Explainer
Are ice makers energy efficient?
A countertop ice maker uses a moderate amount of electricity, running a small compressor to freeze water, and is reasonably efficient for occasional ice, but because it does not keep the ice frozen and remakes melting ice, leaving it running all the time wastes energy, so running it only when you need ice is most efficient.
By the Lush Editorial Team·Researched & Compared
A countertop ice maker uses a moderate amount of electricity, running a small refrigeration compressor to freeze water into ice, and it is reasonably efficient for making ice when you need it. The catch is that these machines do not keep the ice frozen, so if you leave one running all the time, it keeps remaking ice that melts back into the reservoir, which wastes energy. So the efficiency depends on how you use it: running it to make ice when you want it and then switching it off is efficient, while leaving it on constantly with the ice unused is wasteful. The countertop machines in our best countertop ice makers guide are not heavy energy users for occasional ice, but constant running is the main way they waste power.
How much they use
A countertop ice maker runs a small compressor, the same kind of refrigeration a fridge uses, to freeze the water, and this draws a moderate amount of power while it is actively making ice. It is not a heavy energy user like a kettle or oven, but it is not negligible either, since the compressor and the freezing process take real energy. For making a batch of ice now and then, the energy used is modest and reasonable. So in terms of the raw power draw, a countertop ice maker is moderately efficient, comparable to other small refrigeration appliances, and making ice when you need it does not cost a lot.
The melting and remaking issue
The main efficiency problem is that countertop ice makers do not keep the ice frozen. They make ice fast but have no freezer to store it, so the ice slowly melts, and on many models the meltwater drains back into the reservoir to be made into ice again. This means that if you leave the machine running with the ice unused, it keeps cycling to replace melting ice, running the compressor over and over to remake the same water, which wastes energy for no benefit. So the inefficiency is not in making ice itself but in a machine left on continuously remaking ice that just melts, which is a pointless energy drain.
Run it only when needed
The way to use a countertop ice maker efficiently is to run it when you actually want ice, then switch it off. Make a batch for your drinks or event, use the ice, and turn the machine off rather than leaving it cycling. If you need ice later, switch it on again, or transfer a batch to the freezer to store it, since the freezer keeps ice frozen without the ice maker running. This on demand use avoids the waste of continuous remaking. So the machine is efficient when used in bursts for the ice you need, and wasteful mainly when left running idle, so matching its running to your actual ice use is the key to keeping it efficient.
What affects the energy use
A few things affect how much energy an ice maker uses. Running it continuously, as above, is the big one, since it keeps remaking melting ice. A warmer room makes the machine work harder to freeze and to counter the ice melting faster, raising consumption, so a cooler spot helps. The amount of ice you make and how often also matters, as does the machine’s size and efficiency. Keeping the machine clean and the water at a sensible temperature helps it run efficiently. But the dominant factor is simply whether you leave it on all the time or run it only when needed, which makes far more difference than the others.
Compared with a freezer
It is worth comparing with just using a freezer’s ice trays or a fridge ice maker. A freezer keeps ice frozen once made with the energy it already uses to stay cold, so storing ice in the freezer adds little, whereas a countertop ice maker left running spends energy continuously remaking melting ice. So for a steady supply of ice with least waste, making ice and storing it in the freezer, or using a fridge’s built in ice maker, can be more efficient than leaving a countertop machine running. The countertop machine’s niche is making fresh ice quickly on demand without a freezer, which is efficient for that use but not for keeping ice constantly available by running all day.
The short answer
So a countertop ice maker is reasonably energy efficient for making ice when you need it, drawing a moderate amount of power to run its small compressor, not a heavy load for occasional use. The inefficiency comes from the fact that it does not keep the ice frozen, so leaving it running all the time means it keeps remaking melting ice, wasting energy. The efficient way to use it is to run it to make ice when you want it and then switch it off, transferring ice to the freezer to store it, rather than leaving it cycling idle. Used on demand it is fine; left running constantly it wastes power.
Common questions
Do countertop ice makers use a lot of electricity?
They use a moderate amount, running a small refrigeration compressor to freeze water, which is not a heavy load like a kettle or oven but not negligible either. For making a batch of ice now and then, the energy used is modest. The main waste comes from leaving the machine running all the time, since it does not keep the ice frozen and keeps remaking melting ice, so running it only when you need ice is most efficient.
Are ice makers energy efficient?
Reasonably so for making ice on demand, since they draw only a moderate amount of power to run their compressor. The inefficiency is that countertop machines do not keep the ice frozen, so left running continuously they keep remaking ice that melts back into the reservoir, wasting energy. So they are efficient used in bursts for the ice you need and wasteful left on idle, making how you use them the main factor in their efficiency.
Why does leaving an ice maker on waste energy?
Because countertop ice makers do not keep the ice frozen; the ice melts and, on many models, drains back into the reservoir to be remade. So a machine left running with the ice unused keeps cycling its compressor to replace melting ice, remaking the same water over and over for no benefit. This continuous remaking is a pointless energy drain, which is why running the machine only when you want ice, then switching it off, saves power.
How do you use an ice maker efficiently?
Run it to make ice when you actually want it, then switch it off, rather than leaving it cycling. Make a batch for your drinks or event, use it, and turn the machine off, switching it on again later if needed, or transfer a batch to the freezer to store it, since the freezer keeps ice frozen without the machine running. Keeping it in a cooler spot and clean also helps, but on demand use is the key to efficiency.
Is a countertop ice maker or a freezer more efficient for ice?
For a steady supply with least waste, making ice and storing it in the freezer, or using a fridge ice maker, can be more efficient, since a freezer keeps ice frozen with the energy it already uses to stay cold, while a countertop machine left running spends energy continuously remaking melting ice. The countertop machine's niche is making fresh ice quickly on demand without a freezer, which is efficient for that, not for running all day.