Tired of buying ice. ?

[fetchwillie]

I will freeze a few blocks of ice for the boat but it does not keep my contents of the cooler as cold as good O'l ice. Does anyone Have a small ice maker and make a bucket of ice for future use. ?

I have the room to store some "home made" ice.

[Superfishman186]

I used to fill the bottom drawer of the freezer with ice from the ice maker to have enough for cooler use in the boat, Except to get enough ice that lasts the day while the cooler is in the hot sun I had to use so much that there was not enough room for all the drinks and food, and the cooler weighed a ton. Last year my brother gave me a coleman 12v cooler, it holds as much food as my last cooler only No ice at all and it is way lighter, it actually holds more stuff because its all food, no ice. Never again do i need to carry a heavy cooler full of ice on the boat.
I didn't have to pay for the 12volt cooler but if it breaks I will definitely be buying one, It's also nice to keep in the car for shopping trips to the grocery store, it's always ready just plug it in.

[nemusky]

I have two fridges with attached freezers and ice makers and the one in the basement rarely gets used for ice. So when the crate is full I empty into a paper bag and dump it into the chest freezer. I will only fill one bag as space in my freezer is limited and economics of storing ice just isn't there.

[eyewinder]

Is this what you have in mind? Two days of ice making would yield 5 x 10 lb. bags of ice = $7 to $8 at Walmart ($10-plus at the bait shop). You would more than pay for the machine in a summer of moderate use.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=203248242&storeId=10051&l angId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=203248242&ci_kw={keyword} &kwd={keyword}&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googleads-_-pla-_-203248242&ci_gpa=pla#.UChBGeK9pko

My wife found a small used upright freezer (5 to 6 cu. ft.) for $65 for our RV that we put several trays in at a time.

[PG1725]

I agree small ice cubes cool more evenly and colder but don't last as long as blocks. My son drinks more milk than should be legal so I freeze gallons. I can cut the plactic off and have blocks or smack them on the driveway and cut them open for pieces. Still able to recycle plactic and always have ice.

[Smokin J]

Here is what I use http://www.lifoam.com/cubies.htm Work great, have had them for years. Keep them in a gallon bag. Just refreeze and use the next day.

[wallydave]

Anybody know where you can buy some freezers packs? I saw a guy using those the other day. They looked like little bags not the hard box style. I think they are reuseable plus your stuff doesn't get all wet! For this years trip I frozen my meat and sweet taters fries, that worked for the trip up to keep things cold, but it would be nice to have something for the trip home. Thanks!

[eriksat1]

I have a good old fashioned ice pick. That is what they used in the old days. Turns a big block of ice into small ice cube size chips in no time. I freeze 16 oz plastic pop bottles and gallon milk jugs. Run under hot water for a few seconds then cut off the plastic with a razor knife, usually one cut around the middle then smack with a hammer, chip the ice with the ice pick in no time flat. Just as good as ice cubes and fast.

[hnd]

the owner of our company is a boater so we have a big ole industrial ice maker at work. that and the dumpster i get to use whenever are the best benefits a guy can get.

[rks]

No need to have to cut a milk jug or other off a frozen block of ice. I freeze small rubbermaid containers. Blocks of ice pops right out. Refill with water and stick them back in the freezer for the next time. Sometimes I'll stockpile several blocks. Takes up less room in the freezer than the same weight in cubes.