AC Countertop Icemaker = happiness.

[Meanderthal]

I'm slogging through deferred maintenance, the boat's torn apart, I'm...um...winter fluffy, and the Espar forced air supply line was installed by the PO directly under the fridge.

Ordered a cherry red hamilton beach countertop icemaker, and....breaks are a lot more fun when I have cold drinks, tasty protein smoothies seem to be quite slimming, and my social hour beverages (swapping the protein powder for vodka, heh) are very popular.

May not be able to justify it in a few months when marina shore power will be rare, but then I'll sell it or gift it forward. Love.

[zboss]

That's what we did. They work pretty darn well and when we left the dock we passed it on to a couple next door. The cubes don't last long but these ice makers crank them out. I know its a huge splurge and definitely runs into the range of excess, but on our next boat we may get a dedicated ice maker.

[montenido]

I had one on my sailboat in Mexico, and it was the best thing in the world on a hot day. I sold it with the boat, but I loved having ice whenever I wanted it.

Cheers, Bill

[Meanderthal]

So far, I'm using it every day, 2-3 times a day--frappucinos, iced coffees, smoothies, cocktails--based on the opportunity cost savings, the $100 will break even in less than a month. I thought it'd take longer, but I'm using it alot!

[Meanderthal]

Originally Posted by zboss

That's what we did. They work pretty darn well and when we left the dock we passed it on to a couple next door. The cubes don't last long but these ice makers crank them out. I know its a huge splurge and definitely runs into the range of excess, but on our next boat we may get a dedicated ice maker.

How much would a dedicated icemaker cost + consume in energy?

[PuttingDoctor]

I can run my icemaker on my inverter long enough to make a full load then turn it off. Makes me very happy indeed. Most used appliance on the boat hands down.

[Rudderless]

Originally Posted by Meanderthal

How much would a dedicated icemaker cost + consume in energy?

This one comes highly recommended:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...owledgepubc-20

I don't know the average draw, but it does spike up to 750W for a couple of seconds to get the ice off the cube maker.

[CaptTom]

I bought an Igloo brand (Model ICE108) last fall for $75, probably an end-of-season promotion. I was amazed at the quality and how quickly it made a ton of ice. I expect to use it a lot this summer, off the inverter or generator.

I'm thinking if I have to run the genset anyway to charge the batteries and heat the water, I can pop out some ice, too. It may even work underway if things are really flat, but I doubt it would like even a moderate wake. It works by cooling down metal "fingers" that stick into an open basin of water, so I suspect sloshing wouldn't be good.

[Mikado]

Originally Posted by Meanderthal

How much would a dedicated icemaker cost + consume in energy?

Good quality undercounter units such as U-Line range from $1k-$2K and use around 2.2 amps @ 115vac.

[a64pilot]

I love ours, yes it does use power, but on a really hot nearly windlass day and your motoring to get somewhere, they are amazing. We make ice with ours during motoring or generator runs, shorepower etc and store the ice in 1 gl freezer zip lock bags.
Built in "real" icemakers are incredibly expensive, the counter top ones are dirt cheap by comparison, and when it finally quits, it's not built in.
I sit our on the sole as we don't have counter space for it, and it's tough to fall off of the floor

[sapient sue]

We have just loaned ours to cruising friends to try, since we will not be in the tropics and taking a silver bird flight off shore. I am sure it will improve their G & T's.

[sapient sue]

We ordered ours from Melbourne in Australia - it has been fantastic.

We have just loaned our unit to cruising friends to try, since we will not be in the tropics and taking a dilver bird flight off shore. I am sure it will imorove their G & T's.

[Maka]

I have all the FREE ice I want here in my Marina.
For longer trips an ice maker would be nice.

[Meanderthal]

Apparently, I am a really nice person. I just loaned my Hamilton Beach icemaker to very cool people who just started a business doing 3-7 day trips in the vicinity of Resurrection Bay, AK on their steel boat Extraordinary. For those times on the first trip when they can't send the dinghy to chip some glacial ice 😉. Don't know what I'm going to do without it for a week....😣

They tried to order one on Amazon, but it was backordered 5 weeks. Tis the season!

[Bulawayo]

Originally Posted by Meanderthal

I'm slogging through deferred maintenance, the boat's torn apart, I'm...um...winter fluffy, and the Espar forced air supply line was installed by the PO directly under the fridge.

Ordered a cherry red hamilton beach countertop icemaker, and....breaks are a lot more fun when I have cold drinks, tasty protein smoothies seem to be quite slimming, and my social hour beverages (swapping the protein powder for vodka, heh) are very popular.

May not be able to justify it in a few months when marina shore power will be rare, but then I'll sell it or gift it forward. Love.

How much power do these take, please? Thank you.