Are you looking to buy a portable ice maker but have no idea about them? We got you covered. In this article, we will discuss the factors that you should consider when buying Portable Ice Makers. Without further ado, let’s start:
- Size and ice capacity
The majority of portable ice makers are small, since they are designed to with portability in mind. Having said that, even portable ice makers have variations in size. The size of portable ice makers determines the amount of ice that they can make in a single session.
Ice maker vendors usually give the measurements and the ice generating capacity in the specs of the product, which makes it easy to check the size and ice capacity of any ice maker. Generally, smaller ice makers are a good choice if space is a problem for you (having a small kitchen, or using the ice maker inside an RV as an example.) Meanwhile, if you need to create and store more ice, we recommend you to get a bigger ice maker.
- Ice generation speed
Now that you determined the amount of ice that you want to produce, the next factor is how fast an ice maker can create ice. If you and other people living with you consume a lot of ice, you should get an ice maker that can create ice quickly. Most portable ice makers in the market can create ice within 10 – 20 minutes, however this number varies from one model to another. This specification can be found on the box or manual of a product, or their website if they have one.
- Price
Portable ice makers belong to the “fairly inexpensive” category of home appliance. The normal price range for portable ice makers starts at just 100 dollars, with higher end models going as high as $250. An in depth evaluation of product reviews shows that going for a product that is more expensive can be better in the long run. This is because most of the lower priced ice makers start to have issues within 12 months of continuous use. You can probably get away with buying a cheaper ice maker if you will not use the ice maker regularly. However, if you intend to use the ice maker every day with few exceptions, we recommend you to go with a more expensive option that will last longer.
Another advantage of going with a more expensive ice maker is for the advanced features. Naturally, more expensive ice makers come with better features that are not really essential but will certainly make your life easier. There are self cleaning ice makers, along with automatic timers, the ability to choose different sizes and shape for the ice, and the inclusion of ice scoops.
- User-friendliness
Generally speaking, portable ice makers are quite simple to operate, as stated in our other article (Read: 6 Reasons To Buy A Portable Ice Maker) They do not require any installation, and you can create ice with just one click after adding water to the ice maker. Suffice to say, you shouldn’t be too concerned about having a hard time learning about the operations of a portable ice maker.
- Smart water usage
One of the best functions that a portable ice maker can have is smart water usage. Basically, ice that was left in the machine and subsequently got melted will be reused by the ice maker in another session. Of course, you need to clean it once in a while, but you can afford to recycle the water a few times. Being able to recycle unused water will be a great convenience for users who frequently create ice. It will also save you some money on your water bill.
- Weight
Another important factor to consider is weight, especially if you will be using the “portability” of portable ice makers frequently. If you intend to travel with an ice maker, or if you’ll be bringing it for camping or picnics, you should go with a light ice maker.
Generally, bigger ice makers will be heavier, so there will be some sacrifices with ice capacity if you want a lighter ice maker.
