In general, countertop ice makers do not require a water line, which makes them portable, but some models do have a valve to add a water line.
Countertop ice makers need to be well-maintained and kept clean to keep them functioning optimally and safely.
One of the most inconvenient maintenance activities is constantly refilling the reservoir on the machine, although this does mean that you can take it anywhere. This is why some models have valves to connect a water line, or you can add one yourself.
The importance of maintenance for countertop ice makers
Just like any other appliance in your home, your countertop ice maker needs regular cleaning, maintenance, and care to keep it functioning properly.
In order to keep all of the components of your ice machine working properly, it is vital that you use your ice maker often or store it properly if it is not being used.
Many people only use their countertop ice makers when they are entertaining guests and this means that the machine may get neglected for long periods of time in between these social events.
Unfortunately, because of the moisture and the sediment or impurities in your water, not cleaning and maintaining your ice maker can result in mould and bacterial growth, which can be a health hazard and quite upsetting.
Do countertop ice makers need a water line?
Besides the regular cleaning and maintenance that you need to do to ensure that your ice maker makes the clearest and largest amount of ice, as fast as possible, you also need to regularly fill up the reservoir or water tank in the machine.
This can be very inconvenient when you need a large quantity of ice and, therefore, need to keep refilling the water tank of your countertop ice machine manually.
However, the fact that most countertop ice machines do not have a permanent water line is part of what makes them portable, and this can improve the convenience of using your ice maker where and when you want to use it.
This has caused manufacturers to develop a wide range of models to meet different customers’ preferences and needs, but this does make the answer to this question a complicated one.
Put simply, some countertop ice maker models only have a built-in water tank or reservoir and do not need a water line at all, while other countertop ice maker models do have a reservoir and a space for you to connect a water line if you want to.
To complicate matters further, you can also add a water line to your countertop ice maker if you are a DIY-enthusiast, even if it does not technically need one to operate, just so that you do not need to keep refilling it manually.
Countertop ice makers that do not need a water line
Some of the countertop ice maker models that do not require a water line and therefore need to be refilled manually, but can be moved, include:
| Countertop ice maker | Capacity | Price | Available on Amazon |
| Freezimer Ice Maker Machine for Countertop | Makes 33 pounds of bullet-shaped ice per day | $169.99 |  |
| Buy it | |||
| NewAir Stainless Steel AI-215SS Portable Ice Maker | Produces up to 50 pounds of bullet-shaped ice in a day | $359.99 |  |
| Buy it | |||
| Frigidaire EFIC103-AMZ-SC Counter Top Ice Maker | Makes up to 26 pounds of clear ice cubes per day | $169.99 |  |
| Buy it |
Countertop ice makers that have space to connect a water line
Some examples of countertop ice maker models that have a space into which you can add a water line if you want to make large amounts of ice without refilling the reservoir manually, include:
| Countertop ice maker | Capacity | Price | Available on Amazon |
| Whynter IMC-491DC Portable Ice Maker | Makes 49 pounds of bullet-shaped ice cubes in 24 hours | $340.90 |  |
| Buy it | |||
| Euhomy Nugget Ice Maker Countertop | Produces 26 to 30 pounds of nugget-shaped ice a day | $519.99 |  |
| Buy it | |||
| CROWNFUL Compact Ice Maker for Countertop | Produces up to 33 pounds of bullet-shaped ice daily | $199.99 |  |
| Buy it |
How to add a water line to your countertop ice maker yourself
If you have a countertop ice maker that works without a water line and that does not have a valve where you can connect a water line so that it can fill up automatically and keep producing ice, but you do not want to keep refilling the water reservoir manually, you can add a water line yourself. However, this may interfere with the warranty of your ice maker.
You can add this water line by simply measuring just below where the maximum fill line of your ice maker is and then drilling through the side of the machine to add the float valve to one end and the water line to the other.
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