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Outdoor Rated vs. Indoor Ice Makers
Appliances are rated for outdoor use only if awarded a certificate from Underwriters Laboratories. UL puts ice makers through a series of durability tests to evaluate important factors like weather resistance, strength of materials, venting, protection for internal electronics, and their ability to withstand major temperature swings in the environment without affecting internal temperature. With a UL certification, you can be confident your outdoor kitchen ice maker will stay cold enough to work on even the hottest days.
On the other hand, indoor ice makers are not suitable to place outdoors. For starters, they are made to operate in temperatures you typically see in your house, around 70°F, and are not built to withstand heat, humidity, or rain. Additionally, keeping an indoor ice maker outside can cause some of the components such as the hinges to rust or corrode.
Choose Which Shape of Ice You Want
Frozen water can come in just about any shape imaginable and outdoor ice makers create 1 of 4 types. Beyond basic aesthetics, different shapes of ice tend to have specific properties that affect the density, clarity, longevity, and experience.
Cube Ice Machines
Cube-shaped ice has no indentations and some variations. There are slight differences among regular-cube, full-cube, and half-cube ice, but they all have enough mass to quickly chill drinks. Cube ice typically measures about 1 inch along each side, depending on the brand of the model.
Decide Which Drain Type You Need
Drainage is another crucial aspect of almost all outdoor ice makers, which are designed to filter out excess water in 1 of 2 ways. The right type of drain for your outdoor kitchen depends on its layout and design, specifically where your floor drain is located or where you can connect to plumbing. Just remember that outdoor kitchen plumbing should always be performed by a licensed professional.
Ice makers with a gravity drain need the outlet level to be higher than the drain level. The outlet level is above the drain level to allow water to move.
Ice makers with a drain pump can have the outlet level below the drain level. A motorized pump mechanism moves water to the drain.
Gravity Drains for Outdoor Ice Makers
If your outdoor kitchen already has a sink, ice bin, or bar center, you more than likely have an existing drain. In this case, you may want to choose an outdoor ice maker with a gravity drain and place it near the existing drain. This is the default for most ice makers. As long as there’s an uninterrupted, downward path for excess water to travel, gravity will pull it to the bottom of the kitchen island ice maker and into the connected drain.
Drain Pumps for Outdoor Ice Makers
If there’s not already a drain in your backyard, you may want to consider a unit with a drain pump. A drain pump is a mechanical device designed to actively pump out water and melted ice from the ice maker to a drainage point. Unlike gravity drains that rely on the force of gravity to move water downward, a drain pump operates with a motorized pump mechanism. To put it simply, drain pumps do all the work of transporting excess water from your outdoor ice maker to a drain some distance away, ensuring the appliance can continue running smoothly. While this type of drain is most useful for spaces lacking a method of water removal, it will come in handy if you plan to install your ice maker out of reach of an existing drain. This also allows you to connect it with nearby existing plumbing.
Which Class of Outdoor Ice Maker is Best for You?
For ice makers, there are 3 clearly defined classes to choose from—Luxury, Premium, and Standard. Check out the brief outline of each class below to help you narrow the search for your ideal ice maker that meets your needs in terms of quality, performance, and features.
Luxury Ice Makers
- Stainless steel exteriors are built to withstand the elements for excellent longevity
- Offers the longest warranties available to protect your investment
- Compressors operate efficiently but quietly without any loud distractions
- Automatic defrost comes standard so you never have to worry about icing over
Premium Ice Makers
- Outdoor ratings show most can hold temperatures in extreme weather
- Exteriors and doors are built from stainless steel for outdoor longevity
- Longer warranties than models in lower classifications provide peace of mind
- Zero-clearance units are easy to install and fit seamlessly into outdoor kitchen islands
Standard Ice Makers
- Not all are outdoor rated, so they aren’t fit to be out in the elements
- Painted metal exteriors lack long-term durability
- Plastic and wire interior shelving Interiors are lower quality construction
- Some lack front venting and require clearances, making installation more difficult
Other Things to Consider When Buying an Ice Machine
Density of Ice
Clear ice is denser and harder than cloudy ice, meaning that it melts more slowly but also takes longer to make. Clarity is a feature of high-end appliances that use fractional freezing to produce gourmet ice that’s perfectly clear and free of impurities. Density is the major difference between clear, gourmet ice and quick-to-produce ice that comes in crescent or nugget form.
Density plays a factor in the ice and the machines in a number of ways. Soft ice tends to melt faster than its hard counterpart, and its appearance is characterized by cloudiness due to a higher air content. On the other hand, hard ice sticks around longer and looks clearer since it has less air. Soft-ice makers might produce quicker, but they tend to freeze over more often compared to the hard-ice machines. One thing to note is for frequent entertainers or those in warm climates, long-lasting hard ice will be your best bet.
Placement & Ventilation of Outdoor Kitchen Ice Makers
When planning your outdoor kitchen zones, be sure to include your ice maker in your “cold zone” or “wet zone” alongside similar appliances like fridges, wine coolers, or sinks that require a drain. This will save you a headache when figuring out drainage for the space. Your cold zone shouldn’t be exposed to direct sunlight to minimize temperature swings and ensure your freezer doesn’t have to work overtime for the same amount of ice.
With proper placement comes proper ventilation determined by the manufacturer. Front-venting models usually provide the best results, though rear-venting appliances work just fine if you plan for adequate vent panels and plenty of space inside the kitchen island for air to circulate. Of course, you should make sure the outdoor ice maker you choose fits the dimensions of your grill island cutout.
Outdoor Kitchen Ice Maker Production vs. Storage Capacity
The 2 defining features of ice makers are how much they can produce and how much they can store at one time. We define production by an appliance’s output over 24 hours of continual use, while capacity measures how much ice can be stored inside the unit before it stops producing more. To figure out if a particular model meets your needs, consider how much ice you’ll typically require versus how much you’d like to be able to produce in a given amount of time.
A good way to think about consumption is 10 drinks per 5 pounds of ice, assuming drinks are 8 ounces each. If you host big events throughout the year, then you might be better off with a unit that has a large enough storage capacity to serve a whole fleet of drinks. But outdoor entertainers who rarely host huge events may find that an ice maker with a smaller capacity and greater production is the best fit. Keep in mind that you can pair a high-producing model with a pull-out ice chest drawer or a companion ice bin to start preparing in advance for large gatherings.
Still have questions? Our outdoor kitchen experts are always standing by at 1-877-743-2269 to help with all your outdoor ice maker needs. Our Outdoor Living Design Service is another great resource that can bring you one step closer to chilling out and enjoying your backyard more than ever before.
