It’s also light enough to move around depending on where you need ice and fits on any countertop. We were impressed with the machine’s performance, capacity, and portability, given its small footprint. There are many reasons to love the Igloo Premium Self-Cleaning Countertop Ice Maker. That may not sound like a big deal, but after we tried more than a dozen portable ice makers, it made a huge difference in a machine’s overall convenience.
Each unit also comes with a high-quality ice scoop so you can fill glasses or hotel ice buckets in seconds. Because it’s rust-resistant, durable it even remains consistent in high moisture or high humidity areas. Each ice machine features a wide front lid that opens up and frigidaire nugget ice maker leans back against the machine to keep it up and out of the way when getting ice. When it’s closed it helps maintain the cool climate inside to help keep ice from melting over time. The removable air filter and stainless-steel frame make it more hygienic for everyday use.
Once you’ve settled on a fridge style and size, and the features you want, it’s time to start shopping. Read CR’s guide to the best refrigerators of the year, or try out our Find Your Perfect Fridge tool that automatically filters our refrigerator ratings based on your needs. French-door models frigidaire freezer are popular because of their high-end aesthetic. Bottom-freezers are less expensive and still put fresh food at eye level. Side-by-sides fit better in a smaller kitchen because of their narrow doors. See our full refrigerator ratings for how models in each category performed in our tests.
The Opal 2.0 makes about 1.5 pounds of ice per hour, and the double-pane reservoir holds roughly 3 pounds of ice and prevents it from melting longer than any other ice machine we tried. These nugget ice machines are all self-cleaning and operate either with the touch of a button or an LCD screen. Flip quickly through the user manual after setup, and you should be on your way to nugget ice in no time. Thor Kitchen offers the power and performance of a premium professional appliance at a practical price. An entertainer’s dream, the 15 inch ice maker is the perfect complement to any home refrigeration suite. Keep plenty of fresh ice on hand with an icemaker that produces 50 pounds of ice a day and stores up to 25 pounds of ice in a large capacity bin.
Featuring a built-in pump, the ice maker is easy to install in any kitchen or residential wet bar. If you find yourself fresh out of ice, this compact automatic ice machine can give you nine cubes in six to eight minutes. It produces small or large cubes relatively quickly, and although we wished each batch dropped a few more, compromising on capacity may be worth it if you’re looking for a tiny, efficient option.
Though it’s bulky, you’ll want to make room on your counter to get the full benefit of it. However, the machine only held eight cups of water, which made it tough to handle everyday use. This is a great option if you’re looking for a funky, fun ice maker for pool parties or casual hangouts. But when it comes to producing actual ice, this machine had one of the smallest water capacities in our test group. It barely held any water and had next to the lowest output in one hour compared to the other picks.
Simply press a button and dispense fresh ice into your glass — no scooping or pouring required. The wait time from an empty tank is about 25 minutes, but the KBice can produce 30 pounds of ice per day, so you’re unlikely to find yourself coming up short. This is a large machine, and this particular model has an additional side tank for water. You can buy it without the tank, but at this price point, you might as well buy the whole thing and enjoy the Opal’s full potential. Like most clear-ice machines we tested, the Luma Comfort ice maker’s ice is crystal clear and forms slowly with running water, resulting in a rectangular block that breaks apart into clear ice cubes. During testing, the ice block was well formed and easier to break apart than the block made by other machines.