This unit arrived in tact and in fine shape, we set it up on our counter and waited 24 hours till we started it. After which it worked great, we immediately took it on our camping trip and it provided enough ice for the whole weekend (with a frozen drink blender).
My word of advise, it seems that the ratings are either great or horrible and I have a theory on this. Being in the industrial commercial HVAC refrigeration business I know a bit about these units (even as small as they are). During shipment this product is in a box which is in a box which is in another box, this tells me that no one really knows which end is up, refrigeration units need to have the oil and refrigerant in the sumo and the lines clear in order to work properly so after shipping let the unit stand upright for 24 hours to allow all the fluids inside to settle before starting it up for the first time. Not doing this could cause some of the symptoms people are reporting, "runs noisy" "only made one batch of ice then stopped" "didn't work at all" etc. It may not be the cause for every problem but I guarantee it cause some of them, the excitement of receiving the product and running it right away could be the culprit, let it settle in till the next day. BTW this is true for any refrigerator or freezer, if it was on its side for any length of time then it would also need to stand upright before starting it back up, new or used.
I would recommend this product to anyone
I purchased this to go with my Mr. Coffee BVMC-FM1 20-Ounce Frappe Maker, since I was using so much ice.
The best way to use this is to turn it on when you need to make ice, unless you are going to need a lot in a hurry - then you can freeze the cubes ahead of time.
1) How much ice does it make?
Well, each time it makes a batch, it makes between one and two cups ... that's every 6-10 minutes. So in an hour, it will make 6-10 cups of ice.
2) How much ice does it hold?
I was able to empty 2 trays into a gallon freezer bag (barely), so I'd say that it holds about 1/2 gallon of ice before it automatically shuts off.
3) Do you need to keep it turned on?
You can, but you don't have to. Put the ice you've made into your freezer and turn it off. When you aren't going to use it for awhile, you drain any extra water out so that you can be sure your water to make the ice is fresh and healthy.
4) Will it keep ice frozen?
Actually, Yes. I don't know for how long, but the sides seem stay cool, and it is well insulated, so the ice I made the night before was "still" ice in the morning. The ice sits in a basket over the water supply, so if there is any melting, it drips down and is remade into ice again. I suggest for long-term use, that you simply remove the ice and place it in your freezer.
5) Do you need anything special?
No. You take it out of the box, wash the parts, add water, and turn it on. I'm using purified water, but that's for flavor, NOT because it's required. And, just a "green" note - for the environment and to keep a little green in your pocket - don't buy bottled water for this - it's a lot cheaper (and no bottles to recycle) if you use a purifier or purifying pitcher.
6) Is it noisy?
You can hear the ice cubes clink into the basket every few minutes while it is running. They freeze around little poles, so the only sound is that of water dripping and a small fan which removes the heat (kind of like the one on a refrigerator).
It's a nice solution for those of us who don't have an ice maker in our freezer and who don't have the patience to keep filling those little ice trays to make enough ice!
***Updated June 28, 2010 I have noted that with our recent heat wave, that the ice does melt, however, as I mentioned above, it simply melts into the bottom and then the machine remakes the ice. Not only am I using it for my frappes, but I also found it awesome when I froze four gallons of ice for a large event where I knew I'd need more ice on hand.
*** Updated June 2011 - I have continued to use this machine for a full year. It continues to work well, and I have had NO problems with it. I always like to know how things work over time, so I wanted to come back and give an update. I consider it to be one of my favorite purchases!
*** Updated March 2012 - after our recent move I began experiencing problems with this. I managed to get it working again for about four months, but it has finally stopped working. Because this was such a work horse while I had it, I am considering purchasing the same model. Over time, the little poles on which the ice freezes did develop some corrosion, but it ran almost constantly for nearly two years.
Note I ended up replacing this with the Polar PIM10BLS Stainless Steel Portable Ice Maker which fits under the cupboards better because it opens in the front. However that one died after only five months, and I am repurchasing this one.
*** Updated May 2013 - I finally went ahead and bought a new one as the weather began to warm up. It is so nice to hear the steady clunk of ice again, and to see my familiar friend sitting on the counter. It looks and feels sturdier than the polar one, and I've already gone through two gallons of water. I have noticed on my new one that when I set it on large cubes, they tend to be connected.
But for me, it is frappe time again! .
* July 2016 - just got rid of my second ice maker. Yep, three years. So if you are wondering, my experience with two of these is three years each. AND I keep them running 24/7 for convenience.
If you like ice then you won’t be disappointed by this little unit. We go through quite a bit of ice during the day and this machine keeps up with our demand. I do like how it has 3 ice cube settings but I always keep ours set to the largest cube setting. The basket inside is a great idea and comes in handy to for holding the ice cubes. I just wish it was a little deeper. We use fairly large cups 20oz I believe and once you fill 2 of those you aren’t left with much ice at all. So I normally i take the basket out and let the ice fall into the machine and mix with the water. It does seem to melt the ice a little faster when its mixed with the water. But it’s the only way to store larger batches of ice. The unit also comes with a small and cute ice cube scoop. I say cute because of its size, but it’s perfect for scooping inside of the machine.
This is our 2nd one. The first one lasted about 2 years and one day I just happened to look inside and I noticed shards of metal in the water. I cleaned out the machine and started from scratch but the metal reappeared. It was small pieces of metal and looked like gears or something were stripping. So I just chucked it and thought well 2 years was good for a machine that runs from 8am-12pm everyday.
I bought this NewAir AI-100R portable Ice Maker in March 2011 as a birthday gift to my husband. He likes to drink an ice water or ice with juice all the time.
At the very first couple times of using that icemaker, I had to spill the newly made ice cylinders, because they smelled like plastic, but after that we did not have any problem with the taste of the ice. In 1 month after I bought the ices maker, we had some important family event and had to have a constant flow of the people in the apartment. For a week we had about 60-80 visiting people per day. For all that time my new Ice maker was working and making ice non-stop from 7:00 AM till 11:00 PM. I was really glad that I was able to make enough ice for all our visitors and was proud to demonstrate them my new ice maker. And I think that I saved so much money by making my own ice instead of buying it at the supermarket!
Ice maker was working fine every time I need some ice since I bought it (for 9 months already).
If you have guests, you just have to start making ice in advance and store fresh ice in the freezer. I use clean plastic bags to store fresh ice. If you are expecting a large group of people, it is better to start making ice a day before the event to store enough. Ice maker makes some noise, but it is mild and does not bother anyone.
The freshly made ice is wet, and it sticks to each other at the freezer. I have a habit to stir ice cubes in the plastic bag to separate them from each other after it was sitting in the freezer for 15-20 min.
At the hot summer time, when you start ice maker after it was off for certain amount of time, the 1st portion of the ice cylinders will be very wet, thin and flimsy and it is better to dump it back to the water tank. After that there is no problem.
Minor inconvenience is that even though machine has a red light on to indicate that there is no more water at the water tank, there are always some water left at the water tank. I always must spill out unused water. The removal of the water is done by the little pipe at the bottom of the ice maker that has covered by a metal cap (attached to the machine) and a little tiny plastic plug (unattached to anything and very easy to drop). If you will loose that tiny plug, then you will have a big problem. Better to be careful and do not drop and loose it.
We love our ice maker and its red color adds a cheerful atmosphere to my kitchen.
Cleaned the insides, filled with water, plugged in, let it sit in garage over night ( low was 70 °F) . Next morning basket was full of ice !!!
And it's not very loud. Will be using it mainly when we go RV camping
After RV camping:::
Pro: worked better than i thought it would. made ice in a little less than 15 min.
Took it on a RV camping trip, 91°F, and made more than my wife and I could use
exceptionally quiet running ( except for ice dumping)
Con: we were in a travel trailer and noise of ice dumping into storage bucket was a little annoying at night
Is a little heaver and larger than I thought would be (didn't check specs.)
Feature Product
- Convenient, compact design is ideal for use in small kitchens & other compact spaces like RVs, boats & more
- Produces 28 pounds of ice a day - never run to the store for a bag of ice again
- Offers an easy-to-use LED control panel that allows you to choose from three ice size settings
- Portable ice maker requires no installation - just plug in unit, add water & wait up to 15 minutes to enjoy fresh ice
- Flawless design boasts a excellent reputation, offering consistent & dependable ice production that has been continually perfected
Description
The bright red color of the NewAir AI-100R Portable Ice Maker creates instant appeal, but it's the unit's capability of producing 28 pounds of ice per day that you'll love. Its sleek shape and compact size makes it a perfect fit for any countertop or table. Equipped with indicator lights, simple, push-button operation, and a side-mounted drain, this ice maker is easy to use and clean. Its durable construction ensures it will be a party staple for years to come. Made of long-lasting material in red. Features indicator lights and push-button operation. Portable and side-mounted drain for easy cleaning. Capable of producing 28 lbs. of ice per day. Dimensions: 14.5L x 11.75W x 15H inches.
Okay, wanted to wait a few weeks to give this a full review, but I love this Ice Maker. Our icemaker in our "newer" LG Refrigerator & Freezer stopped working a long time ago. I got fet up with the old fashion ice cube makers and really have to ice, so I made the decision to purchase a portable ice maker, as it is a lot cheaper than buying a whole new refrigerator and freezer..... This unit,fill it up before you go to bed, and the next morning you have a whole batch of ice..... I have this unit in my laundry room, due to lack of space in my small kitchen, and even with higher ambient temps than most rooms, it does wonders.,.. And oh BTW, my big habit is chewing ice, and the ice that comes out of this machine is the best.... I would recommend this unit to anyone, my whole family could not be happier....
This ice maker is awesome the day I received it came well packaged and undameged read the manual did what it had said to prepare to use it for first time and it works like a champ it gives plenty of ice it continually makes ice every 8-10 min better than my fridge ice maker and we use ice a lot it’s a well constructed machine not flimsy and it stops making ice when it’s full only thing is it does not keep ice from melting but if not used melting ice goes right back into reservoir the Manuel explains it all I do recommend this product and what’s great about it you can take it camping or wherever you need ice as long there is a power source you are good to go👍
I bought one of these in 2015 and it worked perfectly for over two years until two months ago when it finally died. Fortunately for me I bought the extended Warranty from Assurant and they quickly cut me a check for the full purchase price and I bought a second one to replace the old one. Unfortunately it only worked for one day and then it died. Regretfully the manufacturer is willing to honor their warranty but only if I will pay to ship the ice maker to them. I am trying to decide what I am going to do. Whatever you do get the extended warranty it is more than worth it.
We needed an ICE maker for our Forrest River R-Pod 177 since the freezer is so small.
We like to save money so we bough an open box NewAir AI-100BK 28-Pound Portable Ice Maker for 1/2 the price of a new one. So far on Amazon every open Box or refurbished item we buy is actually brand new! You can save a bundle and it there is something wrong Amazon will take it back and pay shipping at no cost to you. You can't loose!
The NewAir AI-100BK 28-Pound Portable Ice Maker came in the original packaging. It had a few minor scuffs on the outside, expected with an open box item.
Review: We LOVE it and it makes ICE very fast about 6 trays an hour. The ICE is not hard frozen but we like it like that anyway. We also like the fact you can use purified or distilled water and make perfect ice cubes. Highly recommend this unit!
Upon reading a review from professional in refrigeration who purchased this same unit, I suppressed the urge to plug the unit in and make my first batch of ice. His recommendation was to let the unit sit upright for 24 hours in order for the refrigerant and other lubricants to "settle" in order to maximize efficiency and prevent potential permanent problems. After which I happily have been making ice and filling bags for the freezer. Right now I don't foresee using enough ice to keep it running so I will drain out the excess water and store it until the hot weather sets in (I predict it will get a real workout in a few weeks). I like the size of the medium cubes (thimbles) and I also like the fact that if you like to chew ice it doesn't freeze them too hard until you place them in your home freezer. I am happy so far with this product and am considering purchasing one for my daughters summer campsite. My son-in-law goes though quite a bit of ice drinking what he calls his "marriage counselors". The boy still needs a little counseling from the mother-in-law.
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