A refrigerator, comprising: a cabinet including one or more food storage compartments (14, 16) defined therein and one or more doors (18, 20, 22) positioned to insulate the one or more food storage compartments (14, 16) from an exterior environment; a variable ice dispenser (24, 112) coupled to the cabinet and configured to dispense ice at a variable ice dispensing rate from a dispenser outlet (114, 252, 284, 320, 386), the variable ice dispenser (24, 112) further configured to dispense cubed and crushed ice; a variable control (28, 128, 150, 202, 204, 242, 272, 302, 332, 352, 372) disposed on an exterior surface of the cabinet and coupled to the variable ice dispenser (24, 112), the variable control (28, 128, 150, 202, 204, 242, 272, 302, 332, 352, 372) including a variable control actuator (130, 152, 206, 208, 274, 304, 354) configured to vary the ice dispensing rate of the variable ice dispenser (24, 112) in response to movement of the variable control actuator, the variable control actuator movable between a range of positions including a home position, wherein movement of the variable control actuator in a first direction from the home position causes the variable ice dispenser (24, 112) to dispense cubed ice and controls the ice dispensing rate of the ice variable ice dispenser (24, 112), and wherein movement of the variable control actuator in a second direction from the home position causes the variable ice dispenser (24, 112) to dispense crushed ice and controls the ice dispensing rate of the variable ice dispenser (24, 112); wherein the variable control actuator (130, 152, 206, 208, 274, 304, 354) comprises a rotary control actuator (130, 152, 206, 208) that is rotatable about an axis of rotation that is generally perpendicular to the exterior surface of the cabinet, wherein the variable control (28, 128, 150) further includes a secondary control (132, 182) responsive to an axial force applied to the variable control actuator (130, 152, 206, 208); wherein the secondary control (132, 182) comprises a switch responsive to movement of the variable control actuator (130, 152, 206, 208) along the axis of rotation or a touch-sensitive region of a surface of the variable control actuator (130, 152, 206, 208). a cabinet including one or more food storage compartments (14, 16) defined therein and one or more doors (18, 20, 22) positioned to insulate the one or more food storage compartments (14, 16) from an exterior environment; a variable ice dispenser (24, 112) coupled to the cabinet and configured to dispense ice at a variable ice dispensing rate from a dispenser outlet (114, 252, 284, 320, 386), the variable ice dispenser (24, 112) further configured to dispense cubed and crushed ice; a variable control (28, 128, 150, 202, 204, 242, 272, 302, 332, 352, 372) disposed on an exterior surface of the cabinet and coupled to the variable ice dispenser (24, 112), the variable control (28, 128, 150, 202, 204, 242, 272, 302, 332, 352, 372) including a variable control actuator (130, 152, 206, 208, 274, 304, 354) configured to vary the ice dispensing rate of the variable ice dispenser (24, 112) in response to movement of the variable control actuator, the variable control actuator movable between a range of positions including a home position, wherein movement of the variable control actuator in a first direction from the home position causes the variable ice dispenser (24, 112) to dispense cubed ice and controls the ice dispensing rate of the ice variable ice dispenser (24, 112), and wherein movement of the variable control actuator in a second direction from the home position causes the variable ice dispenser (24, 112) to dispense crushed ice and controls the ice dispensing rate of the variable ice dispenser (24, 112); wherein the variable control actuator (130, 152, 206, 208, 274, 304, 354) comprises a rotary control actuator (130, 152, 206, 208) that is rotatable about an axis of rotation that is generally perpendicular to the exterior surface of the cabinet, wherein the variable control (28, 128, 150) further includes a secondary control (132, 182) responsive to an axial force applied to the variable control actuator (130, 152, 206, 208); wherein the secondary control (132, 182) comprises a switch responsive to movement of the variable control actuator (130, 152, 206, 208) along the axis of rotation or a touch-sensitive region of a surface of the variable control actuator (130, 152, 206, 208).