Which is the best to make ice at home! portable ice maker or refrigerator? Many people prefer to have a refrigerator to make ice at home. But a few people love to have a portable ice maker to make ice automatically when they need to party.
The fact is portable ice makers would be a convenient option for having quick ice, but a refrigerator is an excellent option for freezing other food items. However, the only difference is how fast these make ice and how much space they consume.
To have a clear decision, we bring this comparison guide between portable ice makers vs refrigerator ice makers.
Let’s find out in detail…
Table of Contents
Portable Ice Maker Vs Refrigerator Ice Maker (Comparision)
| Features | Countertop Ice Maker | Refrigerator Ice Maker |
| Portability | Great | Not portable |
| Ice Production Rate | Fast | Slow |
| Build Quality | Good | Good |
| Self Melting | Yes | No |
| Ice Quality | Soft and crunchy | Hard |
| Electricity Consumption | Low | High |
| Cleaning | Easy | Tough |
| Price | Low | High |
| Check Price | Check Price |
How Portable Ice Makers Produce Ice?
Portable ice makers are a convenient and fastest option to make ice cubes and nuggets. It uses a compressor and conduction, which help to produce ice instantly. The compressor has evaporator coils that quickly draw out heat and freeze the water and are pulled back down into the compressor.
The cycle of heating and cooling helps to keep the prongs chilled and produce ice consistently. Once the ice attains a certain thickness, the ice tray pulls back, and the prongs will automatically shift from the cooling side to heating.
This, further, loosens the grip of the ice on the prongs. The loose grip causes them to slide down and pop up from the ice tray. The complete ice making process will take only 5-15 minutes. With a portable ice cubes maker, you’ll be able to generate 28-50 lbs of ice per day.
How Does Refrigerator Make Ice?
The refrigerator ice maker consumes more time as compared to the portable ice maker. The cycle of ice making begins when the refrigerator sends the electrical signal to the refrigerator’s water valve, which releases water into the specialized mold in the freezer.
The valve will normally open to fill water into the mold. This can hold enough water to fill the tray to produce 6-9 ice cubes. Once the ice mold tray is filled with water, the valve will automatically shut off. The water slowly freezes down with the process of convection.
The refrigerator will make ice by using the air through a heat conductor. The process is slower than the portable ice maker.
Even if the temperature is at 0°, the water will freeze in more than an hour. However, the rest process is pretty straightforward as compared to the portable ice maker.
Which One is Best For Home?
As far as space is concerned, a portable ice maker consumes less space than a refrigerator. Even the large ice maker unit doesn’t consume much space and easily fits your kitchen counter space.
So, the portable ice maker is a convenient option for those who have a small space, whereas the refrigerators consume more space than the portable ice maker.
The refrigerator is sufficient to hold food items and generate ice but consumes more space than the portable ice maker.
However, if you are a party animal and need more ice, a portable ice maker would be a great option.
Which One Makes Ice Faster?
Undoubtedly, the portable ice makers can produce ice within a few minutes as compared to the refrigerator.
The portable ice makers work on the condenser and heat evaporator prongs which consistently produce ice without delay. The whole cycle will be completed within 5-15 minutes.
However, on the same side, the refrigerator consumes more than one hour to generate the ice. This is because it runs off air cooling that passes from the heat conductor.
So, even if the temperature is 0 degrees in the refrigerator, it still consumes more than an hour to make ice.
So, if you need consistent ice without delay, then a portable ice maker would be a better option than a refrigerator.
The portable ice maker can churn out 50-60 lbs of ice within 24 hours, enough to serve chilled drinks when you have a party in the home.
Which Produce Better Quality Ice?
The portable ice makers can produce two or three different sizes of ice. The most popular countertop ice makers produce hollow bullet shape ice which is easy to chew.
However, some ice makers can also produce nugget-style ices, which are comparatively softer than bullet-shaped ice. This kind of ice is ideal for drinks.
On the other hand, the refrigerator can produce a different type of ice. But basically, it makes ice cubes and crushed ice cubed-style ice.
Some refrigerators can produce ice in different styles, such as crescent ice and half-moon, which can be perfect for all kinds of beverages.
Some refrigerators can also produce craft-style ice in the form of a giant ball of ice. This kind of ice melts slowly as compared to another form of ice. The best thing about this ice is that it never dilutes your beverages.
I prefer nugget ice in my drinks and my friends also loving that. I’m using an Opal countertop nugget ice maker and totally satisfied with it.
Which is Easy to Clean?
Cleaning is always challenging when it comes to keeping the refrigerator clean. But not with the portable ice maker because the portable ice maker comes with an automatic cleaning mode.
So, you have to fill the soap water, press the button and start cleaning. However, you cannot enjoy the same with the refrigerator.
These are bulkier than the portable ice maker and have multiple parts to clean. This is why cleaning is not that easy, and it consumes more time to clean.
Final Verdict
Sometimes, it becomes challenging to decide which is the best? After reading the detailed comparison, you must conclude that the refrigerators are perfect for those with huge space and need to store other food items.
But on the same side, the countertop ice maker is ideal for those with small space and requires a large amount of ice within a short period.