Top 5 places you wish you had a portable ice maker

With the summer months rapidly approaching, it's time to turn our attention to a chronic problem people all over the world face every year once the temperature increases. We've all been there - the sun shining down on you, sweat dripping from your brow, and worst of all: your drink getting warm and gross. If only, you've thought to yourself...

If only there was some way to keep this beverage cold! (OK maybe this hasn't happened to everyone, but it certainly could!)

In all seriousness, a portable ice maker is an excellent tool to have at your disposal for entertaining or really any other time you just need to make a large amount of ice. Rather than asking every other person at your party to bring a bag of ice only to have them all end up as soggy plastic bags in your sink, a portable ice machine can produce as much as 35 pounds of ice per day. They can even do different shapes and sizes, allowing you to custom-cool your drink.

The kitchen is the most obvious home for a portable ice maker, but what good will it do there while you're at the ball game or traveling to and from work? Below are the top five places you wish you had a portable ice maker:

In your car

According to the US Census, nine out of 10 people in the US drive to work every single day. Over the hot summer months, that can mean a lot of time stuck in traffic with the sun beating down on you. In these conditions, it's nearly impossible to keep a drink cold. Warm water or soda isn't going to help your drive, which is why a small portable ice maker in your car would really be a life saver.

At the office

Running back and forth between the communal refrigerator at work can be quite the pain. If you just can't stand another run-in with Jim from accounting, you need a portable ice machine in your office or cubicle. Small enough to fit on your desk (or under it if you want to be sly), a portable ice maker is actually a real possibility for some offices, especially since you don't even need a water hookup. this could save you lots of money too, as you could buy bigger bottles of water and soda without having to worry about keeping them cool - or having Jim from accounting swipe them.

At your kid's little league game

You parents will surely appreciate this one. Most of us have had the opportunity at some point to sit through a little League game on a hot summer afternoon. We all enjoy cheering for our children, but sometimes the games can just drag on forever. Go ahead and try leaving a cold bottle of water or soda sitting in the sun for an hour. The result? Warm, gross liquid that you probably will thrown away. Now imagine if the bleachers all came equipped with portable ice makers... problem solved.

Next to your television

How many of you have a fridge or freezer near your big-screen TV? If you're like most of America, you don't, which means a trip to the kitchen every time you need to refresh your drink. A portable ice machine in the same room can again save you a lot of time and travel. Just drop a six pack next to the couch, grab your glass and you're set for the afternoon.

In your hotel room

One of the first things anyone does upon checking into their hotel rooms is to seek out the nearest ice machine. Sometimes this would mean traveling several floors up or down just for some frozen water. And God forbid you forget your room key.... How many times will people be locked out of their room before hotels start equipping every suite with a portable ice maker? No more scouring the hotel with your empty bucket looking for that big noisy machine. And for those with rooms close to the ice machines? Sure you don't have to travel far for your frozen water, but wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have to hear every other hotel guest walk past your room and fill their ice buckets?