Counter top ice makers also known as freestanding ice makers or home ice makers, provide and almost endless amount of ice between fills ups. The wonderful thing about them is that they do not need to be professionally installed, just streak in, fill with water and go. I personally own one and find it to be a extraordinary addition, especially during Southern California Summers, to my kitchen appliances. All of the following reviewed machines were reviewed for two reasons (1) customer reviews and (2) ease of use. It should be noted that the average note is about $180 though there are more expensive ones on the market.
Chef Mate Counter Top Ice Maker (suggested retail price $169.99) A good machine of a small family. From a gallon of water, one gets an average of 33 pounds of ice, with the machine holding two and a half pounds between dumps (emptying of the ice bucket). The machine is able to produce three sizes and the first tray of ice is ready in as little as six minutes. The machine is easy to operate with soft touch controls to change ice sizes and power on and off. This is the machine I own personally and have discovered that the first batch of ice is the thinnest and it is best to let the machine continue on its cycle as the cubes will be the proper size on its second cycle and on. A good machine for a small family of four.
Mr. Freeze 35lbs-A-Day Stainless Steel Ice Maker (suggested retail price $199.99) Can produce up to between 30 and 35 pounds of per day. Soft touch controls and the first tray of ice is ready in as little as ten minutes. The machine boasts three sizes for ice.
Sunpentown Portable Ice Maker (suggested retail value $229.99) With an LCD display, one can resolve their cube size from three different sizes as well as set a timer to have the machine work automatically. Has a 35 pound capacity per day and holds within the machine two and a half pounds of ice between dumps.
Danby Portable 33 lbs Ice Maker (Suggested Retail Price $199.98) Another LCD display that allows consumer to program the machine as well as select their ice size. Obliging of holding three pounds of ice between dumps. Further it has a self-cleaning cycle that eliminates the need to move the machine close to a sink for trim out.
Retro Series Ice Maker (Suggested Retail Price $169.96) Only available on-line through www.walmart.com. Capable of making 26 pounds of ice per day. The machine only makes one size of ice and turns easily on and off.
Kalorik Silver Spray Portable Ice Cube Maker (Suggested Retail Impress $178.88) With its soft touch controls, the machine is easy to operate for its three ice sizes and is proper of making 33 pounds of ice per day in as little as ten minutes.
The machines can be found at any department store, I found most machines from Target and WalMart. Home Depot carries a selection designed for a favorite college football team. I found it interesting that Lowes did not carry a freestanding ice makers, be they for home or commercial use. These ice machines work on a gallon of water between re-fills and hurry every efficiently. It should be notorious that although they are portable and countertop friendly, the machines will work at their best when allowed more than their recommended clearance for the fan which is positioned one the side of the machine. The Chef Mate at our home sits in our dining room with enough fan clearance to allow the machine to work properly. With a family of four, we exercise the machine every other day to its full capacity between dumps.
A freestanding home ice maker saves precious space in a freeze as well as saving time waiting for ice to be made. In as little as six minutes, your drink is cold. Overall the home ice maker is a favorable investment for those who use a quantity of ice.
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Filed under Whole House Water Filter Reviews by on Sep 23rd, 2010. 
Father’s Day is right around the corner and it’s not too early to start thinking about what to gather him. This holiday always seems more difficult than Mother’s Day. Dads aren’t interested in jewelry or an aromatherapy candle so for the non-creative crowd options are more limited. Fortunately, gifts abound for just about every audience and the Internet is the perfect and easiest place to buy them.
Contemplate about what your father likes. Is he athletic, a techno geek, an outdoorsman, or avid reader? If you are buying for your husband (the other important father in your life), judge about your children’s ages and what he might especially appreciate or would be appropriate from them. Your children can even choose gifts with your assistance this way.
Crafty Man
Get him a gift certificate to a hardware store. Both of the big box stores have gift certificates you can purchase on-line (www.lowes.com or www.homedepot.com) starting at $5. These cards can be directly mailed to the lucky Dad or to you so you can include it in a card. Ace Hardware (www.acehardware.com) sells cards in $25, $50, and $100 increments. Or check out www.restorationhardware.com for more upscale items; a gift certificate starting at $25 and the latest catalog will go right to his door. These gift certificates give him carte blanch to buy the tool toy of his dreams.
Electronically Inclined
What man doesn’t like electronics? Check out the Bose website (www.bose.com) and give him the gift of sure sound. The Web site offers ideas and items for a range of budgets, including payment plans. Best Buy (www.bestbuy.com) has music, TV, videogames, you name it and they have something he will love.
Read Into It
Powell’s is a great position to discover for a rare or new book belief (www.powells.com). The website is sorted by bestsellers, new arrivals, and book reviews, among others, and is guaranteed to spark your (and his!) creativity. The NPR website (www.npr.org) has great book suggestions of recently reviewed and/or featured authors, as well as NPR contributors; additionally, a portion of your assume goes to support NPR. The big sites like www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com are expeditiously and easy places to find books.
Good Sport
Look and see if nearby golf courses or batting cages have websites and book him a tee time, seize him a punch card good for 10 buckets of balls, or effect him up for a private lesson. This is both the gift of time and a nod to his hobby. If your kids are old enough, they can go with him (or you can!). All of the professional sports teams have websites. Get him tickets to a game or a hat. Check out the REI website (www.REI.com) for great ideas to form his outdoors summer a success.
Picture It
The smiling faces of his children are guaranteed to be the number one pick-me-up in his life. Sites like www.shutterfly.com not only print photographs but will also put pictures on cups, into photo books, or on calendars. The site even sells frames so you can put that perfect pictures into a frame and send it straight to him.
Assorted Ideas
If you are stuck for ideas but are shopping for a (wannabe) metrosexual, check out www.whatshebuys.com for unique gift ideas. Pamper him with deluxe shaving accessories such as the eShave After Shave Soother or the Anthony Logistics Deep Cleansing Shave kit. Or give him a Lodis leather Blackberry case or Abas alligator-skin money clip. Many of these companies offer free shipping as a part of the initial purchase.
No matter what road (or site!) you take, the father in your life is guaranteed to love that you remembered him. These are just a few of the many examples of where you can look on the Internet for great Father’s Day gifts.
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Filed under Whole House Water Filter Reviews by on Aug 21st, 2010.