You wouldn't put a slushy ice cube in a scotch, nor would you put a craft ice
cube in a soda, because you want to be able to chew your ice.
So there's no perfect ice cube for every drink.
That means that there's no best ice maker because they all make different cubes.
In this video, we'll show you the five best ice makers for 2023
and the best ice cube shapes for different kinds of beverages.
Stick around to the end of the video,
and we'll also show you the two biggest problems you need to avoid before you buy
any ice maker and no one is talking about it.
Let's get started.
The way ice will react in your drink
depends on the following factors. Shape, size and clarity.
A larger ice cube has more surface area, which means it will melt more slowly.
So the taste of the ice won't water down your drink.
Clarity is defined as oxygen bubbles or impurities present in the ice.
Oxygen bubbles and impurities tend to melt
faster and will affect the taste of your drink.
Ice makers produce ice at the roof of the unit, and then gravity pulls out
the oxygen and impurities before the cube is formed, making it a clear ice cube.
In a standard ice machine like the ones
you find in your refrigerator, ice is just formed and then dropped into a bucket.
The oxygen and impurities are then trapped inside.
The ice makers I'm about to show you will
make a variety of different ice cube shapes, sizes, and clarities.
Then we'll talk about the problems
that you need to know about before you buy any ice maker.
These LG models make crushed crescent and craft ice for your cocktails.
Crushed and crescent ice are the regular
ice that you get from any refrigerators dispenser.
It's cloudy, and it has some impurities.
LG is the only refrigerator
on the market to make spherical craft ice in their ice maker.
Craft ice is also one of the best ice cubes for cocktails.
It's larger, giving it more surface area, which means it will melt more slowly.
It's a great shape,
but it still has impurities because it's being produced by your refrigerator.
Scotsman offers the famed chewable sonic or slushy ice.
Slushy ice will cool your drinks the fastest, but also melt the fastest.
It's great in sodas, lemonades and iced teas or anything
that you want to cool quickly and drink quickly.
Scotsman can make about 30 lbs of slushy ice per day.
You need to purchase an additional pump for this product, and you should.
We'll tell you why later in the video.
The GE profile
opal ice maker makes good slushy ice cubes as well.
It's just the portable tabletop version.
This ice maker makes 24 lbs of ice per day,
but can only hold up to 3 lbs of ice at one time.
It's working in all of our stores, so come check it out.
True ice makers make barrel or top hat shaped ice. Barrel shaped
ice is one of the best ice cubes for cocktails.
It has the most service area and melts the slowest outside of the larger craft ice.
It's also clear, so it won't change the flavor of your
drink with impurities from the water when it melts.
True will produce 70 lbs of ice in a 24 hour
period, more than any of the other ones on this list.
True is also well built and is rated for outdoor areas.
No one does refrigeration quite like Sub-Zero, which includes their ice makers.
Sub-Zero also produces barrel shaped ice,
like True. It's designed to melt slowly so it doesn't water down your drinks.
Like True, It's also the clearest form
of ice, so it won't change the taste of your beverage.
It also has a factory installed pump,
and it's available in panel ready or stainless steel.
As an honorable mention,
our Yale brand ice maker also produces the clearer barrel shaped ice for about
$1,000 less than Sub-Zero and $2,000 less than True.
Like Sub-Zero and True, Yale is only available with a pump.
Here's why. As awesome as it sounds to have an ice
maker constantly producing the perfect kind of ice for your desired beverage,
these machines require maintenance to avoid an expensive service call.
If you don't clean your ice maker at least
once or twice a year, the scaling from the water will eventually
seize the machine and cause a service issue.
All the best ice makers are only available with a pump.
Pumps allow for greater production of ice,
but more importantly, will pump the water out of the ice maker
and automatically shut it off in case the water backs up
to avoid any leaks. A gravity fed ice maker can freeze and leak.
You also don't want to have to worry about clogged drains without a pump.
If you love soda, then nugget ice will be
ideal, so look at a Scotsman or put a GE on your counter.
If you like to enjoy cocktails or a glass
of whiskey, then a barrel shaped or craft ice cube will be the best for you.
Look at True, Sub-Zero, or the Yale brand if you want to save some money.
Remember, whatever brand you buy,
buy it with a pump and prepare to clean your ice maker
to save yourself an expensive service call.
Now, check out this video for the best under-counter beverage centers
to complete the bar area in your home.
Thanks for watching.