EUhomy Ice Maker IM-01-WA In-depth Review
The EUhomy portable ice maker is a little different. Its controls are on the front and not the top and the lid is opaque rather than see-through. This machine has a classic looking design and avoids generic parts. But, read more to find out if it excelled with ice making.
Overall Verdict
There is a lot about the EUhomy to like. Its exterior build quality is excellent, the front control panel indicators easy to see from afar, and the ice basket well-designed. Some people may even prefer the darker colored lid instead of the usual transparent design.
However, when put to the test, the EUhomy bullet ice maker simply failed to perform as well as we had hoped. It took as long as other ice makers to start producing large ice bullets, but the weight and quality was never more than a low average.
The time taken to fill a basket of ice was lengthy by comparison, and the hourly and 24-hour capacity below standard. Even considering the more original design, there are better ice makers to choose from.
Things We Like
- Solid external build
- Front control panel
- Ice basket design
Things We Don’t Like
- Performance
- Visibility
EUhomy is a company dedicated to small refrigeration appliances. They also manufacture nugget countertop ice makers and cube ice makers. We bought this ice maker to test because of its standout design with controls on the front of the machine.
Key Specs
Where to Buy Price at publication $100.99
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Compared to Other Bullet Ice Makers
6.7 Performance
Out of the two performance tests we do, EUhomy did much better on the ice quality test. Even still, it only occasionally managed to make large bullets of over 6 grams. The time to fill a basket of ice was also somewhat lengthy compared to the capacity it could produce. Generally, performance was below average which contrasted to its good external build quality and slightly original design.
6.1 Ice Capacity Test: A Low Average
For our ice capacity test, we prep the machines by running them overnight. Then, after refilling the tank, we monitor how the machine produces three consecutive full baskets of ice.
For these tests, the EUhomy only produces an average basket weight of 15.6 oz (441 g), which is around 100 grams less than top performing machines. Basket sizes and scoop mechanics aside, the average hourly capacity was only 8.3 oz (236 g) since the machine took a full 112 minutes to fill a basket.
More revealing, however, was the amount of waste or broken ice that was produced. It topped 32 g (1.13 oz) on average which is by far the largest we have recorded.
7.6 Ice Quality Test: Acceptable
For the most part, the EUhomy produces nice looking ice bullets. The drawback, as mentioned in the capacity test, were the high incidences of broken or malformed ice.
Each cycle of ice making took around eight and a half minutes and the average weight of a large ice bullet was 5.6 g (0.2 oz). By comparison, most other machines tended to regularly make ice bullets of over 6 grams and sometimes reaching up to 7 grams.
In short, the EUhomy took a lot longer to produce less ice which sometimes wasn’t always of a consistently good quality.
8.4 Design
The EUhomy stands out for its material quality and different design aesthetic. It doesn't have a modern sleek edge to it, but there are useful and user-friendly features. Unfortunately, with the EUhomy, internal mechanics and performance don’t match up to the external build quality. In our grading system, we subtract 1 point from the design score for every one point discrepancy to performance.
In The Box
The EUhomy arrived securely boxed between two styrofoam holders. The cord was placed on top with the bundled literature in a neat envelope. The ice basket and scoop mechanism were taped down, but the tape was low quality and difficult to get off.
- One ice maker
- Removable ice basket
- Ice scoop
- User manual
- Troubleshooting table
Dimensions
8.6 Build Quality: Good On The Outside
The EUhomy has excellent external build quality. The brushed stainless steel is easy to keep clean, fingerprints are minimal, and the raised buttons are nice quality. Plastic parts are minimal, the ice basket thoughtfully designed, and the drainage plug was better than the usual generic type.
Unfortunately, there was a full 1.7 score discrepancy between external build quality and performance so we subtracted one point from the final design score. We have noted such discrepancies with other EUhomy products while testing their water cooler dispenser (now discontinued).
7.7 Lid Design: Well Insulated
In our scoring system, we prefer a transparent lid for better ease of use. However, the lid of the EUhomy is well-constructed and proved quite effective in our overnight insulation test.
We leave machines running for eight hours and check the basket the following morning to gauge ice degradation. While there was notable ice loss, the EUhomy fared better than a lot of other machines and did a good job with preserving ice.
8.5 Panel Design: Original
Unlike almost all other ice makers, the EUhomy doesn’t have the control panel in the roof or lid, but on the front of the machine. If you have your ice maker on a high countertop, then this is quite useful. It’s a refreshing design nonetheless.
9.0 Ice Basket: Better Than Most
The EUhomy gets more than a few things right with its ice basket. It’s made of a hard plastic so doesn’t move around when you scoop and it has a raised edge on the left side. It’s also slightly larger than typical generic type designs.
Water Reservoir: Average Volume
The water reservoir on the EUhomy ice maker is only 1.6 L or 1.7 quarts. This is a little less than the standard average of 1.8 L or some other machines like the Frigidaire that take up to 2.1 L. Filling the reservoir is fast and simple and you can easily top it up when you take out a full basket of ice. Make sure to use chilled water (10℃‒50℉) in order not to affect the quality of the ice or slow down production.
Drainage Plug
The drainage plug is on the left and not the right hand side. It is also a little stubbier than the typical generic type and it is made completely of silicone so it’s nice and soft to touch. Even with simple parts, the EUhomy avoids generic designs.
Ice Scoop
Cord and Plug
The EUhomy has a black cord which measured a full 73 inches (185 cm), or a full 2 inches longer than the typical 71 inches. This means you get a little thoughtful extra and the plug is three-pronged with an earth.
8.0 Usability
The EUhomy is an easy-to-use machine because of its larger sized ice basket and control panel on the front of the machine. Some people may not like the darker colored lid which is not easy to see through, and removing the water guard for cleaning is not so easy. However, the body of the machine is not prone to fingerprints and it has a classic looking aesthetic.
7.8 Ease of Use: Thoughtfully Designed
The EUhomy has a dark-shaded translucent lid and not the usual transparent lid. You have to lift it up to see how much ice is inside—if you like the aesthetic this might work for you.
Other than that, it has some nice design features. The ice basket is a firm solid plastic with a raised edge on the left which helps with scoping out the last of the ice. The scoop leverage is also better than average since the basket is a little wider.
What makes the EUhomy stand out, however, is its control panel on the front of the machine and not the top. The buttons were also raised and good quality. Some people may like this design and we found that it had no real disadvantage.
8.2 Noise: A Comfortable Average
When making large ice bullets, the EUhomy registered 67.5 dB on our sound meter. You hardly notice the machine while it is running, but things get a little louder when the ice pops out. There are quieter machines, but the EUhomy was by no means the noisiest.
8.5 Cleaning: One Minor Hinderance
On any ice maker, the self-cleaning mechanism will only flush water through the ice making apparatus. You still occasionally wipe the reservoir clean. To do this, you first pull the drainage plug. The EUhomy has a soft silicone plug on the left and not the right hand side.
The water guard is a bit difficult to remove though, but if you cannot get it out, you can remove grime by running a white vinegar solution through the tank using the self-cleaning mechanism. It’s good to ‘descale’ every 6 months.
The body of the EUhomy is made of a high grade stainless steel so it cleans easily and is not so prone to gathering fingerprints.
Behind the review
Roger Shitaki is a writer, author, and editor. His niches are household appliances, health & wellness, and travel. He’s a freelance contributor to a Tokyo lifestyle website and a leading ophthalmology magazine in Asia.
Lap is Head of the Research, Testing, and Review Team (RTR Team) at HealthyKitchen101.com, where he directs and supervises the testing of kitchen gadgets and appliances.
Nguyen Ntk is a graphic designer, photographer, and videographer whose philosophy centers around respecting and celebrating the beauty of reality. Through his lenses, Nguyen strives to capture the true essence of objects and events, showcasing and highlighting authentic features without distortion or exaggeration.