Refrigerator - Normal Ice Production and Cube Size

Most of our refrigerator icemakers produce crescent-shaped cubes with the exception of some Top-Freezer refrigerator models manufactured in 2020. These models produce cube-shaped ice cubes. Listed below is information about the size and shape of the ice cubes as well as the normal ice cube production for various styles of refrigerators.

 

Cube Dimensions:

Depending on the model, the approximate cube dimensions offered are as follows:

  • Regular Crescent Cube: 2-1/2" long x 3/4" high x 3/4" thick

  • Small Crescent Cube: 1-3/4” Long x 5/8” high x 3/4” thick

  • Cube-Shaped Cube: 1-1/4" long x 7/8" high 1-1/8" wide

 

Production Rates:

  • A regular "crescent-shaped cube" icemaker produces 7 cubes of ice every 70 to 80 minutes which is .21 pounds of ice using about 4 ounces of water. That is about 4 pounds of ice per day.

  • A small "crescent-shaped cube" icemaker (found in our Bottom-Freezer Multi-Door models) produces 7 cubes of ice every 39 to 49 minutes for an average ice rate of about 4.25 pounds of ice per day.

 

The following ice production and capacity information is under normal operating conditions:

 

Side-by-Side (GE, Profile and Cafe Series)

  • Will make approximately 4.5 lbs. or 130 cubes per day.

  • The bucket will hold approximately 8 lbs. of ice.

  • "Arctica Ice" buckets hold 10 lbs. of ice.

  • Ice production can be increased by decreasing the freezer temperature to -2 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Top-Freezer (GE and Profile Series)

  • Will make approximately 3.5 lbs. or 100 cubes per day.

 

Bottom-Freezer/French-Door (GE, Profile and Cafe Series with the icemaker in the Fresh Food section)

  • Most models make approximately 3.9 lbs. per day. This is also the amount of ice the bin holds.

  • 26 cubic feet capacity models will make 3.5 lbs. per day.

 

Bottom-Freezer/French-Door (GE, Profile and Cafe Series with the icemaker in the Fresh Food door)

  • Will make approximately 3.6 lbs. per day.

  • The ice bin holds 3.8 lbs.

 

Bottom-Freezer/French-Door (GE, Profile and Cafe Series with the icemaker in the Freezer section)

  • 19/21/24/25 cubic feet capacity models will make approximately 3 lbs. or 85 to 90 cubes per day. This is also the amount of ice the bin holds.

  • 20/22/23/25/26/28 cubic feet capacity models will make approximately 4.5 lbs. or 130 cubes per day. This is also the amount of ice the bin holds.

 

Bottom-Freezer/French-Door (GE, Profile and Cafe Series with dual icemakers)

  • Will make approximately 3.6 lbs. per day in the Fresh Food section. The ice the bin holds is 3.8 lbs.

  • Will make approximately 2.6 lbs. per day in the Freezer section. (Note: This applies to IM5D icemakers also).

  • Holds over 11 lbs. of ice altogether.

 

Quick Ice Feature:

  • For refrigerator models with the Quick Ice feature, ice production can be increased by nearly 48% to about 6.2 lbs. per day. Activating the Quick Ice feature causes a fan to turn on and blow continuous cold air over the icemaker creating a faster cycle time.

 

Factors that Affect Ice Production:

  • Ice production is dependent on freezer temperatures which are affected by the temperature control settings. The settings should be 5 and 5 on models with knobs, 0 and 37 for models with electronic controls and 26 cubic feet Bottom-Freezer refrigerator model settings are –2 and 38. Door openings and food load affect ice production.

  • More food in the freezer will keep the temperatures more stable which will help the icemaker perform more efficiently. The frozen packages act as insulators to keep the cold air in. We recommend that the freezer be kept three-fourths full for optimal operation. If necessary, use plastic jugs filled two-thirds with water to increase the freezer load to three-fourths of its volume.

 

 

With a new installation, the icemaker will not immediately start to make ice after being plugged in since the icemaker must reach a temperature of approximately 15 degrees Fahrenheit before a cycle is initiated. Please allow up to 24 hours for the icemaker to begin cycling and producing ice cubes.

For more information, you can take a look at our Refrigerator - New Icemaker Not Producing Ice article.