To use, set the unit down on a level surface and plug it in. Press the “SELECT” button to choose the size of the ice cubes you want: small, medium, or large. A light on the front will light up, indicating which size has been selected. Once you’ve selected the Newair Black Portable Ice Maker, pour some water into the reservoir. Be careful not to fill it up past the “MAX FILL” line or the water will seep into the ice basket when you put it inside.
When you don’t have an in-fridge ice maker, running out of ice is a frequent struggle. Even if you do have one, they only make about 3 to 6 pounds per day. If you Set Up Euhomy Ice Maker live in a warm climate, like to entertain, or are just one of those people who consume ice like it’s a major food group, a portable countertop ice maker is your friend. It can produce ice all day long, freezing a batch in as little as six minutes, and you won’t have to clear out space in your freezer for a giant bag from the store.
Sometimes things just fall into place when you least expect it. Like when my fridge’s ice maker stopped working and then the Newair Black Portable Ice Maker. It was perfect timing, not just because our ice maker broke the same week it was delivered, but because we were planning on going out on our family’s boat that weekend and we needed ice for our coolers.
About the Product
- Produce up to 28 lb. of ice every day with the Newair Black Portable Ice Maker. Perfect for parties or even everyday use, this maker easily fits on a countertop and can make 3 different ice cube sizes.
- The NewAir 28 lb. Portable Ice Maker makes up to 28 lb. of ice in 24 hours
- Easily fits onto a countertop or table
- Features 3 different types of ice cubes
- Each cycle takes up to 15 minutes and produces 9 ice cubes
- Includes a side drain and an ice scoop
- Wipe clean the exterior
- Measures 14-1/2″ L x 11-3/4″ W x 15″ H
- Weighs 24.3 lb.
- ETL listed
- 1-year manufacturer’s warranty
- Imported
- Model AI-100BK (Black); AI-100CB (Blue); AI-100R (Red); AI-100S (Silver); AI-100VO (Orange)
Performance: Large, thick ice bullets
The Newair Black Portable Ice Maker perfectly fills the niche between a big, expensive commercial ice maker and one better suited for home use. It produces 50 pounds of ice per 24 hours, which is about double what smaller and more compact home countertop ice makers can produce. Its fan is about as quiet as a computer fan, and even the sound of the ice cubes dropping in the tray is fairly muted.
Finding space on the countertop was the hardest part of using this appliance. We managed to clear an area near a standard three-prong outlet, then we plugged it in, filled up the reservoir to the shelf that holds the ice basket, and waited just six minutes as promised for the first batch to be ready.
The first time we used the machine, the ice was great right off the bat, and it got even thicker by the second batch as the evaporators had more time to get the coolant flowing. A different time we used it, we had it placed near our gas range and turned it on while we were heating something up. We noticed that the first batch of ice was far smaller and skinnier than usual, likely due to the hot air near the appliance. That’s why the manufacturer recommends not placing the machine in direct sunlight or near heat sources. The ambient heat really does make a difference.
Design: Large and in charge
This appliance may be portable, but it’s big, and at nearly 40 pounds, it’s heavy. It’s portable in the sense that it doesn’t have to be permanently plumbed into a water line in order to work. If you really do want to move it, two built-in handles on the side make that easier. Keep in mind, however, that the coolant has to settle for two hours if the machine has been bumped around a bunch.
If you have room for the ice maker to live in your kitchen full-time, its sleek stainless steel body and black lid help it blend in as seamlessly as, say, a microwave. The stainless steel finish does attract fingerprints. If you’d rather have a color, you can find different models in red, blue, orange, and white from the same manufacturer. The window in the lid allows you to keep track of how much ice is in the bucket; however, it wasn’t big enough to show us the ice being made.
Features: Well-equipped
Several really useful features set the Newair Black Portable Ice Maker apart from budget models. First, you can choose between three sizes, or thicknesses, of ice. Even the smallest size is robust enough to effectively cool down a drink without melting away in minutes. When we wanted it to last even longer, we chose the medium size. And for the hottest days, when you really wanted the ice to stick around a while, the largest size was the way to go.
There’s also a timer function that can delay the start of ice-making by one to 18 hours, or you can set it to stop the ice maker after one to 18 hours. When we wanted to wake up to a fresh batch of ice or wanted it waiting for us when we got home from school and work, we just set the timer. It also worked great for when we knew we’d be leaving the house later in the day and didn’t want to have to remember to turn it off before we left. We just set it to shut off after a few hours. The only downside is we had to remember for each use; you can’t simply set a specific time, like a coffee maker.