As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links to Amazon on this page are affiliate links.
Water: what to pour in, and how often
Updated
Every pick here is filled by hand. Federal rules define a portable ice maker that way: no water line connection, and a reservoir you supply yourself. A pound of ice takes a pound of water, so the tank size sets how often you refill. The tanks here hold about 2.4 to 6.2 lb of water.
How far one fill goes
| Model | Tank | Water weight | Baskets per fill | Ice making per fill at the listed rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra | 2.84 L | 6.2 lb | 2.1 | About 3.9 hours |
| Frigidaire EFIC452-SS clear | 2.18 L | 4.8 lb | 2 | About 2.9 hours |
| Euhomy IM013 nugget | 1.1 L | 2.4 lb | 1.8 | About 1.7 hours |
| Frigidaire EFIC117-SS | 1.99 L | 4.4 lb | 2.9 | About 4 hours |
| Euhomy IM001 with handle | 1.2 L | 2.6 lb | 2 | About 2.4 hours |
| Igloo IGLICEB26HNBK | 1.89 L | 4.2 lb | 3.4 | About 3.8 hours |
We converted quarts and gallons to litres and used 2.2 lb per litre of water. The Opal row counts only its 0.75 gallon side tank, not the reservoir inside the machine, so it will go longer than shown. In daily use melt water runs back to the tank, so you refill less often than the table says. When you bag ice for the freezer, the table is about right.
The Euhomy IM001 and the Euhomy nugget maker have the smallest tanks, about two baskets per fill. For a party, that means a refill roughly every 1.7 to 2.4 hours. The Frigidaire EFIC117-SS goes about 4 hours.
Tap, filtered or distilled
GE says the Opal makes good ice with typical city water, and that it only requires potable water, meaning safe to drink. It also recommends distilled water if possible, because minerals build up in the machine and change the taste, and it warns that even bottled water can be high in minerals. With only distilled water, GE moves its cleaning advice from weekly to monthly and says you will most likely not need to descale. Check your own manual before you switch, since makers differ on this.
Euhomy's support page says to use drinking water and to discard the first batch, which may taste odd.
Side tanks and water lines
The Opal 2.0 Ultra here ships with a side tank that feeds the machine, so you fill less often. It is one more part to wash. GE's care page says to hand wash the side tank, cap and valve with mild soap and warm water, drain the tubes, and keep all of it out of the dishwasher.
Some countertop machines on Amazon add a water line inlet. None of our six picks has one. If you want a plumbed machine, plan where the line and any drain will run before you buy, and follow the maker's install guide or ask a plumber.
Check your own numbers with the pounds per hour calculator, or compare all six picks on the roundup page.