Antarctic Star Z5812C-BLACK Ice Maker Review

Antarctic Star Z5812C-BLACK ice maker can make up to 26 pounds of ice cubes in a day. It uses copper aluminum fin condenser and 21g R600a refrigerant to produce ice. Everything that touches water or ice is made of food grade materials. So how does Antarctic Star Z5812C ice maker perform?

Ice production

Antarctic Star Z5812C can make ice cubes in two different sizes. Each batch takes 6 to 13 minutes to produce depending on selected ice cube size setting as well air and water temperatures. Each batch consists of 9 ice cubes.

Antarctic Star Z5812C is not refrigerated meaning ice cubes start to melt once made. It seems like this unit isn’t well insulated as ice cubes seem to melt faster than in other ice machines. If you put ice cubes in freezer for later use they will freeze together – you will have to break them apart afterwards. Water from melted ice cubes will be reused for following batches.

Ice cube quality is ok and similar to what most other countertop ice machines produce.

Features

Just like most ice machines this on also has sensors that detect when water reservoir is empty or ice basket is full. Once that happens it will pause ice production until you add more water or empty the ice basket.

Translucent window allows you to see how many ice cubes have been made without opening the lid and letting warm air inside. Ice basket is removable. Housing is made of ABS. Antarctic Star Z5812C ice maker comes with free scoop like most ice machines.

Control Panel

Control panel is simple and intuitive. It features two buttons: “On/Off“ and “Select” (ice cube size setting).

There are also 5 indicator lights:

• “Add water” indicator: lights up when water reservoir is empty and pauses ice production. Add more water to resume ice production.
• “Ice full” indicator: lights up when is basket is full and pauses ice production. To resume producing ice empty the ice basket.
• “Power” indicator: Indicates that the unit is plugged in.
• “S” indicator: Indicates you have selected small ice cube size setting.
• “L” indicator: Indicates you have selected large ice cube size setting.

Dimensions and weight

Antarctic Star Z5812C ice maker machine measures 13.9 inches deep, 9.5 inches wide and 13 inches high making it smaller than many other (but not all) countertop ice makers. If you want a unit with small footprint this is one of the reasons why this one might be a good choice for you.

Antarctic Star Z5812C weighs 16.76 pounds.

Conclusions

Antarctic Star Z5812C is a decent ice maker for the money. It has some advantages and some disadvantages over other countertop ice machines for similar pricing so it’s up to you to decide which suits your needs better. If you are looking for a good ice maker machine you might want to read our Best Portable/Countertop Ice Makers article.

Antarctic Star Z5812C-BLACK Ice Maker Machine Specs/Details:

• Type: Freestanding / Portable / Countertop
• Ice output: up to 26 lbs per 24 hours
• Ice cubes per batch: 9
• Ice cube size options: 2
• Refrigerant: 21g R600a
• Condenser: Copper aluminum fin
• Housing material: Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
• Dimensions: 9.5″ x 13.9” x 13” (W x D x H)