Stay Cool While Camping With These Portable Ice Makers

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A group of friends about to enjoy cold drinks using a portable ice makers from their RV

It’s getting more challenging to stay comfortable in your RV as temperatures rise. When even air conditioners have trouble keeping up, it is time to beat the heat.

One of the weapons in your arsenal should be a portable ice maker. Portable RV ice makers can cool your drinks and provide the ice needed for frozen ‘adult’ drinks. So after you adjust your air conditioner and add your resort’s swimming pool to your list, install a portable ice maker in your RV to combat the summer heat.

Let’s learn more!

What Is a Portable RV Ice Maker? 

Portable ice makers are small ice machines making less ice than commercial ice machines. It is portable, and most weigh between 18 and 40 pounds. It works with water and electricity. Most RV ice makers can produce around 20 pounds of ice a day, but because the basket that holds the ice is small, you must remove some to keep the ice maker functioning.

Does a Portable Ice Maker Use a Lot of Electricity? 

A portable ice maker doesn’t use as much electricity as you would think, especially compared with a built-in ice maker in some refrigerators. Most portable RV ice makers on our list use between 90 and 150 watts of power. They use the bulk of their power when starting up. You can lessen that pull by using water that is already chill, so the RV ice maker doesn’t have to work as hard.

Ice cubes made with a portable ice makers

Do Portable Ice Makers Keep Ice Frozen? 

RV portable ice makers don’t keep all the ice they make. Their process of creating the ice differs from making ice cubes in a freezer. In a portable ice maker, metal prongs drop into a water reservoir.

The prongs are extremely cold, and ice begins to form around them. When the ice cubes are complete, they descend into a basket, where they sit until you take the ice out. Since the prongs no longer touch the finished ice cubes, they do not remain frozen.

What Should I Look for in a Portable Ice Maker?

Some ice makers offer a self-cleaning feature that will keep your ice cubes crystal clear. Others may make more than one size. It is also essential to ensure your portable ice maker has an automatic shut-off if there is no water in the reservoir or the ice basket is full.

Stay Cool While Camping With These Portable Ice Makers

It was challenging to narrow our candidates for RV ice makers, but we have compiled them to help your research. Here we offer the best overall ice maker, a budget option, the ice maker that produces the most ice, the stylish option, and the most portable.

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Best Overall: GE Profile Opal | Countertop Nugget Ice Maker

About:  This is the heftiest portable ice maker, weighing 44 lbs. It makes ice by compressing ice flakes and can create one pound per hour. It has a half-gallon water reservoir, and the ice bin can hold up to three pounds of ice. The GE Profile Opal costs $529.

Dimensions:  15.5 inches by 10.5 inches by 17.25 inches

Ice shape and size:  Nugget-shaped

GE Profile OPAL01GEPSS Opal | Countertop Nugget Ice Maker | Portable Ice Machine Complete with Bluetooth Connectivity | Smart Home Kitchen Essentials | Stainless Steel Finish | Up to 24 lbs. of Ice Per Day
  • Note : Please check the dimension and item weight of the product and confirm it fits your space
  • OPAL NUGGET ICE, THE GOOD ICE - Serve up chewable, crunchable, craveable nugget ice that's ready fast and retains its...

Budget Pick: hOmeLabs Portable Ice Maker Machine for Counter Top

About:  The HomeLabs ice maker weighs only 18.5 lbs and uses metal tongs to create nugget-shaped ice cubes. It has a half-gallon water reservoir, and the basket can hold 1.5 lbs of ice. These portable ice makers can produce up to 26 lbs of ice per day, and the price is $75.

Dimensions:  9.5 inches by 13 inches by 14 inches

Ice shape and size: Nugget-shaped, small and medium

hOmeLabs Chill Pill Countertop Ice Maker - Perfect Ice in 8 to 10 Minutes - 26 Pounds Per Day Production To Keep You Iced Out Of Your Mind
  • Take a Chill Pill: Our powerful ice maker creates refreshing, chewable pill-shaped ice to keep your drinks icy cold....
  • 26 Pounds Per Day: Fill the 2.2 liter water reservoir, which holds up to 1.5 pounds of ice at a time, and you’re good...

Largest Quantities of Ice: COSTWAY Countertop Ice Maker

About:  This 21 lb machine can hold up to 2.4 lbs of ice and has a one-gallon water reservoir. You can add water automatically by putting a bottle on top, like a water dispenser. It will fill the machine as you use it. It can produce up to 40 lbs of ice daily and costs $200.

Dimensions:  10 inches by 14 inches by 15 inches

Ice shape and size:  Square cubes

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COSTWAY Countertop Ice Maker, 40LBS/24H Portable Compact Ice Machine with Top Inlet Hole, Auto Self-Cleaning Function, 24 pcs Ice Cube in 15 Mins, Ice Scoop and Basket Perfect for Home, Party, Office
  • 🧊【2 Ways of Adding Water】Simply add water through the top water inlet, or place bottled water (not included) on...
  • 🧊【User-Friendly Auto Self-Cleaning】Boasting an auto self-cleaning function, this ice cube maker gets you away...

Most Stylish: R.W.FLAME Ice Maker Machine for Countertop,Portable Ice Cube Maker with Self-Cleaning

About:  With a stainless steel front and a curving ice bin, it’s easy to see why this is the most stylish of our portable ice makers. It also cranks out more than 26 lbs of ice per day, plus it has a self-cleaning mechanism. You can get all this for $135.

Dimensions:  9.5 inches by 13 inches by 14 inches

Ice shape and size:  Nugget-shaped, large and small sizes

A person holding up their ice cold drink while camping filled with ice from their portable ice maker that was in their RV

Most Portable: Igloo Automatic Self-Cleaning Portable Electric Countertop Ice Maker Machine With Handle

About:  For a retro-looking appliance, the Igloo portable ice makers hold a half gallon of water in its reservoir and can carry 1.25 lbs of ice. The machine weighs 26 lbs and can produce 26 lbs of ice daily. It has a handle for easy portability and a self-cleaning option to keep your ice shiny and new!

Dimensions:  14 inches by 10.5 inches by 15 inches

Ice shape and size:  Nugget-shaped, both small and large sizes

Igloo Automatic Self-Cleaning Portable Electric Countertop Ice Maker Machine With Handle, 26 Pounds in 24 Hours, 9 Ice Cubes Ready in 7 minutes, With Ice Scoop and Basket
  • Note : Please check the dimension and item weight of the product and confirm it fits your space
  • DESIGNED FOR CONVENIENCE: Convenient and compact in size, this stainless steel ice maker looks good on a countertop...

Are Portable Ice Makers Worth It?

It is impossible to understand how anyone lives without a portable ice maker, especially during the summer heat. These five selections exemplify the options and capabilities of today’s RV ice makers. This should make it easy to select the one that best fulfills your frozen dreams!

Which RV ice maker will you choose?

Last update on 2024-12-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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