Ice cube makers that will save space in your fridge

Built-in ice makers and ice cube trays can take up quite a bit of space in the freezer. But you can’t beat having enough ice on-hand, especially when you’re entertaining a crowd. This is where products such as the Ice Genie have tried to step in. But the ice dilemma is proving to be a little tricky to solve.

The Ice Genie is a cylindrical ice cube maker that makes up to 120 pieces of ice, and which takes up far less space than a traditional ice tray in the freezer. It retails for about $12.99 on Amazon.

How does it work? In theory, all you have to do is add water to the mold, freeze and then squeeze the outer edges to loosen the cubes of ice. They’ll sit in the mold until you’re ready to use them. And this product gets bonus points because it can also double as a wine chiller.

This video from the Genius Club Facebook page showcases the Ice Genie in action:

Unfortunately, the product has received mixed, mostly negative reviews on Amazon. The main gripes with the product are the size of the ice cubes it yields, along with the way the water collects along the bottom of the cylinder instead of staying in the chambers of the walls as advertised.

“Not what I expected size wise. Makes tiny tiny half slivers of ice cubes. A little tweak in the design would probably make this an awesome product but for me it was disappointing,” one dissatisfied customer wrote on Amazon.

“[I]t does not work,” wrote another customer, getting straight to the point. “the water collects in the bottom.”

However, one Amazon user did point out that it serves its purpose as a chilling koozie well.

“Actually works really well as an ice bucket to put drinks in,” another Amazon review read.

Which is not nothing. Luckily, when it comes to space-saving ice makers, the Ice Genie isn’t your only option. There are also bags that produce a total of 1,200 ice cubes, available on Amazon:

These disposable bags may not be practical for everyday use, but they’ll come in handy the next time you entertain a crowd.

Then there’s this portable ice maker that doesn’t need to go in the freezer at all — which is definitely great in terms of creating space.

The summer season isn’t over just yet, so the sooner you figure out your ice situation, the better.

Do you think any of these ice-making methods might work for you? Do you have any ice-making hacks of your own? Do you just pick up bags of ice from the gas station? Let us know!

Oh, and before you throw out those ice trays — make sure you find out how else you could be using them around the house!