we've had to replace the ice maker twice!
After the first replacement, I started looking for an alternative to bagged ice. It takes up way too much space in the freezer. I found this on Amazon. It works like a dream! The first batch of ice is ready in no time. We can pull it out when we have company. We can use a Ziploc bag for any excess.
And then the ice maker broke again!! Thank goodness it was after we purchased this because the replacement took 3 weeks to be sent here! (Through no fault of our great repair guy! He's pretty much a member of the family now 😀) We were able to keep ice in the house without having to run to the store for bags and deal with that mess.
If you have a large family, have lots of company, or just in general use a lot of ice this is a great buy. It's quiet and easy to use. I'm very happy we have one!
I love this so much!
First of all, I want to say that these bullets of ice are munchable while they are fresh (white colored ice) in the bucket. I couldn't find anything on whether this ice is soft enough to munch on or not. If they melt a little and you freeze them with water on them, they tend to look more clear and will harden up and be less chewable.
I've lived in apartments for the last 8 years after moving out of my parent's house and not one fridge has came with an ice maker. My wife goes through a lot of ice because she makes iced coffee all the time and we never have room in the freezer for those large costco bags of ice. For her birthday I bought this ice maker and we haven't stopped making ice for the last 2 weeks. I don't know why we haven't bought one of these before but I'm glad we have it now. I imagine we'll be running this unit for years to come until we can afford a house with a nice fridge.
My wife suggested we get one of these after they added a similar unit (different brand) at her office. We use ice in drinks like iced tea, and in smoothies. Having the ice trays in the freezer is a bit of a pain and space problem, and the wife wanted to use bottled water for the ice cubes so I decided to give one of these tabletop units a try.
Pros: It makes more ice than I thought it was, and does it pretty quickly. Plenty for the two of us, and I just put the excess in a zip lock bag and throw it in the freezer for later. The stainless one isn't small, but it matches the other stainless appliances and doesn't look bad on the counter. it's about the size of a stand mixer, for comparison. The ice cubes direct from the machine are great for the blender.
Cons: As mentioned, it isn't small. It can be a tight fit under some cabinets, so measure the spot you plan to place it. The ice is not cubes, more igloo shaped cones (in two sizes you can select), if that matters to you. The ice will melt relatively quickly if left in the tray, so you have to move it to a freezer if you intend to keep it longer (it just melts into the reservoir for re-use, so this isn't a terrible thing).
All in all, it is a very handy device that makes more ice than I expected, does it pretty quickly, and does it quietly. This particular unit seems sturdy and well made, where the plastic ones exude a cheap appearance.
We had a previous ice maker for five years. During that time it made a lot of ice for our camping weekends. I didn't see the same model so I was concerned buying a different brand. This unit exceeded our expectations. At first it appears to have a smaller ice tray. However, it fills it very full befor shutting off. My first trip using it was for 10 days. It is a little noisy so we keep it outside the camper. The temperature ranged from 65 at night to 95 during the day. It produced so much ice that I would transfer the excess to a bin in our camper's freezer. (Note - like all units of this type, the ice is a little wet. After a few minutes in the freezer, shake it a bit to avoid having a block of ice.) I shut it off before the end of the trip because I had stockpiled so much ice. It would highly recommend this unit.
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