Who doesn’t like a nice cold drink? When you’re in your RV, having access to ice can be a major upgrade, whether you need to fill up your cooler or just want to have an ice cold glass of water. Luckily, there are many high-quality portable ice makers on the market today that make great additions to any RV. In this review, we will show you five great options to help find the one that’s best for you. We will be assessing each product based on its features and technical specifications. Let’s get to making ice.
COMPARISON CHART
IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
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Igloo ICEB33BK
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Kismile Countertop Ice Maker Machine
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Free Village Ice Maker Machine
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NOVETE Portable Ice Maker
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Frigidaire EFIC189-Silver Compact Ice Maker
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Specification
Ice making capacity: | 2 pounds of ice |
Ice making speed: | 9 Ice cubes every 7 minutes; makes 33 pounds of ice in a 24 hour period |
Water Tank Volume: | 2.5 quarts |
Power: | 110-120 volts |
Weight: | 23.2 pounds |
Unit Size: | 14.09 x 9.65 x 11.54 inches |
Features
- Removable ice bucket & scoop
- Illuminated Digital Control panel
- Quick-freezing ice
- Large ice-making capacity
- Easy to Use
- Self Cleaning
This Igloo ice maker is a great all-around option if you want to add an ice maker to your RV. It has a clean, stylish look, is easy to use, and makes high volumes of ice efficiently.
WHAT WE LIKE
One of the most attractive features of this machine is its water tank volume. At 2.5 quarts, it has the largest capacity for water out of all the ice makers on this list by a not insignificant margin. This means you’ll get more ice and spend less time filling the reservoir. To add to this, the ICEB33BK also has a higher daily output of ice than others on the market. While you probably won’t need to keep your ice maker running 24 hours a day, this maker will produce ice at a higher volume than others.
It has a simple control panel that shows you when more water is needed, when the ice bucket is full, and whether small or large cubes are currently selected. There is also a self-cleaning feature to keep the ice maker sanitary.
WHAT WE DONT LIKE
As for downsides, there isn’t much here. The machine is slightly bulky, and some may not prefer its blocky design, although that is a matter of personal preference. It also does not come in a very wide range of colors, so it’ll have to be black or silver if you decide to go with this machine.
PROS
- High water capacity
- High ice output
- Trusted brand
CONS
- Not many colors
- A bit heavy
- Blocky design
Specification
Ice making capacity: | 1.98 pounds |
Ice making speed: | 9 ice cubes every 6-8 minutes; makes 26.5 pounds of ice in a 24 hour period |
Water Tank Volume: | 1.8 quarts |
Power: | 110-120 volts |
Weight: | 16.72 pounds |
Unit Size: | 9.5 x 13.9 x 13 inches |
Features
- Removable ice bucket & scoop
- Illuminated Digital Control panel
- Quick-freezing ice
- Large ice-making capacity
- Easy to Use
- Self Cleaning
The Kismile Countertop Ice Maker is another great option. Although roughly the same size as the Igloo ice maker, it has a sleeker, more modern-looking design, and comes in more colors. Like the Igloo, it is packed with useful features, and should have all the functionality you need to make ice in your RV.
WHAT WE LIKE
Kismile’s offering is a capable machine that has a striking look to boot. Its design is nice to look at, with rounded edges and a clear grey window into the reservoir, and it comes in red and white as well as black, meaning it should look good no matter how your RV is decorated. It also churns out ice cubes as quickly as once every 6 minutes, producing 9 at a time much like the Igloo. It offers all the standard features as well, coming with a self-cleaning mode, an illuminated control panel, and an ice bucket and scoop that are removable for easy ice transfer and cleaning.
WHAT WE DONT LIKE
One downside to this ice maker is noise. While Kismile advertises it as running quietly, the motor can be a bit loud, which can be distracting, especially in the confined space of an RV. Otherwise, this is a quality machine with a nice look and a good collection of features.
PROS
- Sleek design
- Quick ice production
- Good features
CONS
- Can be loud
- Smaller reservoir
- Smaller ice production
Specification
Ice making capacity: | 2.2 pounds |
Ice making speed: | 9 ice cubes every 6 minutes; makes 26 pounds of ice in a 24 hour period |
Water Tank Volume: | 1.8 quarts |
Power: | 110-120 volts |
Weight: | 16.72 pounds |
Unit Size: | 13.89 x 9.53 x 13 inches |
Features
- Removable ice bucket & scoop
- Illuminated Digital Control panel
- Quick-freezing ice
- Large ice-making capacity
- Easy to Use
- Self Cleaning
The Free Village Ice Maker is a rebranding of the Kismile ice maker, and therefore is nearly identical in terms of features and design. Like its cousin, this is a quality ice maker. It’s hard to go wrong here.
WHAT WE LIKE
Like the Kismile, the design here is sleek and appealing. It has the same control panel and options, including the self cleaning mode. One minor difference here is that the Free Village version claims to be able to produce ice as often as once every 5 minutes, one minute faster than the Kismile. It also has a slightly larger ice basket at 2.2 pounds.
WHAT WE DONT LIKE
Although it is practically the same machine, this version does not come in red like the Kismile, and it is ever so slightly more expensive, despite not differing very significantly. Like the previous machine, it can also be a bit loud.
PROS
- Sleek design
- Quick ice production
- Large basket
CONS
- Can be loud
- Slightly more expensive
- Smaller ice production
Specification
Ice making capacity: | 1.76 pounds |
Ice making speed: | 9 ice cubes every 6 minutes; makes 28.7 pounds of ice in a 24 hour period |
Water Tank Volume: | 1.95 quarts |
Power: | 110-120 volts |
Weight: | 20.4 pounds |
Unit Size: | 16.75 x 15 x 11.5 inches |
Features
- Removable ice bucket & scoop
- Illuminated Digital Control panel
- Quick-freezing ice
- Large ice-making capacity
- Easy to Use
- Self Cleaning
The NOVETE portable ice maker has a clean stainless steel design, but it also comes in light blue if that’s more your style. It has a solid ice output compared to others on this list, and is another solid option to consider.
WHAT WE LIKE
This machine has a convenient carrying handle, making it one of the more portable options on this list. In addition, it produces more ice per 24 hours than any machine other than the igloo. One of the main features that sets this machine apart is its insulation, which allows for storage of ice in the machine itself for hours at a time without having to transfer it to a cooler or freezer. All the standard features are here as well.
WHAT WE DONT LIKE
The NOVETE Ice Maker does have a few downsides. Despite its carrying handle, the device is fairly large, which is something to consider. Its window into the chamber is also quite small, providing relatively little visibility.
PROS
- High ice output
- Good features
- Nice design
CONS
- Large
- Heavy
- Small window
Specification
Ice making capacity: | 1.98 pounds |
Ice making speed: | 9 ice cubes every 6-8 minutes; makes 26.5 pounds of ice in a 24 hour period |
Water Tank Volume: | 1.8 quarts |
Power: | 110-120 volts |
Weight: | 16.72 pounds |
Unit Size: | 9.5 x 13.9 x 13 inches |
Features
- Removable ice bucket & scoop
- Illuminated Digital Control panel
- Quick-freezing ice
- Large ice-making capacity
- Easy to Use
- Self Cleaning
Finally, we have the Frigidaire EFIC189 Ice Maker. This machine is reminiscent of the Kismile ice maker, with its curved design and large clear window.
WHAT WE LIKE
Frigidaire’s machine produces 9 cubes every 7-15 minutes, and makes 26 pounds of ice every 24 hours. It has a self-cleaning feature and a removable bucket, and its large clear door is a nice design. It has a clean look to it, and it performs well.
WHAT WE DONT LIKE
The main downside of this machine is that it doesn’t keep ice quite as cold as the others, meaning you will likely have to transfer the ice to a cooler or freezer before too long. It’s 7-15 minute range for producing batches of ice is also a bit longer than some others.
PROS
- Nice design
- Trusted brand
- Good features
CONS
- Insulation could be better
- Only one color
- Relatively slow
These ice makers are all high quality machines, and no matter which one you pick, it will get the job done. But the best overall ice maker for your RV is Igloo’s ICEB33BK. Its volume and capacity are hard to beat, and put it ahead of the competition.