Best Ice Makers

Summer often means a lot of picnics and party opportunities. And the hOmeLabs Portable Ice Maker Machine is here to provide you with a constant ice supply. It's a sleek and highly-powerful countertop ice making machine that can change your kitchen's functionality. In just 6-8 minutes, it makes the first 9-piece batch of smooth bullet-shaped ice cubes. The basket gets full in less than an hour, which is perfect if you quickly need a large batch of ice. In general, it can produce up to 26 lbs of ice per day and store up to 1.5 lbs of ice at a time. You can choose between small and large-sized cubes. The smaller ice cones can even fit into a plastic water bottle.

The hOmeLabs ice maker is ready to use right out-of-the-box and is very easy to operate. You just need to set the machine on a flat surface (at least 4 inches from a wall), pour the water in, and keep the lid closed. That's it! The machine will swiftly generate fresh ice cubes for you. We would like to point out that the ice cubes come out "wet". So if you're going to remove them and freeze, they might all freeze together and you'll need to break them apart later.

The machine boasts a modern refrigeration technology and quiet compressor cooling, so it works almost silently. It's equipped with a convenient control panel and comes with a BPA-free plastic ice scoop and a removable ice basket. The unit is quite compact which makes it perfect for small kitchens, recreational vehicles, boats, patios and more. However, the feature that discerns this model from many similar ice makers is that it is able to turn itself off automatically once its ice basket is full which contributes to its usability and provides the user with a peace of mind. 

If you often go camping and can't imagine your adventures without nice, crunchy ice and refreshing beverages, you surely need a good, portable ice-making machine to take with you. The Igloo ICEB26HNSSWL may fit that bill perfectly. It's a very compact, stylish appliance that can keep your drinks nice and chilled wherever you go. Using just 105 Watts of power, it won't drain your RV generator noticeably. Moreover, it has a very small footprint and takes minimum space, so we believe it'll fit nicely onto the small countertops of most trailers. For easy transportation, it's fitted with a carry handle on the top.

Despite the great portability, the Igloo ice maker doesn't trail behind the competition when it comes to performance. With a 2-Quart water tank capacity, it makes 9 cylinder-shaped ice cubes in as little as 7 minutes. The machine offers you to alternate between small and large cubes for keeping fresh-squeezed lemonade, iced tea, mojitos, or other beverages chilly on hot, summer days. It doesn't matter what size you choose, you'll always get really good, soft ice.

Frigidaire belongs to that rare type of US brands that produce "less but better". The company specializes solely in home appliances and offers a quite limited range of products. Actually, when you hear the name Frigidaire, you think of high-quality kitchen products, and the countertop Frigidaire EFIC189 ice maker is one of them. Everything about it screams high quality, so if you need the kind of ice maker that will last you a lifetime without problems, then keep on reading and discover more.

To begin with, it's a very stoutly-built machine that boasts a fully stainless steel construction (even the lid is made of stainless steel). Not only does this make the Frigidaire EFIC189 very durable but also it adds a more premium look and feel to it. So, it's the kind of thing you may want to display rather than hide.

When it comes to functionality, the unit is made with a compressor cooling system and can produce 9 cubes of ice every 7-15 minutes. It works extremely quietly, which means your party music will never be overshadowed by it. That is to say, it runs at less than 38 decibels and makes some noticeable noise only when the ice is emptied.

The Costway countertop ice maker machine is a good pick for those who need a compact and fairly efficient machine without paying 1000's bucks for a professional model. Unless they run a restaurant, of course.

This model isn't so big and heavy as most other ice makers offered on the market. It can be compared to a large toaster in size. It has a modest footprint, so you can even store it on a kitchen shelf. But although it's so small, it still can provide you with a decent amount of ice cubes in a relatively short amount of time. It prepares ready-to-serve ice cubes in about 7-8 minutes. The ice basket capacity makes 1.5lbs, which is more than enough for families of 2-3 members. And like many other standalone ice machines, this one can generate up to 26 lbs of clear ice per day. It can run non-stop for 24 hours to provide you with a readily available supply of ice. The machine can create large and small-sized ice tubes depending on your needs.

The ice bin fills in a couple of hours or so, and if you're not around to empty it, the ice will start melting. The melted water falls back into the water reservoir and is made into new ice bullets.

The unit has a see-through window to let you check the ice level and a "full" sensor" that alerts you to empty the tray so that more ice could be made. You'll also find another useful alert on a digital control panel that says when the water level in the reservoir is low and you need to refill it.

Whether you're running your own café or looking to buy a great quality ice machine for home use, the Frigidaire EFIC452 Ice Maker will be your kitchen's biggest asset. This machine operates based on a powerful 120W motor that allows it to produce up to 40 lbs of clear ice cubes per day, with about 2.4 lbs after each cycle, which is nothing short of impressive. As a result, you can get a continuous supply of ice to keep up with your family's ice needs and keep the cold drinks flowing all day long.

Compared to the other ice makers we've reviewed, the Frigidaire Ice Maker makes some of the largest, thickest bullet ice. You won't be able to choose the exact size of the ice cubes, but you can set the ice making cycle in 1-min increments, allowing you to make thicker or smaller ice. Speaking of the ice, it's clear and shiny and has a much solid structure than that produced by most other ice makers. Thanks to this, it melts much more slowly, too. It is also remarkable that the unit has a rather wide opening, making scooping ice cubes pretty easy and quick.

Not only does the Frigidaire EFIC452 stand out for its great performance, but it also boasts a sleek, modern design. Encased in a heavy-duty stainless steel body with a black finish, it can become a perfect addition to the interior of any kitchen, home bar or even office. Also, it's relatively compact and portable, although at 26.1 lbs, you probably won't want to move it around too often.