Ice makers have transformed how we enjoy chilled beverages, providing a convenient solution for making ice quickly and efficiently at home. In this blog, I’ll be reviewing and ranking the best ice makers based on real user feedback and detailed reviews to help you find the ideal choice for your needs.
1. Frigidaire Compact Ice Maker
Helpful Review: I have a condition where I have to increase water intake, and I prefer my water with ice, so I thought this would help. This icemaker has worked great so far, the design is pretty robust and it makes enough ice to keep up with my 5 person office (I’m nice and sharing). This is a continuous circulation design, so as ice is made, it’s dumped into a tray, which melts into a water holding tank, which is then recirculated in the freezing chamber on top.
The freezing device consists of several rods with stubby extensions which rotate into a shallow pan of water which is filled via pump from the reservoir beneath the ice basket. The stubs of the rods submerge and as they cool, ice forms around them, making cup shaped cubes. There are options for small or large. My one worry was that the ice would not be very cold and would melt and break quickly, but the larger size cube is quite robust and solid. With the lid down the cubes last fairly long, enough so I’m not bothering to transfer them to the freezer to save them.
If I kept the icemaker in a hot room or garage this might not be as practical, but it works very efficiently in an air conditioned office. As the small plastic basket fills, there’s some sort of sensor that automatically shuts off the machine from creating another load, so it can be left relatively unattended. I haven’t paid much attention to the scooping design which collects the cubes and dumps them into the basket, but there haven’t been any problems with it so far.
I use water from a filtered fountain and the cubes taste fine, perhaps even better than the water straight out of the filter. I have not tested with unfiltered water, but the water is so gross in my neck of the woods I would be afraid to damage it.
I work around a lot of humming machines, so the noise is easy for me to tune out. It can be a little noisy when cycling, so if you’re sensitive to that sort of thing you might want to put it in a different room. I honestly don’t care either way, because the ice is convenient and delicious! Very glad I purchased it, and wavering on getting a second one for at home.
2. Free Village Countertop Ice Maker
Helpful Review: This little icemaker is perfect. I live alone in an apartment with an old two-door frig with little freezer on top which is always packed. I use a lot of ice in everything I drink. Ice cubes trays were a mess, always spilling and never enough room. I would order extra ice when I went through a drive-in window but so infrequently that I was always running out. Bags of ice at the store wouldn’t fit and the stored ice would pick up tastes. Two glasses of water and I have enough for my drinks and two little baggies in my freezer that tuck away nicely between other stuff. And, I like the size as they fit in my drink mugs. These cubes have a hole in the middle which makes them nice and easy to crunch on. And the price was right. If you need something small and convenient this is it!!!!!
3. GE Opal 2.0 Counter Top Ice Maker
Helpful Review: I’ve been using the GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ice Maker for a few weeks now, and I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. The nugget ice is everything I hoped for – chewable, crunchy, and perfect for any drink. The machine itself is sleek and fits nicely on our countertop. I also appreciate the 0.75-gallon tank, which keeps up with our ice needs throughout the day. The setup was straightforward, and the controls are intuitive, making it easy to operate.
One feature I really like is the Wi-Fi connectivity. Being able to monitor and schedule ice production from my phone is convenient, especially when I’m busy with other things. It’s also pretty quiet compared to other ice makers I’ve tried, which is a bonus.
The only downside was that the supplier didn’t offer shipping to Saudi Arabia, so I ended up paying nearly 100% of the cost for shipment through Saudi Post. Additionally, the machine runs on 110V, which isn’t available in all areas here. Overall, the ice quality and ease of use make up for these minor inconveniences. If you’re a fan of nugget ice, I highly recommend this ice maker.
4. Igloo Electric Countertop Ice Maker
Helpful Review: Just moved into an apartment after downsizing (empty nester) and left my ice making fridge with the house I sold. Totally forgot the inconvenience of apartments NOT having fridges with Ice makers. WTH? Oh well (eye rolls). I have always found the traditional little ice trays annoying and cumbersome – and again, ANNOYING!
Years ago I rented and would buy probably 4 bags of ice a week – and at anywhere from $1.50 to 2.50 a 7lb (lets average that to $2.00 a bag)… that’s $8.00 a week in Ice… $8 a week times 52 weeks = $416 a freaking YEAR!! in ICE!!! Wish I had done that math then and knew this sort of machine even existed!! I did this for 5 years!! Im totally kicking myself now and totally not – NOT doing that math – ugh, I did and now I have to acknowledge Im just a stupid person.
This is really a neat machine. The ice is SMALL – yeah, it says you can have ‘small’, or ‘large’ size, but the LARGE size is still tiny. BUT – I can easily turn this on for the evening and before bed have several pounds of ice!
Questions I had when I bought it….
* tabletop machine, does not hook up to any direct water source. You pour the water into the trough and then it pulls from that source
* How do you drain? Under the front end of the machine is a plug, much like a swimming pool float – only its a heavy duty plastic plug. I just fumble around and feel the location of the hole and either pull the plug or close it. Water drains fast. I recommend so that it dries machine guts out while you aren’t making ice.Recommendation: when you drain it and leave it to dry out for a night, leave it over the corner of the sink, so that way when you go to push it out of the way, you also remember to plug it back up. I have had water all over the counter because I forgot to replug it after letting it dry out. Leaving it over the sink reminds you that it had been draining/drying. Totally recommend!!! A great purchase!
5. Frigidaire Stainless Steel Ice Maker
Helpful Review: I almost returned this when my wife pointed out it doesn’t make Sonic style ice but so far I’m really glad I kept it! My household uses a lot of ice. Our fridge ice maker is defective so I got this as an alternative. I got the red one because the copper one that some reviews mentioned as a better model took longer to deliver. I have been using the large ice setting, I haven’t tried the small size yet. I love the simplistic looking design, you can see exactly how it makes the ice. So I’ve had this for a month now, plugged in and going. I’m not sure if I’m really supposed to run it overnight but I’ve left it going.
I keep scooping and it keeps filling up the ice. If I don’t get to the ice in time it melts back into the tank, no big deal because new ice is made quickly. I’ve refilled the water about 7 or 8 times since I got it; I fill it like every 3-4 days. It’s been great in the morning to fill water bottles for my kids before school. Even if a cube got stuck overnight and it’s down near the bottom, I just scoop it out and let it make a few batches of new ice every few minutes.
Based on other reviews I was worried about the need to clean it frequently but there’s no visible sign of mold yet. I think the combination of frequent use and having a big BlueAir purifier in the kitchen as well helps tremendously. I’ve noticed my air purifier seems to keep a lot of mold out of the air and prevents it from growing on food and surfaces like inside this ice maker. The fan makes noise, nothing obnoxious or distracting but if you’re standing next to it while someone’s talking to you from another room, you might not hear them clearly. It doesn’t bother me.
I think it’s fairly energy efficient. Aside from a 2 second 8A peak at startup my Kill-A-Watt says it uses about 95W while it’s freezing which is about 5-8 minutes per ice batch. The rest of the time plugged in I wasn’t measuring anything other than 6W when it’s dumping the ice into the tray. So far the only annoyance is when it dumps ice into the tray and one piece blocks the IR sensor so it thinks the ice is full. It happens occasionally if there’s partially melted ice on the bottom. 5 stars for now; I love never running out of ice!
Frequently Asked Questions:
How long does it take to make ice?
Ice makers typically take 5–8 minutes per batch, depending on the model and ice size selected.
Are ice makers easy to clean and maintain?
Regular cleaning is recommended to avoid mold growth. Some users report that frequent use and a clean environment minimize the need for deep cleaning.
Can ice makers produce good-tasting ice?
Yes, using filtered water can enhance the ice’s taste, and some users even find the ice tastes better than the water itself.
Are ice makers energy-efficient?
Most ice makers consume minimal energy, with energy-efficient designs that only draw significant power during the freezing cycle.
How long does ice stay frozen in the machine?
Ice in the basket stays frozen for a while, especially with the lid closed, but it will eventually melt. Melted water is typically recycled to make new ice.
How do you drain water from an ice maker?
Most models have a drainage plug located at the bottom or front of the machine. Draining is recommended to prevent mold growth and maintain the machine.
Do ice makers need a direct water hookup?
No, most countertop models are standalone devices that require you to manually pour water into a reservoir.
What shapes and sizes of ice do these machines produce?
Ice makers often offer different sizes, such as small and large cubes. Some produce nugget-style ice, which is chewable and perfect for drinks.
