Ice makers revisited

Just putting my wish list together for "Santa" - Our Little Pilot is short on refrige/freeezer space. Thinking about small, dedicated freezer and separate small ice maker. New 12 vdc compressor based systems seem to have come a long way since last time I looked.


Anybody got experience (good or bad) with smaller units??


(then I gotta find a place to put it)


Thanks!

Your post isn't clear if you have a fridge/freezer but if you do here is one suggestion. I have a fridge/freezer but the freezer compartment is really small, not to bad but small. I added a dedicated freezer to my 28 foot boat and in the summer of course all my frozen stuff goes in that freezer. Since all the frozen stuff is not in my fridge/freezer, I use that freezer to make ice cubes, and I can make a lot - not just one or two trays but 6 to 9 trays. Sometimes I'll make the ice cubes at home and bring them in a cooler and put them in the fridge/freezer so I have some ready to go while others are freezing in the freezer.

Sorry I wasn't clear - I do have a combo fridge/freezer built in - but it is very small and not sure if it will actually make ice or hold frozen foods reliably. It will keep soft drinks cold and there is always a little frost on the walls -top of one end. Was thinking about adding counter top ice maker for cubes but I understand while they usually make good cubes, they will not hold them - must be moved quickly to a freezer or they just melt. If the built in will not keep the cubes from thawing, might want consider a standalone freezer to help hold them a little longer and freeze them harder.



Warm mint juleps are just miserable in the Alabama heat of summer!! Most of our guest on the boat are impromptu - so its convient to have small supply readily available aboard rather than drag a bag down the dock.

Do not know about counter top units but would advise against installing a dedicated ice-maker such as the Raritan Icerette. Takes up too much space for the job and we found ours to be a PITA. Ended up using it for tool storage. What we did find very useful were the 2 dedicated freezers fitted in the lazerette. These were dual 12V/120V units that were actually smaller than the Icerette but enabled ice production (from trays) and frozen food (ice cream) storage.

The counter top units work best in cool temps and cold water in reservoir for the best results. The ice needs to placed in freezer to keep it frozen rock hard solid for best results. Our unit produced "soft" ice then transferred to freezer to be usable. They are not "set it and forget it" ice makers.

We added an Engle freezer which can also be set to be a fridge. It can’t be both at the same time. It can run on 12v or 110. It has only one moving part. Ours has been running as a freezer nonstop for ten years. It’s near silent. It keeps ice cream rock hard during the Florida summer heat. It’s kept in our lazarette. Purchased it online from a truckers supply company.

We’re on our third countertop ice maker. They seem to last about 2-3 years but my wife makes ice nearly every day. There are two sizes and we use the smaller one. No matter the brand or variation of controls, they all appear to be made by the same company. We paid $70-100 but have seen twice as much for the same thing.

As mentioned, it makes “grey” ice, not clear ice as from a freezer. It’s less dense, melts quicker and therefore you need to use more to cool your drink and it’ll water down faster than clear ice. If you leave it on, it’ll fill the basket then shut off. As it melts, it’ll restart and make more; in essence there can be a nearly full basket all the time, especially as the inside cools down.

My wife transfers ice to an insulated ice bucket, actually a yeti stainless steel jug, which will keep for a few days on the counter. You just need to ice pick the clumps a little. For limited space for freezer or dedicated ice maker it’s a decent solution.

Do you have a generator or inverter? We installed this inexpensive ($320 then)110v icemaker two yrs ago and it has worked great. It's a freezer so the cubes don't melt. We had a great built-in spot for it on our sundeck. No help if you need 12v. Good luck.

https://www.build.com/product/summary/1172752?uid=2804376

We just took our icemaker out and are using the cabinet for our new lithium batteries. We never used it. We do take a small chest freezer when we are cruising and it keeps ice cream rock hard. If we want ice we put a bag in the freezer and use it out of there.

+1 on the Engle Cooler.

hmason said:

We added an Engle freezer which can also be set to be a fridge. It can’t be both at the same time. It can run on 12v or 110. It has only one moving part. Ours has been running as a freezer nonstop for ten years. It’s near silent. It keeps ice cream rock hard during the Florida summer heat. It’s kept in our lazarette. Purchased it online from a truckers supply company.

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I like scotch but I must have ice to make it cold. I did the same, bought an Engle cooler 3 years ago and never looked back. Keeps my ice trays (4) and ice cream rock solid. Mine is connected to 12V & 120AC and draws minimal loads. Very quiet and is kept under my V berth on a roll out tray for access.

Large Engle cooler with the optional cushion. 25lb of block ice will last 4-5 days, plus you have an extra seat/foot rest/table.