Packing for college is the most exciting and stressful thing new students go through as they begin their college experience. Making sure to pack the necessities and leave behind the items prohibited by your university is enough to frazzle anyone. But are ice makers allowed in dorm rooms?
Ice makers might be allowed in dorm rooms, but items like extension cords and other things needed to operate an ice maker may not be permitted in individual dorms. If you choose to bring your own ice maker, remember that you may need to sacrifice one of the few outlets in your room to the machine.
In this article, I’ll discuss whether personal ice makers are necessary for your dorm experience. I’ll also leave you with a few tips to keep ice in your dorm without using a personal ice maker.
Is a Personal Ice Maker Necessary?
A personal ice maker is not necessary. Many residence halls have ice machines on each floor. However, you can’t always guarantee they’ll provide clean ice, and you can’t guarantee your hall will have one. This is why many students prefer having a personal ice maker, even though you don’t need one.
On the other hand, bringing a personal ice maker could cause issues with your roommate if it isn’t decided upon beforehand. It may also prove unnecessary and cumbersome in the long run if you run out of outlet space needed in your dorm.
With that said, let’s explore some of the pros and cons of bringing an ice maker with you to your dorm.
Pros of Having a Portable Ice Maker
In general, portable ice makers provide optimal convenience.
You’re also guaranteed to have clean ice rather than taking a gamble with a communal machine with a potentially questionable cleaning schedule. Beyond that, they also don’t require hooking up to the building’s water line or drain.
Just as the name suggests, portable ice makers are easy to take around with you. Most models will fit easily into your car, and some can even plugin via the adapter in your vehicle.
Carrying the ice machine to your car every time you need ice can be cumbersome, though. Luckily, these machines are also compact and take up very little space. For this reason, portable ice machines are perfect for small apartments and dorm rooms.
Cons of Having a Portable Ice Maker
On the other hand, portable ice makers require you to add more water when the ice constantly runs out. Since it isn’t connected to any water line, there isn’t a continuous flow of water to the machine.
They also aren’t ideal for accommodating large groups, so it may be wise to keep your ice machine’s presence in your dorm under wraps from your neighbors.
How To Keep Ice in Your Dorm
There are a few different ways you can keep ice in your dorm room.
For starters, you could go the route of a portable ice machine. However, if they’re on the “do not pack” list for your university or you don’t want to spend a chunk of money, you have other options.
As long as you have access to a mini-fridge in your room, you can also make sure to bring ice cube trays or reusable plastic ice cubes to keep in the freezer compartment of the mini-fridge. Because a mini-fridge is a more considerable expense, it’s wise to consult with your roommate if you have one on how to split the cost.
The following products are available on Amazon.com.
Portable Ice Makers
Frigidaire EFIC189-Silver Compact Ice Maker
This ice maker has a see-through top to make checking ice levels more effortless, and the machine will make your ice in six minutes or less. Customers like this ice maker because it isn’t loud and the lights will tell you when it’s complete.
Ice Cube Trays
Arrow Home Products 60-Cube Ice Tray
Rather than the traditional rectangular ice, this tray gives you 60 round ice cubes perfect for anyone who enjoys snacking on ice. Customers gravitate toward this tray because the ice cubes are easy to remove and freeze much faster than larger ice cubes.
Reusable Ice Cubes
This reusable ice cube pack comes in a set of 60 multicolored plastic cubes. Customers like these cubes mostly because they take up less space in a freezer than an entire ice cube tray would. However, these do have a proposition 65 warning on them, so be mindful of washing them regularly and using them correctly.
Hi all! I’m Cora Benson, and I’ve been blogging about food, recipes and things that happen in my kitchen since 2019.