Ice Maker Machine – A Modern Convenience

Among the many inventions of man, the ice maker machine is among the most underrated and are remembered only when they are needed. However, they are loved by people in the tropics who want some of their food really cold (ice cream, shakes, water). People living in temperate countries also love it during the hot months of summer.

There are several types of ice maker machines as there are several types of ice needed with their many applications and uses. As time went by, people discovered many ways on how to use ice and some of this ice have to be made by specific ice makers.

To date, the most commonly used ice makers are those classified as commercial units. They are abundantly used in bars, restaurants, hospitals, supermarkets and convenient stores. There are also residential models used in homes, specially built under-counter ice makers.

Portable ice makers are favored by those people constantly on the go or those living in small places (RV, boats, dorms and small apartments). This is good to avoid having an integrated ice maker in your refrigerator.

Here are some of the more popular models of ice makers in use these days.

To help give you a better understanding of what an ice maker is, how you will benefit from one, and which one may be best for you, we put together the below guide.

Portable ice maker

They are called portable and countertop models because they are compact in size, plugs into a standard 110V outlets, and does not need a permanent water line, except only the water poured into them when using.

They designed to be on your countertop and they make ice fast enough (some in as little as 10 minutes). You need to know they are not actually freezers and cannot keep the ice for long. As the ice melts, it will continuously make ice from the melted water.

It can also hold only to a smaller quantity of ice so you need to keep it making more ice if you need more. Their size makes them great for bringing along picnics and other outdoor activities.

Under-counter ice maker

These ice makers are designed with front ventilation and built-in or between cabinets. (They need professional installers.) They will a permanent water line and some have a drain line as well.

These are designed to store larger capacity of ice than the portables, and can freeze the ice longer. It is a bit more expensive, too. 

Modular

These machines are used to produce ice in larger quantities. These are the types used for commercial quantities in restaurants, bars, and hospitals.

It needs a separate unit for collecting the produced ice that will be ready for use. Typically, these are stackable and placed beneath the modular unit.

Self-contained

The self-contained ice makers are smaller, use lesser space, and produce lesser ice quantities but are in separate units. These ice machines are the most practical options when space is a problem and deciding which machine to buy. An ice maker machine is one convenience in our world that we need in hot times.