Do you enjoy ice cold drinks and smoothies while camping, boating or tailgating?  But what if you don’t have room in your RV or boat freezer to store a bag of ice? We’ve taken the guesswork out of finding the best portable ice makers that you can take with you to make ice wherever and wherever you’d like!

Ice is a much needed commodity that Campers, RVers and boaters use to keep their perishable foods safe from spoilage, beverages cold and smoothies refreshing! You may be inclined to just stop at the store to pick up a bag of ice, however, do you really know where the water originated to make the ice? And, do you really want to put those in your drinks, iced coffee, smoothie blender or ice cream maker. You really don’t want your shrimp cocktails or raw veggies touching it, do you?

Instead of hoping that pre-made ice you bought at the convenience store is safe, you’d be better served with ice made from your own portable ice maker instead. The great thing is these ice making machines are the perfect size and weight to sit on your countertop or camping table.

So, let’s see what 5 best portable ice makers are the perfect addition to your camping accessories, RV and boat!

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5 Best Portable Ice Makers for Camping, RVs and Boats

First, let’s go over a few tips that will help you decide which portable ice maker to buy. But also, we’ll show you how to care for and maintain them so they last for years.

Ice Maker Tips

You must keep maker upright for at least 24 hours before first making ice. Otherwise, operation may fail; not at the fault of the manufacturer. 

Be aware, regular tap water contains tons of chemicals that causes lime scale. So, we recommend using distilled water, pure spring water or highly filtered water. Your ice cubes will taste better, be more transparent.

Also, make sure you pay attention to the temperature of the water you add. If you add water that is too warm, the first few rounds of the machine will be slightly less effective in making ice.

When the ambient temperature is too high, you can close the lid to maintain the temperature of the ice cubes.

Do know that ice cubes cannot be kept in the machine for a long time. I highly suggest keeping a refillable food grade freezer bag in your freezer so you have ice available all of the time.

If you’re ice making machine is not a self-cleaning ice maker, you’re going to need to clean your ice maker according to manufacturers’ specifications; at least once a month. You can use either, an ice maker cleaning solution or diluted vinegar.

It’s equally important to wipe out the water reservoir and air out your ice bucket before travel or storage.

If you’re going to be powering your ice maker through a generator or batteries, be extremely mindful of the amps of the ice maker you choose. Some ice making appliances may not be as energy efficient and require more power.

Now that we’ve gone over those ice making tips, let’s check out which countertop ice makers we’ve selected to be ideal for RVing, camping, tailgating and boating!

5 Best Portable Ice Makers for Camping, RVs and Boats

Euhomy Portable Ice Maker

Dreamiracle Countertop Ice Maker

The Dreamiracle Ice Maker is perfect to take on your RV adventure! It has a 33 pound daily ice capacity. Its’ high heat conduction evaporator makes the refrigeration system stable and efficient. It just takes 7 minutes to make ice-cubes. You can select two ice sizes; large or small pieces. The 94.6 ounce (2.8 liters) water tank capacity can satisfy 370 to 185 cups a day. The Dreamiracle ice bin storage capacity holds up to 3.3 pounds (120 ice pieces). One of the best features of this particular ice maker is its’ self-cleaning function. This 130 watt countertop ice maker consumes less electricity, saves the energy and money which makes it ideal to make ice when you’re boondocking with lithium. 

Magic Chef Portable Ice Maker

Never be caught without ice again! The on demand Magic Chef portable ice maker makes up to 27 pounds of ice per day. This ice maker is compact, lightweight and completely portable. It’s small enough to fit on your galley countertop, sit out on your outdoor camping table or carry with you to another campsite. This incredible little ice maker produces ice in two sizes in as little as 7 minutes. The Magic Chef uses a temperature probe to determine when the basket fills which is much less subject to failure. And, it conveniently holds up to 1.5 lb. of ice at a time. Plus, the digital control panel indicates when the storage bin needs to be emptied. 

Igloo Countertop Ice Maker Machine

The Igloo Countertop Ice Maker Machine is convenient and compact in size. Its’ stainless steel finish looks good on a countertop while producing ice for whenever or wherever you need it. Keep the 2-quart water tank filled and this unit will produce 26 pounds of ice in a 24 hour period which is perfect for keeping your drinks iced down all day long. It stores up to 1.25 pounds of ice at a time so you can keep your drinks ice-cold. It’s automatic five-cycle self-cleaning function makes clean up easy and effortless, allowing for clean ice every time. This Igloo ice maker also has a convenient grab handle that allows it to be carried from your camper to another.

Frigidaire Compact Countertop Ice Maker

The Frigidaire Countertop Ice Maker features an over-sized ice basket capacity of 2.2 lbs this is the ultimate in ice making technology. All you need to do is fill up the reservoir with water and push a couple buttons to make ice for your cooler, drinks or smoothies! This ice maker will produce the first batch of ice in as little as 6 minutes. And, it can make 26 pounds of ice per day. You can choose from 3 different sizes of ice. It’s easy to move around on your counter top or take it outside, in your RV or boat!

Supplies you may need for your portable ice maker

• • • Ice Maker Cleaning Solution
    • Food grade ice storage bags
    • Ice Cube Scoop
    • Ice Bucket

Our highly recommended shatter-proof, stainless steel drinkware to take camping and for RVs or Boats!

• • • Lowball Tumblers
    • 16 oz. Tumblers
    • Vacuum-Insulated Water Bottles (24, 32 or 40 ounce in fun colors!)

Camping Pro Tip: You’ll need a good cooler to pack all of your beverages and food perishables. Check out how these coolers stack up against each other. 

Final thoughts on portable ice makers to take camping or on your boat

As you see, portable ice makers are a cool commodity not only for your home. But also they’re perfect to take camping and for RVs and boats. Knowing exactly the source of water used to make your ice cubes is important for your family’s health. But also, pre-made is expensive to fill up the cooler. The money you save the first few times will pay for your ice maker that can make ice anytime and anywhere!

Camping Pro Tip: Make certain your cooler is clean and odor-free so your ice doesn’t smell or taste bad. Check out How to Clean and Deodorize Your Cooler or Ice Chest

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