The Plumbing Joint’s Top 3 Recommended Stand Alone Ice Makers

There is nothing refreshing about a lukewarm beverage. Water, lemonade, tea, soda…they are ALL better with a few fresh ice cubes. Despite the popularity of refrigerator/freezers with ice making capabilities, you may still be making your ice the traditional way…with ice trays. This means you often grab a tray only to find that it’s nearly empty or even tastes a bit like “freezer burn”. Ice trays can be a nightmare to keep full because more often than not, the last person to take ice generally forgets to fill it up. Not to mention there is never enough ice to go around when relying on trays or even built-in icemakers for that matter – especially on a hot summer day or for special events.

Stand-alone icemakers give you plenty of great tasting ice at a much quicker pace. There’s no need for a stack of ice trays in the freezer, or a melting bag of store-bought ice and they are MUCH cheaper than buying a new refrigerator with an ice maker! If you are looking for a great stand-alone ice machine, here are a few top choices we recommend:

HomeLabs Portable Ice Maker Machine

This HomeLabs ice-making machine can cool your beverage without taking up a lot of space in your home as it is compact and built for smaller spaces. It produces smooth, bullet-shaped cubes at a very fast rate – in as little as 8 minutes to be exact and can create up to 26 pounds of ice per day! The capacity of this machine is 1.5 pounds but is capable of doing multiple batches throughout the day. It features small or medium size options with a resulting shape that easily fits into smaller openings like water bottles. While this icemaker produces in abundance, it does so in a quiet and efficient fashion. The HomeLabs Portable Ice Maker doesn’t require a whole lot of energy to cool and is designed with a water reservoir that will actually reuse any water that has melted from previously made ice. This machine will also notify you when the ice basket is full, or the reservoir needs refilling. It is a simple set up, with no installation required, just a quick plug-in and water fill. It’s also user-friendly as it includes an ice basket and convenient scoop. This icemaker would be a great countertop addition to any home in need of some extra ice.

Avalon Bay AB-ICE26S

The Avalon Bay ice maker is another great option. This ice machine offers high quality at a budget-friendly price. It is designed perfectly for your kitchen space as it’s small and compact with plenty of power to get the job done. The powerful compressor can create 26 pounds of ice a day which is plenty of ice to keep your drinks refreshingly cold. This machine requires virtually no installation as it simply needs to be plugged-in and filled with water. Once started, it only takes about 15 minutes to produce its convenient bullet-shaped cubes. This machine creates new cubes about every 6 minutes! The Avalon Bay offers a non-stop flow of ice and it’ll conveniently let you know when it’s in need of more water or the ice basket is full.

NewAir AI-215SS 50lb Freestanding Icemaker

For something a little heftier, the NewAir AI is perfect for households that enjoy larger get-togethers and festive celebrations. When your friends and family come to enjoy some great food and amazing company, this machine will keep plenty of drinks cold! This ice maker makes an impressive 50 pounds of bullet-shaped ice in a single day. There are even options to the size of ice cubes you prefer, three different sizes to be exact, and in a pinch, it can produce 12 pieces of ice in about 13 minutes. This convenient machine comes with a removable ice bin, scoop, and an 18-hour timer; it also features a handy self-cleaning function. Like the others, it will also notify you when it’s too full or the reservoir is close to empty. So, if you’re the type of family that can’t get enough ice, you’ll find that the NewAir AI is a great option. And although a hefty machine, it’s still compact enough to be placed in your kitchen without taking up too much space.

Whether entertaining or sitting on the back porch on a hot summer day an iced drink is always a welcome refreshment!