My friend in Phoenix has an ice maker and loves it. They make up a few batches of ice and keep it in the refrigerator's freezer. When they are having a large group of people they make up a lot of it. They use bottled water in it so that prevents any mineral build up. I was thinking of getting one when our ice maker in the refrigerator went out, but ice cube trays are cheaper and easier to deal with. I don't have the room in my kitchen to keep an ice machine and to carry it in and out would become an issue and not happen.