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Open Thread: Ambiano Countertop Ice Maker

EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated for 2023.

This post is an open thread and contains affiliate links.

Ice is one of those things I appreciate the most when I don’t have it. When I go camping, for example, our family relies on a cooler to keep things cold, which usually involves buying lots of ice from the camp store and pouring it into said cooler. Summer heat can be relentless, and defeating it takes plenty of ice.

For the average person, there are a few ways to get ice. Many refrigerators have ice makers, and if one doesn’t, an ice tray in the freezer can do the job. In a pinch, the local gas station or grocery store (although, sadly, not Aldi) typically sells 7-pound or 20-pound bags of ice.

Another solution? A dedicated ice maker. This little appliance will turn water into ice without the need for a freezer or a trip to the store. And Aldi is selling one.

What We Know:

Ambiano Countertop Ice Maker

 

The Ambiano Countertop Ice Maker (Product Code: 814587) is an Aldi Find, which means it’s only in stores for a limited time. Once it’s gone, it’s gone, and it won’t be back in stock until Aldi brings it back, whenever that might be. Aldi doesn’t ship its products online, so if you can’t find it in stores, you won’t be able to get it.

As of 2023, the ice maker is priced at $89.99. That’s the same price as 2022. lower than most other portable ice makers on Amazon.

Here’s more information on the ice maker, according to Aldi:

  • Features 2 selectable ice-cube sizes
  • Includes large viewing window
  • Scoop and basket included

What We Don’t Know:

We haven’t tested this ice maker, so we don’t know how effectively it operates or how long it lasts. We’ve created this open thread, then, for users to share their thoughts.


Have you used this countertop ice maker? Let us know in the comments.

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25 Comments

  1. We haven’t used this ice maker yet ourselves. Our family is currently on its 2nd ice maker (both Amazon purchases, most recently 3 years ago), and we just purchased an ice maker at Walmart last month for my elderly mom in Wisconsin. All 3 ice makers were more expensive than this Ambiano model, however. Our current ice maker is starting to show its age, so we’ve been browsing ice makers lately, and would love to hear comments from Aldi customers who have purchased the Ambiano ice maker, as it sounds like a good buy — IF it works.

  2. All of these countertop icemakers are essentially the same. No doubt Aldi’s is as good as any. There are two keys to getting the best use out of them: (1) use distilled water; (2) transfer the ice to a dry container and then to your freezer the moment it is done. If you do not do these things, you will get bad results.

  3. It is NOT self cleaning. Which means you will have a hard time cleaning this regardless of distilled water or not. Bacteria just builds up inside the machine so without a way to properly clean this between uses, it could be a problem

  4. I wonder if running an icemaking cycle with a white vinegar & water mixture (as can be done to clean coffeemakers), then a couple of icemaking cycles with plain water to rinse, would be an effective way to clean countertop ice makers? One can wipe down all surfaces, of course, but some sort of disinfecting cleaning solution (such as a vinegar + water combo) would be needed to clean out the bits which aren’t user-accessible.

  5. That would probably help a lot but keep in mind, running cycles will make ice cubes.
    I use vinegar in my cleaning cycle and then I run clear water cycles 2 times but in the cleaning mode, it doesn’t make ice cubes, it just cleans and rinses.

    1. That makes sense. I’m not sure if my countertop ice maker has a cleaning mode or not; I’ll have to investigate that.

    2. I don’t see a ‘cleaning cycle’ button. OR is there a secret combination of number of times a button is pushed and in what sequence to get the ‘cleaning cycle’ operation?

  6. Use 2 denture cleaning tabs to clean it! It disinfectant and antibacterial as well! Just run a couple of cycles after you clean it!

  7. It does have a self cleaning function. I am running it for the first time tonight and I’m disappointed. This is my first counter ice maker and I did not realize you could not just plug it in and let it sit only using ice when needed. You have to turn this off when you do not want ice. But then when you do…. Well you have to fill it up and wait for the ice to produce. I also selected the large ice and it’s so tiny. I wouldn’t recommend this one 🙁

    1. Editing my comment- I must have misread it- sorry- it does look like you can keep it running. You do need to the drain the water daily though. I assume that’s the case with other countertop ice makers.

      1. If you take out the basket, it will make MORE ice and then keep remaking it as it melts without leaving a lot of standing water at the bottom. So it’s basically always cycling.

        I leave mine at work, though, so I turn it off every evening. It only takes about an hour for the basket to fill when I come in each morning.

    2. I have the 2022 version from Aldi and it only takes 7 minutes to produce ice. Do you really think that’s a long time to wait?

  8. Can someone who has used this tell me what the 2 sizes of ice look like. Comparable to I don’t know… chick-fil-a, sonic or similar?

    1. I haven’t used this brand but mine, like most, produces an ice “cube” about the size of your first digit of you index finger…maybe 1 inch long and same circumference. But it will have a small hole in the center. Hope this helps. I love mine & friends that come over have gotten one too.

  9. We love this ice maker. We replaced a GE Opal ice maker that costs about 4x more than this one. It makes ice much faster, is quieter, and is easier to withdraw the ice from.

    The Opal types make “sonic” ice—(not as dense, smaller pieces that break off as they are made in columns). I found those pieces dissolved too quickly and when the columns get broken it is VERY loud. This machine makes bullet ice—water is supercooled around a metal cylinder (explaining the hole in the middle), then the entire tray is dumped from the back of the machine to the bin in front. It makes about as much noise as any refrigerator’s internal ice maker would make.

    As the ice melts, water drips down to the fill tank underneath the bin. I’d guess the tank holds about a quart of water.

    The machine detects when the bin is full and stops making new ice. My only complaint is it would be nice if the machine detected when the bin was empty / ice had melted and turned on again on its own (I know, not very energy efficient).

    Sadly, after about two years of continuous use (distilled water only) this machine no longer makes ice. I’d say that’s a pretty good run though and I quickly ordered a replacement.

  10. I’ve only had mine about 6 months. I do use a lot of ice. Now it’s says I need to add water when in fact it has enough water. Has anyone else had this problem?

    1. Have you tried cleaning it, and does the “add water” light still show after cleaning? If so, it might be time to replace it. (Look for a good Black Friday/Cyber Monday special, if there aren’t any Ambiano ice makers left at your local Aldi.)

    2. Yes! I have only used ice maker for like three weeks. Now it tells me it needs water, when water is full

  11. I’ve had my ice maker for about a year. We use it daily and clean it often. It has now stopped working. I call the 1800 number for the warranty and no response. The power button just keeps blinking and won’t turn on.

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