To find the right ice machine to test, I did hours of market research. This included reading reviews from industry professionals, filtering through customer reviews, and looking through top sellers at community-favorite online stores. I had the same experience with insulated water bottles (which I was also trying to find). many. There are many ice makers available on the market, and they all sound the same.
Four popular ice machines were tested for two weeks. I ran each machine around the clock, put them through stress tests, and then placed them in real-life situations.
Seems quite difficult to measure ice making/production because variables like temperature, water level, and machine location all affect how fast ice can be created. It would also make it inefficient and tiresome. To determine how many ice cubes (in fact their weight) was made, I would have to weigh each batch of ice that each machine made in 12 hours. Instead, I measured how long each machine took for each batch of ice to determine how many ice was produced. Then, I did the math and calculated how much ice could theoretically be made in 24 hour in my environment. This included cold water from the tap and water that had been filled to the maximum line. It was in a room at 73 degrees F without direct sunlight hitting the machines.
So, the best ice making machine truned out to be the Gevi model – here are it’s technical capabilities:
This portable countertop ice maker machine is lightweight and easy to use. It can be used for multiple occasions such as camping, home, and office pantry. It takes only 6-8 minutes to make 9 bullet-shaped cubes of ice per cycle. A family can produce 26lbs/24 hours of ice cubes. Although smaller in size, it is still very powerful. The latest refrigeration technology combined with a muted fan ensures that this icemaker doesn’t make more than 40db. The icemaker is also equipped with an ‘ice full’ or ‘lack of water sensor to stop icemaking, reduce energy consumption and lower your electric bill. The ice machine is easy to use thanks to its intuitive control panel and easily understood indicators. Plug in and go. Gevi values your satisfaction. Gevi offers a 12-month warranty on all ice makers purchased through an authorized channel.
Some notes from my personal experience with the Gevi Ice Machine:
The portable ice making machine is easy to use and makes a lot of ice in a short time. I needed an icemaker to keep in my bedroom for hot days. This machine was small enough to be easily moved around. It is easy to get used to the noise, but it is important to note. The machine also has two green lights that illuminate while it makes ice. They can sometimes get quite bright and won’t shut off unless the entire machine is unplugged. If you need a quiet ice maker machine, this may not be the best option.
It works well overall. There are twoice cube sizes available, and the ice is well-sized. Although the basket is small, it holds enough ice to keep you busy for a while. Once full, the machine will automatically shut off. This machine has one problem. It doesn’t keep your frozen ice cool throughout the day. If you don’t use it immediately, it will melt. Although the machine will make more, it can be annoying to hear it making more. It’s quite fast in my opinion, 9 ice cubes will come out after you plug it in in about 7 minutes.
Something negative to know about these types of ice machines – The ice maker doesn’t keep the ice frozen. The ice is placed in a basket. If it isn’t used, the water will evaporate and it will then melt. You can keep the ice from melting by removing it from the basket and placing it in a freezer. However, the ice will get “wet” and will freeze together so you’ll need to “bang it apart”.
Gevi Ice Machine
Pros
- Makes 9 bullet-shaped ice cubes in one cycle 6-8 mins only
- Maximum ice producing capacity: 26Lbs/24hours
- Measurements 13x9x11.4 inch (30 x 22.86 x 28.95 cm), weighing 18 Lbs (9.1 kg)
- Inside the box: Ice Maker x1, Ice Basket x1, Ice Scoop x1
Cons
- Can be noisy at times
- If you don’t scoop the ice out, it will melt quite fast
Final notes:
Experts say that ice production rate, storage capability, and ice form are all important considerations when choosing machines. The average daily production of my top three machines was about 22-25 pounds. The average storage capacity is approximately two pounds. Both of these factors were sufficient (and satisfied by this Gevi ice maker) for my household of two plus any guests who visited during my testing period.