I want water and ice

10 years ago

As I considered the options of what to include for our basement kitchenette, I was leaning toward no fridge there bc I already have a basement fridge in the storage room, and a THIRD FRIDGE seems excessive. "But you'll want somewhere to store your favorite drinks like juice, soda and beer!" everyone chimes. Well, we RARELY drink soda or juice, and we NEVER drink alcohol. The truth is, our family of 8 (yes I'm serious) has a favorite beverage of ice water. We do drink milk with meals but treat it like a food. So if we want our beverage of choice in the basement we want something that dispenses filtered water and ice. From what I've seen, ice makers are expensive, noisy, and prone to leaking. So it seems that a refrigerator with a filtered water dispenser and ice maker would be my best bet. Am I wrong? Because it also has to be counter depth, which jacks up the price by about $1000. And it will take the place of one of my beloved built in pantries. Tell me there is something else out there that will give me ice and filtered water that will be silent, not as expensive, won't leak, and takes up way less room than a fridge. Someone? Please?

Comments (7)

robynstamps
10 years ago
Maybe a butler????!!!!

Lol! I am having the same dilemma here. Trying to decide if it's worth it. My 5 kids will spend a lot of time in the basement with their friends and cousins and it sounds like the best option so far.
DreamingoftheUP
10 years ago
Kudos to you for keeping your family off of soda.

It makes no sense to me to install a fridge just for ice and water. A fridge is noisy as well and won't have the capacity a dedicated ice maker would. Also, the ice maker/dispensers are the items that usually break on fridges anyway.

I can't believe that with so many different brands available, there's not one that is reasonably reliable (as reliable as appliances can be these days). If no one here has any experience to relate, maybe check Consumer Reports? For the water, I'd just install a separate undersink filter and tap.
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geoffrey_b
10 years ago
Google: on demand water coolers

Here is a link that might be useful: On demand water coolers
danceme
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks Dreaming. We do occasionally break out the soda, but it truly is a rare occasion. It just doesn't appeal to my husband or me for the most part (thought I cannot deny intense Sprite cravings when I have tummy troubles or eat a burger), so it just isn't part of our consumption patterns.

Also thanks for your thoughts. Here is where I'm at. I have a basement fridge that is your basic cheap white model for extra storage. When you come down the basement stairs (which is right when you come in from the garage with groceries) you can go straight into the storage room to the storage fridge, or, if we put in the other fridge, go around the corner to the right to the kitchenette (maybe 25 feet?) to that fridge and put away groceries (extra food). To me that seems annoying when that is the primary use of my current second fridge - storing excess food for our family of 8 that won't fit upstairs. first world problems. I feel silly complaining about walking extra 25 feet, but I am a super efficient person and get a lot done in a day. Being able to start from scratch means I want it just right, though.

However, this is a kitchenette and will be a serving area for parties. Will people wonder where the heck the fridge is? For resale value (we have no intention of moving, like ever, but it could happen)? Will I be annoyed when we are entertaining that I have to walk to the storage room to get the food and supplies? I'd say we have 5 big parties a year currently, but that was always upstairs, and will hopefully increase now that we will have this space finished.

Friends who have put ice makers in their basements (and their houses are way more expensive than mine, so they didn't go cheap) have all said DON'T DO IT. They've had leakage problems. With our wood floors, that would be a disaster!

Geoffrey B Thanks for the link! I like the look of that counter top model. That could also be a great option for us! Half the bedrooms are down there, and more than half the kids will sleep down there, and they all get up at various times in the night to get a drink of water from the kitchen.

My cabinet guy is basically on hold until I make up my mind. I appreciate all the input.
greg_2010
10 years ago
If you're worried about the ice maker leaking, how about building a counter top area for it that's waterproof and has a drain?
johnc777
10 years ago
Maybe with all those kids coming and going you could stock up on a few of these...

They'll learn how to refill them once they run out of ice a few times. (rofl)

All the big names in commercial ice makers (Manitowoc, Scottsman, Hoshizaki, etc.) offer under counter models. All are going to require a drain because the stored ice melts and the water needs to go somewhere.
danceme
Original Author
10 years ago
I actually have about 20 of those for preserving in the fall. I freeze things like pesto in them and then put them in ziploc bags to pull out a little at a time when I need it. So maybe that is their future when they get older. My oldest are only 7 and still a little short. :)