Daewoo 12KG Ice Maker Review: compact countertop ice on tap (with a few quirks)

I’ve been using this Daewoo 12KG ice maker for a while now, mostly for drinks at home and the odd barbecue. Before this, I relied on freezer trays and those small supermarket ice bags, which were always either frozen into one big block or just finished right when people arrived. So I wanted something simple: plug it in, add water, and have a steady stream of ice without thinking too much about it.

In practice, this machine does what it says: it spits out 9 bullet-shaped cubes roughly every 6–8 minutes once it’s warmed up a bit. The first couple of batches are usually smaller and a bit soft, then it settles into a rhythm. For two or three people having drinks, it easily keeps up. For a bigger group, I just run it ahead of time and dump the ice into freezer bags.

The main thing to understand is that this is an ice maker, not an ice freezer. It doesn’t really keep the ice super cold. If you leave the ice in the basket for a while, it slowly melts back into the tank and the machine starts again. That’s not a defect, it’s just how these countertop units work, but you have to plan around it a bit.

Overall, my feeling is: it’s a pretty solid little machine that does the job if you’re realistic about what it is. It’s not silent, it doesn’t store ice like a freezer, and the cubes are on the small side. But if you’re sick of filling trays and want easy ice for daily drinks or weekend gatherings, it’s quite handy.

In terms of value, I judge it by two things: how much hassle it saves me and how often I actually use it. If you only use ice twice a year, this is probably overkill and you’d be better off with bags from the shop. But if you’re regularly drinking iced coffee, cold soft drinks, or spirits with ice, or you host friends now and then, the Daewoo starts to make sense pretty quickly.

Compared to some cheaper unbranded ice makers, the Daewoo sits in the mid-range. You’re paying a bit more than the absolute budget options, but you’re getting a known brand, a 3-year warranty, and a machine that feels reasonably solid. The performance (9 cubes in about 6 minutes, up to 12 kg per day) is standard for this size, so you’re not paying for extra power, more for reliability and support. For me, that’s fair. I’d rather pay a little more once than replace a no-name unit after a year.

Running costs aren’t crazy either. It’s listed at 1000 W, but it’s not pulling that full power constantly; the compressor cycles on and off. I haven’t seen any shocking jump in the electricity bill with normal use. Water usage is minimal, and there are no special filters or cartridges to buy. Maintenance is mostly a cleaning cycle now and then and wiping it down.

Overall, I’d say the value is good if you actually use it regularly. It’s not a luxury toy, but it’s also not a bargain-basement unit. If you’re the type who always has people over, or you hate dealing with ice trays and running out of ice at the worst time, the cost is easy to justify. If you’re more of an occasional user, you might find it nice to have but not essential, and then the value feels more “decent but nothing more”.

Design-wise, the Daewoo ice maker is quite compact and practical. The footprint is small enough for most kitchen counters, and the height is low enough to fit under wall cupboards without any drama. The built-in carry handle is actually useful, not just a gimmick. I’ve moved it between the kitchen and the garden table a few times, and you can carry it with one hand while holding the door with the other, which is exactly what I want from a “portable” unit.

The style is pretty standard: stainless steel with plastic parts. It looks fine, nothing special, but not ugly either. It blends in with other appliances. The transparent lid is handy because you can quickly check if the basket is full or almost empty. That sounds minor, but during a party it saves you from constantly lifting the lid and letting warm air in. The control panel is basic but clear; you can see at a glance if it’s out of water or if the ice basket is full.

Now, about noise: it’s not crazy loud, but it’s not quiet either. You hear the fan and the compressor, and every cycle you hear the ice dropping. If it’s in an open-plan kitchen/living room and you’re watching TV, you’ll notice it. Compared to other countertop ice makers I’ve heard at friends’ places, I’d say this one is “normal noisy”. If you’re sensitive to noise, you might want to stick it in a corner or even in a utility room or garage like some people do.

In terms of layout, there’s nothing that feels over-engineered. You can easily remove the ice basket, access the inside to wipe it, and see the metal fingers that freeze the bullet cubes. The drain plug is at the bottom to empty leftover water when you want to clean it or put it away. Overall, the design is focused on practicality. It’s not the nicest-looking gadget in the kitchen, but it’s easy to live with.

The body is listed as stainless steel, and yes, the outer shell has that metal finish, which helps with the overall feel. It doesn’t feel like a cheap toy when you touch it. That said, a lot of the actual functional parts are plastic: the lid, the ice basket, the internal scoop area, and the scoop itself. That’s pretty standard for this type of machine, but don’t expect some heavy-duty commercial build.

The plastic basket is light but does its job. It lifts out easily even when full of ice, and after several uses there’s no warping or cracking. The scoop is basic, nothing fancy, but it’s enough to fill glasses and jugs. If you want something nicer, you could buy a metal scoop, but for most people the included one is fine. The hinge on the lid feels okay; I don’t feel like it’s going to snap off with normal use, but I wouldn’t slam it shut either.

Inside, you can see the metal evaporator fingers where the ice forms. Those are solid, and that’s the part that really matters for making ice. The reservoir and inner walls are plastic, and they clean up easily with a cloth. I haven’t noticed any plastic taste in the ice, which is always a concern with cheaper materials. After the first cleaning cycle and a couple of tanks of water, the ice tasted neutral.

Overall, I’d say the materials are decent for home use. This is not built like a bar-grade machine that runs 24/7 for years, but for home, office, or occasional party use, it feels solid enough. At around this price point, you’re not getting heavy metal internals everywhere, but nothing on it feels flimsy to the point of being a deal-breaker. If you treat it reasonably and don’t drag it around by the lid or slam it, it should hold up.

On durability, I can’t pretend I’ve used it for ten years, but I can share what I’ve seen and what other owners report. Personally, after several weeks of regular use (a few times a week, plus some longer weekend sessions), it still runs like day one. No strange noises, no leaks, no error lights. The fan and compressor sound consistent, and the ice production rate hasn’t dropped off.

The moving parts are fairly limited: the little arm that pushes the ice into the basket, the water pump, and the compressor. Fewer moving parts usually means fewer things to break, which is a good sign. The lid hinge and the handle haven’t shown any wobble or looseness so far. I do try not to abuse it: I don’t yank it around when it’s full of water, and I avoid slamming the lid. Treated like a normal kitchen appliance, it feels like it should last a while.

Another positive point is the 3-year warranty if you register it online. For a small appliance at this price, that’s reassuring. It tells me Daewoo expects it to last at least that long under normal use. I’ve also seen reviews from people saying they’ve had it running almost daily for over a year with no issues, which lines up with my impression that it’s built for regular home use, not just occasional parties.

Of course, it’s still a Chinese-made consumer product with a lot of plastic, so I’m not going to pretend it’s indestructible. If you plan to use it in a bar seven nights a week, I’d look at heavier-duty machines. But for home, office or holiday home use, the durability seems decent. As long as you run the self-cleaning cycle now and then, don’t leave stale water sitting in it for weeks, and don’t store it in a damp shed, I’d expect it to hold up fine.

Performance is the big question with these machines, and here the Daewoo does pretty well for a small unit. Once it’s up and running, it produces about 9 bullet-shaped cubes roughly every 6–8 minutes. The first couple of runs are usually slower and the cubes are smaller and softer, then it stabilises. If you let it run continuously, it can reach the advertised 12 kg per 24 hours, but in real life you’re more likely to run it a few hours at a time and stock up in your freezer.

The ice comes in two sizes: small and large. To be honest, the difference isn’t huge. The “large” is slightly thicker and works better for drinks you don’t want to dilute too fast, like a G&T or whisky with ice. The small ones are fine for soft drinks or filling a water bottle. One thing to note: these are hollow bullet cubes, not solid blocks. They cool drinks quickly but also melt faster than big solid cubes, especially if your drink is warm to start with.

As mentioned earlier, this machine doesn’t keep ice frozen like a freezer. Once the basket is full, if you leave it sitting, the ice slowly starts to melt, drips back into the tank, and the machine kicks in again. Some people find that odd, but it’s how most countertop ice makers work. My workaround is simple: every 10–15 minutes I empty the basket into a freezer bag and put it in the freezer. Yes, the ice can clump together in the bag, but a quick bang on the floor or counter breaks it up easily.

Noise-wise, it’s noticeable but not unbearable. You hear the compressor and the fan, and then the little crash when the ice drops. In a normal kitchen environment with a bit of background noise, it’s fine. If you put it right next to where you sit to watch TV, you’ll probably find it a bit annoying over time. In terms of pure performance, though, it gets the job done and keeps up with daily use and small gatherings without struggling.

Out of the box, you get the ice maker itself, a removable ice basket, a basic plastic scoop, and the manual. That’s it, no fancy extras, but you don’t really need more. The unit is fairly compact: about 29.4 cm deep, 22.2 cm wide, and 29 cm high. On my counter it takes less space than a small microwave, so it fits fine next to the coffee machine. It weighs around 6.3 kg, so you can move it, but it’s not feather-light either.

On the top, there’s a transparent window so you can see how much ice is in the basket without opening the lid. On the front you’ve got a simple control panel: a power button and a couple of indicator lights (power on, add water, ice full, and the small/large size selector). No screen, no app, nothing complicated. Honestly, I prefer that. You fill the tank up to the max line, press the button, pick S or L size, and you’re done.

The water tank is enough to run it for a good while – you’re not refilling it every 10 minutes. The basket takes about 600 g of ice before the “ice full” light comes on and the machine pauses. Once you empty the basket or the ice melts a bit and drops, it starts again. That automatic stop works well and avoids overflow, so there’s no mess on the counter.

In daily use, the overall presentation is very straightforward: it’s clearly made for people who just want ice with minimal thinking. No confusing menus, no setup. The instructions for the self-cleaning mode are also clear: leave a bit of water in the tank, hold the power button for 5 seconds, and it runs a 30-minute cleaning cycle. So from a usability point of view, it’s nicely thought out, even if it’s not fancy.

Effectiveness for me is simple: do I still run out of ice when people come over? Since getting this Daewoo, the answer is basically no, as long as I remember to switch it on a bit in advance. For everyday use, like two people having cold drinks in the evening, it’s honestly more than enough. You turn it on, go about your business, and every few minutes you’ve got a fresh batch of cubes in the basket.

For bigger events, I’ve tested it by running it for 2–3 hours straight before guests arrive. I just keep emptying the basket into large freezer bags. That easily covers a barbecue or a birthday with 8–10 people, with ice for soft drinks, cocktails, and topping up the cooler. The only time it struggles is if people suddenly all want lots of ice at exactly the same moment and you’ve forgotten to pre-stock. Then you’ll be waiting between cycles.

One honest downside is that the ice it makes isn’t rock-hard when it drops. It’s slightly wet on the surface and not as cold as ice straight from a deep freezer. In a warm room, it starts to melt fairly quickly in the basket. That’s why I recommend using it more like an “ice factory” and transferring the ice to your freezer if you want it to last. If you expect it to act like a freezer drawer, you’ll be disappointed.

Still, in terms of solving the daily hassle of ice trays and emergency supermarket runs, it’s very effective. You lose a bit of convenience with the noise and the need to transfer ice, but you gain a steady, flexible supply whenever you want. For me, that trade-off is worth it. It’s not perfect, but it does exactly what I bought it for: regular, hassle-free ice at home.