Countertop ice maker appliance and methods of operating the same

1 . A countertop ice maker appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the countertop ice maker appliance comprising:

a cabinet comprising a user interface;

a casing positioned within the cabinet, the casing including a sidewall defining at least a portion of an interior volume of the casing;

a sealed refrigeration system comprising a compressor and a condenser, wherein the compressor is a variable speed compressor, the sealed refrigeration system in thermal communication with the casing wherein operation of the sealed refrigeration system at least partially freezes water within the interior volume thereof;

an auger positioned at least partially within the interior volume of the casing and configured to rotate relative thereto;

an extruder positioned at an output end of the auger and configured to extrude at least partially frozen water within the interior volume of the casing into formed ice pieces;

a motor assembly including a variable speed motor that selectively rotates the auger wherein rotation of the auger moves the at least partially frozen water through the extruder thereby extruding the at least partially frozen water into the formed ice pieces;

a condenser fan to selectively urge a flow of air over the condenser; and

a controller operably coupled with the motor assembly, the compressor, and the condenser fan, the controller configured to perform an operation, the operation comprising:

initiating a standard ice making cycle, the standard ice making cycle comprising a first set of parameters for each of the motor assembly, the compressor, and the condenser fan, whereby the motor assembly is operated according to the first set of parameters for the motor assembly, the first set of parameters for the motor assembly including a first motor speed of the variable speed motor;

receiving, via the user interface, a signal to initiate an adjusted ice making cycle;

adjusting the first set of parameters to form a second set of parameters for each of the motor assembly, the compressor, and the condenser fan; and

initiating the adjusted ice making cycle whereby the motor assembly is operated according to the second set of parameters for the motor assembly, the second set of parameters for the motor assembly including a second motor speed of the variable speed motor greater than the first motor speed wherein rotation of the auger at the second motor speed moves the at least partially frozen water through the extruder at a faster rate than rotation of the auger at the first motor speed.

2 . The countertop ice maker appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first set of parameters for the compressor comprises a compressor capacity, the compressor capacity being between 60% and 80% of a total compressor capacity.

3 . The countertop ice maker appliance of claim 2 , wherein the second set of parameters for the compressor comprises the compressor capacity, the compressor capacity being at the total compressor capacity.

4 . The countertop ice maker appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first set of parameters for the motor assembly comprises a motor speed, the motor speed being between 60% and 80% of a total motor speed capacity.

5 . The countertop ice maker appliance of claim 4 , wherein the second set of parameters for the motor assembly comprises the motor speed, the motor speed being the total motor speed capacity.

6 . The countertop ice maker appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first set of parameters for the condenser fan comprises a fan speed, the fan speed being between 60% and 80% of a maximum fan speed.

7 . The countertop ice maker appliance of claim 6 , wherein the second set of parameters for the condenser fan comprises the fan speed, the fan speed being the maximum fan speed.

8 . The countertop ice maker appliance of claim 1 , wherein the motor assembly comprises a brushless direct current (DC) motor.

9 . The countertop ice maker appliance of claim 1 , wherein the operation further comprises:

directing the adjusted ice making cycle for a predetermined length of time.

10 . The countertop ice maker appliance of claim 1 , wherein:

initiating the adjusted ice making cycle operates each of the motor assembly, the compressor, and the condenser fan according to the second set of parameters for each of the motor assembly, the compressor, and the condenser fan;

the second set of parameters for the compressor including a second compressor capacity greater than a first compressor capacity of the first set of parameters for the compressor;

the second set of parameters for the condenser fan including a second fan speed greater than a first fan speed of the first set of parameters for the condenser fan; and

operation of the compressor at the second compressor capacity and operation of the condenser fan at the second fan speed freezes water within the interior volume of the casing at a faster rate than operation of the compressor at the first compressor capacity and operation of the condenser fan at the first fan speed.

11 . The countertop ice maker appliance of claim 10 , wherein:

the second motor speed of the motor assembly is a total motor speed capacity;

the second compressor capacity of the compressor is a total compressor capacity; and

the second fan speed of the condenser fan is a maximum fan speed.

12 . A method of operating a countertop ice maker appliance, the countertop ice maker appliance comprising a sealed refrigeration system including a compressor and a condenser, the countertop ice maker appliance further comprising a condenser fan, an auger configured to rotate, an extruder positioned at an output end of the auger and configured to extrude at least partially frozen water into formed ice pieces, and a motor assembly including a variable speed motor that selectively rotates the auger wherein rotation of the auger moves the at least partially frozen water through the extruder thereby extruding the at least partially frozen water into the formed ice pieces, the method comprising:

initiating a standard ice making cycle, the standard ice making cycle comprising a first set of parameters for each of the motor assembly, the compressor, and the condenser fan, whereby the motor assembly is operated according to the first set of parameters for the motor assembly, the first set of parameters for the motor assembly including a first motor speed of the variable speed motor;

receiving, via a user interface, a signal to initiate an adjusted ice making cycle;

adjusting the first set of parameters to form a second set of parameters for each of the motor assembly, the compressor, and the condenser fan; and

initiating the adjusted ice making cycle whereby the motor assembly is operated according to the second set of parameters of the motor assembly, the second set of parameters of the motor assembly including a second motor speed of the variable speed motor greater than the first motor speed wherein rotation of the auger at the second motor speed moves the at least partially frozen water through the extruder at a faster rate than rotation of the auger at the first motor speed.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first set of parameters for the compressor comprises a compressor capacity, the compressor capacity being between 60% and 80% of a total compressor capacity.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the second set of parameters for the compressor comprises the compressor capacity, the compressor capacity being at the total compressor capacity.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first set of parameters for the motor assembly comprises a motor speed, the motor speed being between 60% and 80% of a total motor speed capacity.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the second set of parameters for the motor assembly comprises the motor speed, the motor speed being the total motor speed capacity.

17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first set of parameters for the condenser fan comprises a fan speed, the fan speed being between 60% and 80% of a maximum fan speed.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the second set of parameters for the condenser fan comprises the fan speed, the fan speed being the maximum fan speed.

19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the motor assembly comprises a brushless direct current (DC) motor.

20 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

directing the adjusted ice making cycle for a predetermined length of time.