Product review (5 stars): No more running to the store for a bag of ice!
This ice maker is simple to run, simple to fill, plus easy to access the ice.  It makes a hollow tube cube that is great for drinks. It is a great asset for people with small ice makers in their refrigerators and for entertaining--inside the home or out on the patio*.  It has a relatively small footprint, not too loud or cumbersome.  And it has a nice looking simple design.  It's well-constructed, too.
 *Out of the weather and out of direct sunlight.

We have a french door refrigerator.  Never mind that it is the largest cubic foot model they make, the ice maker in the door is still inadequate for a thirsty small family during the summer months.  For the past two summers--since we bought that darn frig--we have been running to the local corner store (five miles away is our closest...) for a bag of ice on the days that we are at home and working or playing in the yard.  We vowed:  Never again.  This Ivation Portable Household Ice Maker is going to save us!

I had a few concerns about getting a portable ice maker:  How loud would it be?  How far away from a water source could it be placed before losing the element of "convenience"?  Would it have to run constantly?  Would it make enough ice quickly?  To answer briefly, and elaborate below:  It is not too loud.  It can be filled with a pitcher of water.  You turn it on when you need it--you can have a glass of ice in a few minutes; with advance planning, you can have a bin of ice in two hours.  It is not so easy to drain--and the instructions suggest that it be emptied and refilled every day you use it.

While it is running, the noise it makes is not offensive:  You can hear the water running/trickling into the ice making compartment; you can hear the motor fan; you can hear the ice shovel-er moving.  After a few cycles, I hardly noticed it.  I positioned it knee-high on a kitchen window seat.  If it was up in my face on a kitchen counter, I might notice the noise more, but even then, the sound is not excessive.  (The sound of the water moving in the machine is kinda' pleasant, actually.  And watching the movement of the shovel is kinda' fun.)

Picture this:  When we have a gathering, we will place it on a stainless steel cart on the porch where there is a convenient wall outlet.  This model has a small enough footprint that it can sit on the cart, along with glasses and napkins and a pitcher or two, for a very convenient drink station, with a cooler of canned and bottled drinks sitting next to it.  This ice maker comes with a perfectly-sized ice scoop.  (It surprised me how well it works.  So many don't.)  Under the safety instructions, it says this ice maker is not for outdoor use.  I don't know why it says that, unless they are suggesting it should not be left out in the elements.  I think putting it out of harms way, away from water, and away from direct sunlight, is adequate--but what do I know.....

The ice compartment is not refrigerated, and the lid is not insulated, but the sides are. The ice compartment in the machine acts as an ice bucket, as the hinged lid lifts easily and the scoop fits inside.  As the machine keeps cranking out ice, it is not a problem if you've got people grabbing ice almost constantly.  (It says you only need to pause the machine if you are adding water.)  It is interesting to note:  The tube ice takes up more room in a glass than cube ice does, so you actually use less ice over time.

I can fill it with a pitcher of water.  But you cannot completely empty it of water unless you get it to the sink, and it is heavy. Even if I let it make ice until the water in the reservoir empties, the machine still holds water in hidden places (like the trough where ice is made).  The machine needs to be taken to the sink, the plug removed, the machine tilted back and forth several times before all the water runs out.  Then you need to dry it out with a soft, absorbent cloth.  I leave the lid up until the inside is completely dry.  (It condenses under the lid if you don't.)  Then it is ready for the next use--whether the next day or the next week.

I am really happy with this simple-to-use, very efficient and convenient ice maker.  Maybe not so happy with the chore of draining it....

*I received a sample product from Ivation.