Kitchen

[mspatmac]

I have a counter top Frigidaire ice maker.  I bought it when my refrigerator was slowly dying during the pandemic. It was a life saver and I loved it.  It was making so much ice so quickly I turned it off periodically and always at night..  Held ice long enough for most of the day.  Put some in a zip lock bag which took up no room at all.

When I finally got a new refrigerator, with ice maker I no longer use it but I like knowing it's ready and waiting if needed.  DD uses hers for pool parties and plugs it in outside.  Good purchase. 

[rockygems123]

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@SouthernBee wrote:

@amyb : I use a walker and really do a lot of dropping and spilling stuff. I have 4 ice cube trays that I have tried to use but creates a big mess for me.

I wish my GE side by freezer / fridge was dependable. Sadly only 6 years old and multiple issues since October trying to get it repaired. The stress of spoiled food and having to eat out Thanksgiving. Someone finally fixed it and even called GE for help and this was one week before Christmas. Then issues started Christmas night but determined it was the ice maker and opening and closing the doors during Christmas. I now check the freezer/ refrigerator temperature every couple of hours.

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@SouthernBee It certainly isn't my place to suggest you spend $ lol however if possible maybe buy a new refrigerator?  ....Ooops, sorry, just saw that you said you were having trouble ordering a new one  We have had several GE refrigerators as at the time my x-husband had a company deal with them, many employees used this deep discount.  It ultimately wasn't worth it for most of us, we had frozen lettuce in the refrigerator part, ruined a lot of food, ice makers didn't work like in your case.  We even had that ridiculously expensive built-in Monogram giant side by side and it was the biggest piece of junk ever.  Retail then back in the early 2000's was $5k, big useless paperweight.  

[SouthernBee]

@rockygems123 : Thank you. My kitchen remodel was done in 2016.  I only had two options for size on my refrigerator and chose the GE . I really wanted a double wall oven and the GE fit in my space and thankfully no issues with it. I purchased the GE cook top and so far no issues. So many people get excited about purchasing new appliances but for me considering the prices and so many items are not available just too much stress .

[SouthernBee]

@RollTide2008 : Thank you. I am still busy doing research.

[Venezia]

@SouthernBee - That's odd about Kohl's, because I just went on the site and put "ice makers" (without the quotation marks) in the search bar and the first item was an Igloo 26-pound icemaker.

It's not the one I have though and it seems they're in short supply on Kohl's.  When I ordered back in July, they had quite a few models/brands to choose from.  Now it seems like that one Igloo is about it.  And it's not on sale.

Another thing is that, if you have mobility issues, and your DH can't help, my model wouldn't be ideal for you, as you have to empty any water out of it, when you've finished making ice.  There's a plug on the bottom to do that, but it's a heavy machine and you need to be able to drain it over the sink.

I wish you luck - perhaps with your search for a new fridge/freezer.  The things you've mentioned are the reason I'm keeping my old Kitchenaid, even though it no longer matches the rest of my appliances.  When I do replace it, I definitely won't get another side-by-side!

[SouthernBee]

@Venezia : Thank you. I just went on the Kohl's site and found the ice maker but probably a computer glitch or whatever earlier. I have noticed the weight on the ice makers.

I have a wooden tray that I put on the seat of my walker to help move stuff around in the kitchen. I have a utility cart that has a handle on it that I can lean on and push( that I keep in another room )but use to move and transport my bread machine , and pressure cooker to the kitchen. I do a lot of praying for solutions to my various issues to help me keep moving and being as independent as possible. 

I am looking at other refrigerators with the freezer on top and realize that will look odd or different in my space but the one that I prefer is on backorder until May. My freezer /fridge is 35 inches and the space is 37 inches but newer models are bigger and need more room to open the door and open the vegetable bins.

I just found ice cube trays that has covers on top for less spills and will probably order one to try.

[SouthernBee]

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@mspatmac wrote:

I have a counter top Frigidaire ice maker.  I bought it when my refrigerator was slowly dying during the pandemic. It was a life saver and I loved it.  It was making so much ice so quickly I turned it off periodically and always at night..  Held ice long enough for most of the day.  Put some in a zip lock bag which took up no room at all.

When I finally got a new refrigerator, with ice maker I no longer use it but I like knowing it's ready and waiting if needed.  DD uses hers for pool parties and plugs it in outside.  Good purchase. 

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@mspatmac : Thank you. I want something to make ice whenever I need it and probably not every day.

[RedTop]

@SouthernBee 

Or, you can do what my best friend does; buy cups of ice from a fast food place several times a week, and put it in freezer bags for later.  She likes small nugget ice which is only available from DQ and Sonic locally.  

Despite my suggestions, my friend chooses to buy 4 large cups of ice a week, which costs just over $2.00; she says she can buy a lot of ice for the price of a counter top ice maker that she does not have room for in her tiny kitchen.  Even with limited freezer space, she always has room for flat bags of ice.  

[SouthernBee]

@RedTop : Well if your friend is happy but me would look at the total cost per year. I just purchased the ice cube trays with a lid to try.

[okaywitheasypay]

I absolutely hate ice cube trays. I always spilled them and had trouble finding a space.I do keep one with the silicone that makes large square cubes that I occasionally put in alcholic beverages.

I was thrilled years ago to buy our first fridge with an ice maker, but soon it grew old & costly to replace the filter .

I purchased a counter top ice maker when HSN hawked the KitchenHQ (with a self cleaning cycle) one  year or so ago and gave it a try. I love it . I have a small freezer and the one on the fridge and just 2 people. I pick a day usually when doing KP and make large bags of ice to store. I can obtain a week or 2 worth  for us. Of course I am the only one that uses much ice. DH can take it or leave it.

Whenever I get some out I do have 2 dogs that are beside me and love to catch then crunch an ice cube .