OT: opinions on fresh ice machines down South :OT

RRP

Today it was announced that kiosk sized machines are coming to our area. They will serve up fresh, crystal clear, non-clumping ice cubes for $1.50 to $2.00 per 10 pound bag. The article says they have been popular in Southern states for some time. Any opinions here? BTW up here bulk ice is available in chest freezers and typically you have to beat a bag with a hammer to break them up!

Eggcelsior

There is one down the street(Twice the Ice franchise) from my parent's beach place. It's fantastic. Drive over, load up the cooler, and hit the beach. No issues with clumping. You get 18 lbs in a bag or 20 lbs loose for around 2 bucks. I'll load up and head around if we are getting fresh fish and what not, unless we can get some from the fish monger.

tamu2009

Loved mine until my parents gave me an ice machine for my house.

shtgunal3

I like em and use em a lot in the summer. Pisses me off when I stop by one and it is out of order. 

SGH

@RRP
Ron, we have had them down here on the coast almost as far back as I can remember. I'm sure the shrimp and fishing industry is why. With that said, they are very convenient. At one time they were a heck of a deal. 20 pounds of ice for a buck. Now that they have got everyone to using them they have bumped the price up to 2 bucks for 20 pounds. Still not a bad deal though. It's the convenience that makes them so great. 

HeavyG

I wonder how and how often they are cleaned and sanitized.

SGH

@RRP
Ron, on a side note, if you put a 5, 10, or 20 dollar bill in them, they give you change back in dollar coins. My granddaughter loves this. Every time I have her she makes me drive bye the ice machine to get her some "gold coins" or Leprechaun money as she calls it. 

SGH

HeavyG said:

I wonder how and how often they are cleaned and sanitized.

Just a hunch but my guess is never 

johnnyp

they're great, Ron.  Super cheap because they don't have to pay for overhead. 

Hans61

I drop the bag on concrete twice, once per side and the ice is all broken up

Lit

There is one right down the road from my house where you turn to head to the lake. I believe they have a cooler ice option also that isn't potable. Our hood has an ice machine at the pool so I have never needed to use the other one.

WeberWho

Arbys $1 for 10 pounds of ice

Botch

They've been in hotels forever.  
I guess I do like the idea of fewer plastic bags for the landfill, if you can fill your cooler directly.  

SemolinaPilchard

SGH said:

@RRP
Ron, on a side note, if you put a 5, 10, or 20 dollar bill in them, they give you change back in dollar coins. 

What brand machine is it that gives the gold coins?

SGH

SemolinaPilchard said:

What brand machine is it that gives the gold coins?

As many times as I have used it I honestly don't know. With that said, later this evening I'm going to go get some ice and I will snap a picture of it and post it here. 

northGAcock

SGH said:

@RRP
Ron, on a side note, if you put a 5, 10, or 20 dollar bill in them, they give you change back in dollar coins. My granddaughter loves this. Every time I have her she makes me drive bye the ice machine to get her some "gold coins" or Leprechaun money as she calls it. 

D@mn.....one should stop there on the way to the Gentleman club.

Laegger

Around me, any place that fishermen pulling a boat get gas there is also an ice machine. They are great.

nolaegghead

$1.50 for 18# bagged or 20# loose.  I get ice there once or twice a week.

I have a big ice machine, but need to fix it.  Not sure how much that'll cost me to run and if the cost is worth it.

SGH

Ron, on a seperate note, lets cook some shrimp and crab claws.

SGH

SemolinaPilchard said:

What brand machine is it that gives the gold coins?

There is a Redi Ice right down the road. However it does not give the gold coins. 

DoubleEgger

One other thing I'll add it that the ice is fresh so the cubes are consistent. It hasn't thawed a little and refreezed into a chunk you've got the bang on the ground. 

DaveRichardson

I've got a buddy that has about 10 of these free-standing units. They have a service that comes by and cleans based on useage. Some machines are 2x a month, some are only monthly.  KK bet the hotel machines are much less than that!!

RRP

DaveRichardson said:

  KK bet the hotel machines are much less than that!!

This is no lie...one time on Jekyll Island, GA at a HI I had just filled a room ice bucket from one of those ice machine chests. It was located in the hallway near the pool when a little boy maybe 4 years old walked right up behind me, lifted the lid and pissed in it! I really yelled loud at him and he took off crying like I had beat him! Guess Mommy told him to never pee in the pool!

DoubleEgger

DaveRichardson said:

I've got a buddy that has about 10 of these free-standing units. They have a service that comes by and cleans based on useage. Some machines are 2x a month, some are only monthly.  KK bet the hotel machines are much less than that!!

Does he make any money doing this? It's crossed my mind several times....

johnkitchens

We have them here. We love them! I got ripped off once, but only once. I lot better than having to go in the store and getting a key. 

GaBGE

We have them in northeast Georgia but they don't produce cubes. It's more like flat 1/8 inch thick pieces, usually about the size of half dollars. 

DoubleEgger

SemolinaPilchard

RRP said:

when a little boy maybe 4 years old walked right up behind me, lifted the lid and pissed in it! 

One of the reasons that hotels and motels switched to the machines that only fill up a bucket at a time is so people take less ice, but another was to stop guys from using it as a urinal. Spring break idiots used to do that all the time.

Ozzie_Isaac

I just stop by the nearest hotel.  Unlimited ice for free.

Toxarch

We have them here. Same as mentioned above, $2 for 18 lb or 20 lb straight into the cooler. Very convenient especially since they do take a credit card. Also, MUCH cheaper than the 8 lb bags from the gas station. They seem to think they are selling lump charcoal or something.

SmokeyPitt

I haven't heard of these but it is a cool idea. Can you dispense any amount of us it in set increments?  It would be nice if you could buy exactly what you need to fill a cooler.