Product review (5 stars): The perfect little ice machine for a personal party!
This Ivation ice maker is real lightweight min and is a little workhorse. I do have another ice maker with equal capability, but is larger, more difficult to move, and more expensive. One thing youll need to keep in mind when purchasing this ice machine is what it is and what it isn't intended to be. Its not going to churn out ice fast and furious for a large crowd. This is a great ice maker for home and personal use. I do have a few ice machines and love them all. The mini can fit on a counter and be used during those hottest days of the year.

I had no problem getting the Ivation out of the box and set up. It was very well packaged and quite secure, but I didn't have to battle with the box. Instead of flipping it around, I simply cut down the sides and removed the original box. Now, instead of rushing to set it up and start making ice, its a wise idea to let it set for twenty-four hours or more to let the refrigerant settle. While this process is going on, you may wish to wash out the basket, scoop, and inside of the unit with warm, soapy water. You can get this ice maker up and running within 30 minutes, but I preferred to err on the safe side.

Operation is really quite intuitive, unlike one machine I had. There really isn't a thing to do with this machine setup wise. There are only a couple of icons on the digital display that alert you to what is going on: Ice full, Add water, Work. How easy can it get? Remove the Ivation from the box, let the ice maker settle, clean, pour in water, plug in, turn on, and wait for your ice. Cant get much easier than that. Im repeating myself here, but its really that simple.

FEATURES:

 Modern Compressor Refrigeration Technology for Efficient Ice Cube Making
 Sleek Performance-Oriented Design and Compact Size, Removable Tray for Easy Ice Transfer
 Large See-Through Window Allows for Process Monitoring & Ice Level Checking
 Easy-Push Touch Buttons w/Intuitive Icons for Digital Control
 Alerts for Peace of Mind: Low Water Level & Maximum Ice Capacity Reached

SPECS:

~ Ice Making Capacity: 26.5 Pounds/24 Hours
~ Ice Storage Capacity: 1.8 Pounds
~ Water Storage Capacity: 2.8 Liters
~ Display Type: LED Buttons
~ Dimensions: 14.2 x 12.9 x 9.8
~ Net Weight: 20 Pounds

To make the perfect cube, least ways a pure one, I used filtered water from my Brita. Distilled or spring water also works well, thus preventing any flaky buildup from the water. The cubes, which have a hollowed out section in the middle, were sans any off taste. That sort of thing is a real turn off. When I left the machine running for a long time, the cubes clumped a bit (all of these machines do this). I was easily able to break them apart with the scoop. They don't clump at all when Im using it continually, rather unlike getting a bag of ice thats rather distasteful looking (I hate that).

Once again, I cant remind anyone enough that this machine isn't capable of producing scads of ice all at once. However, this machine (as is the other Ivation) is infinitely faster than my other one. After filling with water, I just walked away and had a basket full of ice within the hour. This is a great little personal / party ice maker, not an industrial one. Also keep in mind that by using filtered water, youll avoid bad tasting ice and chemical buildup in the machine. Yes, I do love this machine and think its perfect to use during hot summer months and for anyone who is having a small party for personal use.

CLEANING:

One thing that is important is making sure you clean the machine every once in a while. What I did with my other one was clean it with a solution of water and vinegar in a manner similar to how Id clean a coffee maker. This ensures that there will be no off taste to the cubes and youll have a pristine interior. I fill the water reservoir below the water fill line with 1 quart of white distilled vinegar and 1 quart of potable water.

Do not fill above the water level max. The line is clearly marked on the inside of this machine. When cleaning the ratio of vinegar is 1:1. This formula worked quite well for me in my other machine and is the capacity of 2.0 quarts. Dont fill all the way, but under the line. Mind you, you don't have to clean this every other week, but once every couple of months or so if you're using the machine frequently. Just my take because I like clean as opposed to crud and want this machine to last.

Sample provided for review.