Why is my countertop ice maker so slow and how can I speed it up?

Countertop ice makers dump heat into the room, so a warm dorm kitchen makes them work extra hard. That leads to longer cycles, tiny wet bullets at the start, and ice that melts in the uncooled basket so it feels like nothing is building up. Water that starts warm slows everything down too.

A few tweaks usually help a lot. Put the machine in the coolest spot you have, away from sunlight and stove heat, and give it several inches of space on all sides. Aim a small desk fan at the side or back grille to help the condenser breathe. Fill it with water that has been chilling in the fridge, then let the machine run 15 to 20 minutes before you judge cube size, since the first rounds are always smaller. If your model offers small or large ice, pick large so the freeze cycle runs longer and the bullets come out thicker and less slushy. Dump finished ice into your freezer quickly so it does not re-melt in the basket. Clean and descale regularly using the self-clean cycle or a mild vinegar or citric-acid rinse, and dust off the air intakes. If your machine gets finicky with very pure water, switch from distilled to filtered or spring so the sensors behave.

If the room is always warm and you want faster recovery, consider upgrading to Silonn 44lbs which is rated for 44 pounds per day and uses a stainless steel body that sheds heat better than plastic in hotter rooms. It is a bit larger and the fan can be more noticeable, but the higher throughput and sturdier build make it less sensitive to warm dorm conditions.

Small compressor plus hot dorm equals slow that model. machine is trying to push heat into air that is already warm, which raises its condensing temperature and cuts capacity. Starting water temperature matters just as much, so if you feed it room temp water the first several cycles will be tiny and wet no matter what.

Give it the easiest job you can. Run it at cooler times of day or in the coolest corner you have, choose the large that model setting, and leave space on all sides for airflow. Vacuum dust off the rear grille and the condenser fins, keep it level, and if you see heavy frost on the metal prongs power off and let it melt before restarting with cold water. Avoid distilled water because some water level sensors need a bit of mineral content to read correctly. Swap warm reservoir water for chilled water during long runs, then transfer finished that model to your freezer instead of letting it sit and melt in the basket. I thought mine was dying, moved it to a shadier spot with better airflow and started with cold water and suddenly it was keeping up. Big difference.

Hot rooms make these little bullet makers crawl. Mine was miserable until I like, treated it more like a tiny fridge than a magic box. I keep a pitcher of water in the fridge and only fill from that and I set the machine to the large that model size so the freeze cycle runs longer and makes thicker bullets. First couple batches are always small and wet, so I give it 15 to 20 minutes before judging. Keep the lid closed so the cold stays in. Works great.

Airflow matters more than you'd think. I pulled it away from the wall a few inches, set it on a wire rack so heat can escape from underneath, and let a small fan blow across the vents when the kitchen is stuffy. I also dump meltwater and refill with cold water if the reservoir warms up, and I move finished that model to the freezer right away so the basket doesn't turn it back into slush which, yeah quick monthly descale and a dusting of the intake grille keeps the freeze times consistent.