Stand alone ice maker, who has one that has lasted more than a season?

[Sprinkler Fitter]

Don't know about the long term quality, but $99 seems fair foe this 26#/day countertop machine. It doesn't 'appear' to have a plumbed option, and I don't know if it could easily be retrofitted for one.View attachment 815084

You typically have to transfer all the ice from these to a freezer because they usually don’t have any refrigeration to keep the ice cold built in

 

[paulsharvey]

You typically have to transfer all the ice from these to a freezer because they usually don’t have any refrigeration to keep the ice cold built in

Correct, it's insulated, but doesn't refrigerate the ice once made.

 

[Sprinkler Fitter]

Correct, it's insulated, but doesn't refrigerate the ice once made.

So does that mean every 7 minutes you have to empty it?

 

[paulsharvey]

I dont know, but I assume if well insulated, you would be fine empty after a couple hours. I believe the intent on the counter top machines is you empty the bucket to your freezer or cooler, and don't run it 24/7?

 

[Hay Dude]

I’m on my 3rd Scotsman cabinet ice maker. Great when it’s working, which is only about 50% of the time. Once you have one, you cant live without it.

 

[ultrarunner]

Just makes and stores ice for the model I bought...

The RNs were skeptical but not anymore as it is convenient at the recovery station.

We only use it for ice bags... so far output no issue and during a shift it gets used so refrigeration isn't a factor.

After having two floods from ice makers in 25 years it's a comfort knowing if this let's go it's about a gallon that will flood max

On my 4 am rounds I check/add water so one less thing the morning staff needs to check...

Will take a picture and post...

Having a faucet sink and a pitcher makes it all work.

 

[Hambone]

Vevor machines seem to have pretty decent reviews, and seem to straddle the line between home owner and commercial machines; at pretty decent prices. $300-500; and depending on model advertise 80#-120#/24 hour period.View attachment 815029

I bought this one in spring. So far so good. I like it okay.
Makes ice

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Not being personally weird about ice, I'm curious. How are they weird about ice? Shape? Size? Temperature? Bubbles? Taste?...

They've got to have LOTS of it. If there's not enough for a dozen people they are stressing. I can't get the youngest to drink water but she will eat ice all day. She will fill up a cup with just ice and gnaw on it until it's gone and go get more. They both want "Sonic ice", the little nuggets, but those machines are stupid expensive. I said no under counter ice maker in the new house because of the expense and since we will have a working ice maker in the fridge but I eventually relented. Because of a 4th of July sale, we were able to add the ice maker and still save a little money to boot, over what the quote earlier in the year was.

The other thing that my wife can't live without is an instant hot water dispenser on the kitchen sink. It's a small additional water spout on the sink connected to a small water heater that puts out just a few degrees shy of boiling water immediately. She uses it to make tea, hot chocolate etc. Also if you need to boil some water to cook something fast you can fill a small sauce pan from it and it will boil on the stove almost immediately. Somehow the water doesn't have the bad taste that hot water from the tap has, and it's also a lot hotter.

 

[ponytug]

Thanks for the explanation on the ice! I'm glad that it all worked it in the end for everyone.

That is a nice looking Insta-hot water faucet. The ones that I have seen weren't as nice. Around here, they are often plumbed to heat cold water, which may explain the taste difference, as some hot water tanks are prone creating off odors/flavors in the hot water, either through chemical reactions with the anode or tank or due to precipitation, or sometimes through biology and growing microbes, usually sulfur consuming microbes that off gas hydrogen sulfide, which some of us are quite sensitive to.

All the best,

Peter

 

[MotorSeven]

I was hoping this was more about the countertop ones. We decided to skip the water/ice maker in the new fridge and get a countertop one instead. The ones in fridges always fail. I'd like one that uses a dedicated line. Just the two of us most of the time, so volume is not a huge deal.

Yes, I forgot to mention. In 11 years, we have been through 3 fridges. The 4th one has lasted the longest, but on every single one of them the ice maker failed within a few months. I did put a whole house surge control breaker which seems to have helped, but I have watched the power brown down and blink here many times, which kills electronics.

As for a counter top, I am not opposed to one, but most of them make bullet or nugget ice. It's cloudy and melts quick, so not good for a cooler. What I am looking for is full cube ice, or crescent ice, which is clear and melts the slowest.

I know...first world problems We have ice trays and have been doing it that way for years. The 2" round ball ice is awesome for Bourbon.