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Allen Arin · 18-09-2019, 22:34

Looking for a cheap ice maker which is affordable and it must be easy to clean please share your suggestion and photos as well if you have any

boom23 · 18-09-2019, 22:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allen Arin

Looking for a cheap ice maker which is affordable and it must be easy to clean please share your suggestion and photos as well if you have any

I have this one and it couldn't be better. It sells under many different names and in different voltages.

https://www.amazon.com/VIVOHOME-Port...871862&sr=8-11

grecko · 19-09-2019, 03:09

We have an Igloo. It is a fantastic ice maker.

CaptTom · 19-09-2019, 04:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by boom23

I have this one and it couldn't be better. It sells under many different names and in different voltages.

https://www.amazon.com/VIVOHOME-Port...871862&sr=8-11

We have one of those, too. Makes ice in just a few minutes (literally, 5 or less) and runs happily on the inverter. Ours is also branded "Igloo" but I've seen others which look almost identical. They go on sale at WalMart every so often, under $100US, sometimes a lot under.

FYI, the ice comes out in a short, cylindrical shape. It'll cool your drink down, but you'd need a LOT of it to be of any use in a cooler. The ice bin in the maker isn't refrigerated, just insulated. The first few cycles (a new cycle every few minutes) will chill the bin down enough that the rest stays cold enough not to melt for quite a while.

We generally make one full "batch" and put it in zip-lock bags in the freezer.

Svsumurun · 19-09-2019, 04:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by boom23

I have this one and it couldn't be better. It sells under many different names and in different voltages.

https://www.amazon.com/VIVOHOME-Port...871862&sr=8-11

Another vote for this one - works great . We also let it run until we have a ful bag .. a lot cheaper than the alder Barbour ice cube trays!

Boatguy30 · 19-09-2019, 04:46

What the peak wattage?

Captain Bill · 19-09-2019, 06:00

The one we have is brand named Igloo but it looks like and has the same specs as this amazon one people are posting about. It seems to peek at about 400 watts when the compressor starts but settles down to about 200. It runs fine on our modified sine wave inverter, but is a little slower at making ice when doing so than it is on shore power or the genset. We have found that placing a towel on the top improves the rate of ice being made and slows the rate of melting in the basket as the lid is not really insulated. We have 640 watts of solar and we are well into absorption by 11 am and can run the ice maker all afternoon on what we would normally be throwing away except on cloudy days. We bag up the ice and put it in the freezer. We are very popular while cruising as we always have ice. Being a cat we can use it while underway. I don't know how much heel it would be able to take and keep working.

We used to have a built in U-line which was basically worthless on the hook. While it would keep ice on the inverter it would not make ice on it. It was basically a drink fridge and it took lots of power. When it broke I ripped it out and made a tool locker out of its space. I should have done it years before.

accomplice · 19-09-2019, 06:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

We used to have a built in U-line which was basically worthless on the hook. While it would keep ice on the inverter it would not make ice on it. It was basically a drink fridge and it took lots of power. When it broke I ripped it out and made a tool locker out of its space. I should have done it years before.

We used to have one of those too. It used a lot of power to get cold, but never made much ice. Taking it out was a great decision. Replacing it with an Engel mini-fridge was an even better idea.

We have big holding plate refrigerator & freezer, but the mini-fridge uses negligible so I leave it on when we're away from the boat for days or weeks.

I'm intrigued by these little ice makers as I do enjoy a few cubes in my rum.

Tetepare · 19-09-2019, 06:21

These ice makers fill fast. If it’s rated for 15 lbs a day that means emptying the bin every 20 minutes for 24 hours. And adding new water. Don’t count on one to be your source of cold for the ice box.

**a64pilot** · 19-09-2019, 08:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

What the peak wattage?

Ours hits pretty hard for just a second or two at start up. It didn’t used to hit quite so hard, it’s such a short duration hit that I haven’t been able to measure it. When charging the bank you can hear the Honda struggle for a sec when the ice maker cycles.
I think I’m going to replace it, I assume it’s impending failure and we have become reliant on the thing, Ice is nice to have. It’s three or four years old, and was $100.
Whenever we are motoring or the generator is on, we make ice.
You can get them them that make up to 48 lbs of ice daily too. But they are larger and of course more expensive.
None that I have seen are easy to clean, mine requires disassembly with tools and is a little tricky, but can be done. If you don’t take it apart and clean it every so often it gets nasty, so you just have it take it apart.

Capt.Don · 19-09-2019, 08:38

We have one too, we are very popular in the anchorages!

One suggestion -- be sure to keep the air flow open. It doesn't work at all if fan vent is blocked

CaptTom · 19-09-2019, 10:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetepare

These ice makers fill fast. If it’s rated for 15 lbs a day that means emptying the bin every 20 minutes for 24 hours. And adding new water. Don’t count on one to be your source of cold for the ice box.

I don't get the part about emptying every 20 minutes. On our machine that would only be four cycles, and something like 24 pieces of ice. Ours will keep making ice for hours before running out of water and/or filling up the bin. Then we put the ice in a one gallon zip-lock bag, which fits nicely in the freezer.

I totally agree it wouldn't be a good source of ice for the cooler. In a pinch those gallon bags might be of some use, but far from ideal.

Nicholson58 · 19-09-2019, 11:04

We have both fridge and freezer with 220 AC volt cold plate and 24 DC Frigaboat. We can easily make ice but at $0.50 for a bag in the Caribbean the choice is easy. We keep a bag in the freezer. We have a small ice chest we use as a shopping bag for frozen stuff.

Additionally, we keep the bag at the top opening lid and open. The inrushing humid tropical air meets the bag of ice and the water condensed frozen onto the ice. This delays the defrost regularity.