Newair Portable Ice Maker 50 lb. Daily, 12 Cubes in Under 7 Minutes - Compact Countertop Design - 3 Size Bullet Shaped Ice - for Kitchen/Office/RV/Bar - Stainless Steel

The rental house I am in doesn't have an ice maker in the refrigerator. It was the best choice out of all the rentals I looked at the last time I moved and since I don't use ice every day, I decided it was something I could easily live without.I started out using bags of ice from the store, which works OK. Then I decided that it would be nice to have an icemaker in the house, so I looked at portable ice makers. I'm not sure how difficult it would be to run a water line to where the refrigerator is and really don't want to go to that much trouble since I do rent this house. A portable ice maker is easy to set up and can go with me when I move.Having had an excellent experience with the NewAir AIC-210 Commercial Grade 1 Quart Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker, I put the NewAir brand at the top of my list when I looked at portable ice makers. I finally settled on the Newair AI-215SS Stainless Steel Portable Ice Maker with 50 Lbs. Daily Capacity because I liked its features and I liked it's high daily capacity.The unit has a self-cleaning cycle, which I very much appreciate. My sister used to have a portable ice maker, but it did not self-clean and she said it was really difficult to do manually with her model (I don't know what brand she had.) I put the self-cleaning cycle on, using the manual's recommended solution of one part water to one part white vinegar. After running it through a cleaning cycle with the vinegar solution, I ran a cycle with clear water to `rinse' it. The procedure is very similar to using a vinegar solution to clean a coffeemaker. After both the vinegar solution cycle and the fresh water cycle, I set the appliance on the edge of the kitchen sink, aiming the drain plug to empty the unit into the sink. At the end, I had to tilt the ice maker a little to get the last of the liquid out. Draining it might be a little easier if the drain plug were placed underneath the unit, but I'm not sure if that is mechanically feasible. Still, it wasn't hard to drain it, although I do think there is room for improvement.Once it had been freshly cleaned, I filled it with fresh water and set it to make medium-sized ice cubes. The window on the top lid allows you to watch it make ice cubes, which is only exciting for about a minute. Mostly it is nice to simply see what stage the cycle is in. The ice maker comes with a basket to catch the ice in after it has made, and an ice scoop for serving it. Both of these items can be run through the dishwasher on the top rack, but they were also very easy to hand wash.I filled a couple of large zip style bags with ice (Hefty One Zip 2.5 Gallon Jumbo Bags 16ct (pack of 2)) and stored one in the upright freezer in the garage and the other in the kitchen freezer for serving. The bags are easy to handle and can be zipped up to protect the ice. I also like that I can write the date I made the ice on the bags.The maker produces bullet-shaped `cubes' that fit nicely in most glasses and work wonderfully in most drinks.You can use this maker during parties if you want to keep ice going throughout the party rather than make a few batches beforehand.While this machine does make ice cubes, it does not keep them frozen after it has made them. However, as the ice melts in the basket, holes in the basket allow the water to drain back into the water reservoir, recycling it to make another batch of ice bullets.I am very pleased with this ice maker. It does everything I want and has proven very reliable so far. The only thing that would make it easier to make ice would be if it could be connected to a water line, but I really didn't want that feature because it would have required an installation I'd need help with. With the AI-215SS, I was able to unbox it and go with no assistance from anyone.

The icemaker on my refrigerator went out. Actually the line that chewed by a mouse. I ordered this as a replacement. it is so far superior to a refrigerator based icemaker that there is no comparison It continues to make ice with minimal maintenance superb design and many many useful features. It is insulated so it keeps the ice pretty much intact although it eventually thaws but there is always fresh ice. I ordered this and it didn't work I talked to the company and they determined that the internal pump was bad. These pumps were backordered until October. I had bought the unit at the Amazon warehouse for a substantial discount. Rather than return it I requested that the company replace it and the company has sent me a brand-new icemaker! They are a delight to work with. They are truly a class act company and I would recommend any of their products without any hesitation. I have been using the first icemaker I bought in the kitchen and the replacement will actually go in the shop.To reiterate, this makes refrigerator based icemaker's look like a child's toy. It is a remarkable well-designed well-made piece of equipment that sits on the countertop requiring only occasional water. It is easy to clean out easy to maintain quiet end effective and I just don't have enough superlatives to say about both the icemaker and the company. By the way, I have used two lesser icemakers ordered from Amazon over the last couple of years and there is not even the remotest comparison. This is not the cheapest model but it is by far the best value

I purchased this portable icemaker from Amazon a little over a year ago with high hopes and expectations. Initially, I was pleased with its performance. It consistently provided my family with ice whenever I needed it and it was quick. However, my positive experience was short-lived, and I am now left with an inoperable icemaker that stopped working just after the warranty period expired.I find it incredibly frustrating that a product marketed as reliable and durable failed to last even a couple of months beyond the warranty coverage. A product should be designed to withstand normal usage for a reasonable lifespan, especially considering the premium price I paid for it.The timing of the icemaker's failure makes me suspect that there might be some planned obsolescence built into the product. This practice feels dishonest and leaves customers like me feeling cheated and taken advantage.I would appreciate it if the manufacturer could address this issue promptly. If they take responsibility for the defective icemaker and provide a solution, such as repairing or replacing it, I would be willing to reconsider my rating. However, until then, I cannot recommend this product to anyone due torisk of experiencing,Customers deserve better, and it's time for manufacturers to prioritize product longevity and customer satisfaction over planned obsolescence and profit margins.My follow up review will either state that I'm changing my rating because the manufacture did the right thing, or it will state that the manufacturer did not follow up, my rating stands, and that customers should stay away, unless they wanna pay for a brand new icemaker a little after one year – when the warranty expires.