Ice Packs vs Portable Ice Maker

Specialties School

Published

Specializes in Critical Care, Dialysis, School Nursing.

Please give me your input on this issue. I work in a very small office space and have been buying disposable ice packs for my school for years. Storing all these ice packs has been an issue plus boxes are very heavy. Not to mention cost about $1 each! I have been told I can buy a countertop ice maker! Yeah! but... I don't have a freezer to store the ice I make. I am looking for some ideas or information how other health offices manage this. Thanks for your input!

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I get ice from the cafeteria each morning in a small cooler to make ice packs as I need throughout the day. The ice keeps pretty well and most days I only have to make that one trip to the cafeteria. How great for you that you get to buy your own ice maker. You'll have to update us and let us know what you find, the expense of it and how well it works.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Dialysis, School Nursing.

We had an big industrial ice maker but it broke about 4-5 years ago! I am finding portable countertop ice makers for anywhere between $129-$400. I keep you all posted!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Dialysis, School Nursing.

We had an big industrial ice maker but it broke about 4-5 years ago! I am finding portable countertop ice makers for anywhere between $129-$400. I will keep you all posted!

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Specializes in ICU, Hospice, Nursing Education.

I get ice from the cafeteria and put it in a small cooler as well. I make them up as I go and the ice keeps just fine. Recently the county purchased portable countertop ice makers for all clinics. It's nice but a lot of upkeep. The ice is kept in the ice maker and stays frozen (so you wouldn't need a freezer to keep it in). As you dispense the ice, it them makes more (you fill the water up to the max level so that it keeps making it). If you use A LOT of ice, it may not keep up with how much you are using, unless you empty it into a cooler as it makes ice to keep it working). It takes mine about 15 min to make ice when empty. I plan on using the ice maker for ice to put in cups for drinking (for the kids and the office staff) and continue to use my cooler from the cafeteria. Hope this helps!! :)

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

I have one of the portable ice makers, but I also have a mini fridge with a decent sized freezer. I suppose though that I could just turn it on to make my supply of ice for the day and just leave it in the bucket. The ice maker itself is somewhat insulated and the ice melts slowly in it. What ever you don't use could just melt over night and you can begin the process again the next day.

My complaint about the ice maker is that the water gets a little stale smelling, which i rememdy by adding a few drops of bleach when i first fill the reservoir with water

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.

My clinic is about the size of a walk-in closet so there's no rooom for a fridge or ice maker. I have a small Playmate cooler(approx. $16) that I fill with ice from the cafeteria. It holds all day and I just make up ice packs as needed. Only once in the last 2 years have I had to fill the cooler up twice--gotta love field day :uhoh3:

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