Inexpensive Ice Maker ?

[Sailorman1249]

I see a lot of inexpensive ice makers coming on the market ~~$200. Anyone had experience with any of these? Any recommendations? Thanks!
Will

[capngeo]

I've had one (well several really as they only last about a year) for years now. They are nice because they recycle the water. That said, you need to clean them out good once a month or so. Mine always stayed ahead of my rum and coke drink consumption... It would not fill a cooler though. Overall a good value for the $ IMHO

[simonmd]

I have a Contessa ice maker and it has been used very hard over the past year. Not once has it broken down or given me trouble and on a boat where ice cube trays can spill in the freezer etc, they are a fantastic luxury for not much money, especialy in warm climates.

[DotDun]

I have an Air-n-Water model. It pulls ~400 watts - works well on the inverter. We make ice when motoring or charging batteries. Of course on shorepower it's a no-brainer.

Had a few problems with the original one, their customer service was fantastic in replacing it. They go above and beyond to make the customer happy.

AI-210W NewAir Portable Ice Maker With Easy-to-Read LCD Display

[Sailor g]

I would love an icemaker. Where do you have it? In the freezer compartment? Does it have to be plumbed? How big a boat can fit one? I'm happy to hear that they seem to be working.

S/V Friendship

[doug86]

IP210TI Compact Edgestar Portable Ice Maker - Titanium

This is the one I use. Seems to run fine on the inverter. However, these types do not have a freezer, so they don't really store ice, they just keep making it. They make the cubes pretty fast, so you have the first cubes in about 10 minutes, and a dozen cubes in about half hour.

I fire mine up about 45 minutes before reaching my destination, and by the time the anchor is set and the log is filled out, I have plenty of ice for the rest of the evening. What ever I don't use just melts back into the water well to be frozen next time.

[mbianka]

I tried one for a season and found it a waste of money and space on board.
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: LESSON LEARNED: WHAT DOES NOT WORK: ICE MAKER
It sounded like a good idea but, wasted a lot of energy for very little ice. Unless your boat lives at a dock or you run a generator a lot I'd say save your money and put it toward a good reefer/freezer like an Engel and make ice with it.

[S/V Illusion]

It's only a waste of money if you don't want or enjoy having ice. We bought one about 4-5 years ago at Home Depot for $200 and it i still going strong; no problems at all. Best investment of $200 I ever made! We can enjoy ice whenever we want for little electrical demand compared to the typical refrigerator and freezer and it's great for parties too. I guess a beer drinker would find little to like about these things.

[Intentional Drifter]

Ice makers are great things. Ours is a U-Line made for the marine environment. Now 8 years running without any problems. While not cheap, it will run on the inverter and will crank out 25 pounds of ice a day. Our practice is to run it while on shore power, while charging batteries on the genset or if we're having an extended run on the engines. We tend to let it run for awhile and then fill in the empty space in our freezer with ice. That lets the freezer run more efficiently and we always have plenty of ice for our drinks. That way, we might only use it once or twice a week. It is, indeed, a luxury, but one of the best luxuries on the boat! After all, your sundowners must have ice.

ID

[Jon Hacking]

I guess it depends on what you need. I need my sundowners cold, but they don't need to clink. And even my 500W of solar panels wouldn't run an ice-maker as well as our other needs (& we don't spend much time at docks, as they usually want $$). So the sundowner fixings (cokes, tonic, beer, even wine & juice) live in the fridge. Drinks are cold & refreshing (but don't get watered down by melting ice). Our freezer produces ice cubes, but they're usually used for frosty blended (non-alcoholic) drinks in the early afternoon. My 2¢...

[doug86]

Originally Posted by Intentional Drifter

Ice makers are great things. Ours is a U-Line made for the marine environment.

Can't imagine you bought a U-Line for under $200 ...

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

It's only a waste of money if you don't want or enjoy having ice. We bought one about 4-5 years ago at Home Depot for $200 and it i still going strong; no problems at all. Best investment of $200 I ever made! We can enjoy ice whenever we want for little electrical demand compared to the typical refrigerator and freezer and it's great for parties too. I guess a beer drinker would find little to like about these things.

Who said anything about not enjoying having ice on board? I use the Engel with it's less than 3 amp draw in freezer mode. Makes plenty of ice and runs off my two 75 watt 12 volt solar panels during the day. Not only do I make ice for drinks but, also use ice in the cooler and I still have room for other frozen things too. Who wants ice cream? For a cruising sailboat that spends more time on the hook than at a dock I think the Engel works much better than having the dedicated ice maker. That's why I took it off the boat.

[simonmd]

It's all relative. either run an icemaker for 30 mins drawing quite a bit of power, of have to keep more drinks in the fridge to keep cold. It's all down to storage / personal preferance.

If you are a long distance cruiser and have a decent charging /inverter set up, i'd say they are invaluable. Cans or large bottles of drink can be stored elsewhere while leaving more room for perishable foods, etc. in the fridge. Even if you have to fire up a genny for half an hour, you're still only talking a buck or two in fuel to do it.

[capngeo]

The engel will not make cubes in ten minutes! These will!

[rubyjean]

I use a small Haier unit, It's great putting a few ice cubes in my Rum & Coke. I have to run a small Honda gen to charge batt's every day. Make some ice at the same time. You have to have a little luxury while cruising. Michael