Top 10 Ice Makers 2023

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#1

9.9

4.9/5
Save 13%

Free Village 26 Lbs Countertop Ice Maker

  • Ready In: 6 minutes
  • Shape: Bullet
  • Water Tank: 1.9L
  • Daily Output: 26 lbs
  • Dimensions: 9.5″ wide x 13.9″ deep x 13″ tall

Picked by 5207 people this week!

#2

9.7

4.7/5
Save 10% w/Code: CAJNDBSS

Free Village Countertop Ice Maker

  • Ready In: 6 minutes
  • Shape: Bullet
  • Water Tank: 0.5G
  • Daily Output: 26 lbs
  • Dimensions: 13.89″ wide x 9.53″ deep x 13″ tall
#3

9.5

4.5/5
Save 12%

Vevor Commercial Ice Maker

  • Ready In: 8 minutes
  • Shape: Cube
  • Water Tank: N/A – water supply hose
  • Daily Output: 120 lbs – 130 lbs
  • Dimensions: 18.9″ wide x 15″ deep x 33.1″ tall
#4

9.4

4.4/5
Save 15%

Free Village 40 Lb Countertop Ice Maker

  • Ready In: 13 minutes
  • Shape: Cube
  • Water Tank: 2.2L
  • Daily Output: 40 lbs
  • Dimensions: 16.54″D x 12.99″W x 16.54″H
#5

9.2

4.2/5
Save 8%

Aglucky Countertop Ice Maker

  • Ready In: 6 – 8 minutes
  • Shape: Bullet
  • Water Tank: 2L
  • Daily Output: 26 lbs
  • Dimensions: 8.7″ wide x 12.3″ deep x 12.6″ tall
#6

9.1

4.1/5
Save 29%

Frigidaire EFIC452 Ice Maker

  • Ready In: 15 minutes
  • Shape: Cube
  • Water Tank: 2.3L
  • Daily Output: 40 lbs
  • Dimensions: 11.3″ wide x 14.8″ deep x 14.1″ tall
#7

9.0

4/5
Save 13%

VIVOHOME Compact Countertop Ice Maker (Red)

  • Ready In: 6 minutes
  • Shape: Bullet
  • Water Tank: 1.2L
  • Daily Output: 26 lbs
  • Dimensions: 9.6″ wide x 12.6″ deep x 12.6″ tall
#8

8.8

3.8/5
Save 21%

Frigidaire EFIC115 Countertop Ice Maker

  • Ready In: 7 minutes
  • Shape: Bullet
  • Water Tank: 5L
  • Daily Output: 48 lbs
  • Dimensions: 15″ wide x 17.1″ deep x 17″ tall
#9

8.7

3.7/5

LifePlus DBJ-45 Commercial Ice Maker

  • Ready In: 10 minutes
  • Shape: Cube
  • Water Tank: N/A – water supply hose
  • Daily Output: 100 lbs
  • Dimensions: 15″ wide x 16.5″ deep x 29.1″ tall
#10

8.5

3.5/5
Save 6%

FREE VILLAGE Commercial Ice Maker Machine

  • Ready In: 13 minutes
  • Shape: Cube
  • Water Tank: N/A
  • Daily Output: 265 lbs
  • Dimensions: 17.1″D x 21.9″W x 31.7″H

We also considered 9 other:

FREE VILLAGE Commercial Ice Machine
hOmeLabs Countertop Ice Maker
Free Village 44 Lbs Countertop Ice Maker
Silonn Countertop Ice Maker
AGLUCKY Countertop Ice Maker
Vremi Countertop Ice Maker
Euhomy Countertop Ice Maker
Zafro Compact Countertop Ice Maker
Frigidaire EFIC189-Silver Compact Ice Maker
Euhomy IM-01 Countertop Ice Maker

Our Top Choice

#1

9.9

4.9/5
Save 13%

Free Village 26 Lbs Countertop Ice Maker

  • Ready In: 6 minutes
  • Shape: Bullet
  • Water Tank: 1.9L
  • Daily Output: 26 lbs
  • Dimensions: 9.5″ wide x 13.9″ deep x 13″ tall

Picked by 5207 people this week!

About Our Rankings:

Our recommendations are based on expert comparisons between available products in each product category. For ice maker, we chose the topics that we think matter most to our users, and provide consise, clear comparisons of the features that matter. Our rankings change day-to-day based on our proprietary algorithms, that crunch data to identify top-performing products and tailor recommendations to exactly what our readers are looking for.

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Models
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Topics
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39
Hours of
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Analyzed

Ice Maker Buyer's Guide

When you need to fill your cooler up with ice or if you entertain frequently and need to have ice on hand, it can get expensive to keep buying bags of ice at a store. You can save money and not have to make special trips to buy heavy bags of ice when you have your own ice maker. Ice makers are easy to use, and they give you access to lots of ice whenever you need it. You can stockpile your extra ice in a freezer so you never run out. 

Over time, an ice maker will pay for itself because you’ll no longer have to spend money at the store for something you can easily make at home.

Before selecting an ice maker for your home or business, there are a few considerations you should look at first. One of the big factors will be how quickly your ice maker will produce ice. You’ll also want to know what shape of ice you’ll be getting and how big the water tank is, if it has one. Finally, you’ll need to know how many pounds of ice the unit will put out each day and what the overall dimensions are of the ice maker, which is especially important if you don’t have much space available.

Considerations

Ready In

When you plug in your ice maker, you don’t want to have to wait a long time for it to produce ice cubes. This is especially important if you’re buying a bigger commercial ice maker for your business. After every time you clean it, you’ll want it to start making ice as soon possible for your guests or clients.

Fortunately, most home and commercial ice makers will begin making ice in just minutes after you turn the unit on. Some smaller countertop units can produce ice cubes in just 2 minutes, and most won’t take more than 13 minutes. Larger commercial units will take a little longer before the first ice cubes are produced, generally anywhere from 8 to 13 minutes. 

The size of the cubes produced will influence how quickly ice is made. So if you’re buying a unit that makes ice in only 2 minutes, you can expect the ice to be smaller pieces than a standard ice cube. Also, the first ice batch may only be a few cubes at a time, so it still may take 30 minutes or longer before you have enough ice to use in a cup of soda, for instance. 

Shape

Not everybody enjoys the same shape of ice cube. While some people may happily use any shape of ice, others only want to use a specific shape. Most ice makers generally only make one shape of ice, so if you’re the type who is particular about using a certain ice shape, you should make sure the ice maker you’re considering makes that shape. Here are some of the shapes of ice that can be produced by ice makers. 

  • Cube: An ice cube is the classic shape of ice that most people know because it’s the kind your ice tray in the freezer will make. Many people grew up using this shape of ice right from their home freezer. They are large and slow to melt, making this shape a great ice option if you’re filling your cooler with drinks and need to keep them cold for a long time. Since cubes are generally bigger, they can be harder on blenders if you’re into making smoothies. 
  • Bullet: Bullet ice gets its name because it resembles small bullets. This kind of ice can be found in commercial ice makers or countertop ice makers you’d use at home. Sometimes, your ice maker will give you the option of what size of bullet ice you want, giving you a choice for small, medium, or large. This type works well in coolers, drinks, or smoothies. 
  • Nugget: Nugget ice is small and soft, which makes it ideal for people who like to chew on ice as they drink their beverages. It’s easier on the teeth than bullet and cube shapes. It often melts quickly in a cooler, however.  

Water Tank

If your ice maker doesn’t have a designated water line that feeds it a steady supply of water whenever needed, it will need to have a water tank. The tank gives it the water it needs to continually make ice cubes. When the water tank runs dry, the ice will stop being produced.

A commercial ice maker will almost always use a dedicated water line, so there will be no tank to fill. Portable countertop ice makers will use water tanks instead of having a water line, which makes them easy to use right out of the box without any set-up time. The size of the tanks in each unit will vary, though. Here are some of the common tank sizes you’ll see in countertop ice makers. 

  • 1.2 or 1.9 liters: These are two of the smallest tank sizes available for countertop ice makers, and they are suitable for a small family.
  • 2.2 liters: This tank size will require more counter space and will produce more ice daily, so it’s a better solution for bigger families or those who entertain frequently.
  • 2.4 liters: This is one of the biggest water tank sizes you’ll see in an ice maker before beginning to use water lines. 

Daily Output

The daily output is an important figure to know for any ice maker you’re thinking about buying because it will let you know how many pounds of ice you can expect, at most, from your ice maker every day. This will help you determine if it will be enough for your home or business use. As expected, you’ll get a much higher daily output from a commercial ice maker than from a countertop unit. If you’re looking at a countertop unit, the bigger the water tank it has, the bigger the output you’ll usually get. 

Here is the daily output you can expect from different-sized ice makers. 

  • 26 pounds: This is on the low side of daily output, but if you think it will be enough for your needs, you’ll be able to get this output with an ice maker with a 1.2-liter tank or a 1.9-liter tank.
  • 40 pounds: An ice maker with a 2.2-liter or 2.4-liter  tank will be able to make up to 40 pounds of ice per day, which should be enough for families, filling up coolers, and entertainment purposes. 
  • 100 pounds: If you run a business and need a lot of ice on any given day, a commercial ice maker is capable of producing at least 100 pounds of ice per day. Some can produce much more than that, such as 265 pounds per day.

Dimensions

It’s smart to think about how much ice you’ll truly go through before ordering an ice maker. You don’t want to buy one that doesn’t produce enough, but you also don’t want a behemoth that takes up too much space and gives you way more ice than you’ll need. Some ice makers take up a large amount of room that you might want to use in other ways. Even the countertop ice makers can be sizable, so unless you have extra space to work with, you’ll need to do some measuring to ensure you have enough room to store your new gadget.

If you want to know how much room these machines take up, here are some common sizes you may run into. 

  • 1.2-liter or 1.9-liter tank: Ice makers of this size may measure approximately 10 inches wide, 14 inches deep, and 13 inches tall. 
  • 2.2-liter or 2.4-liter tank: You can expect an ice maker of this size to be approximately 17 inches wide, 15 inches deep, and up to 17 inches tall. 
  • Commercial: Commercial ice makers produce more ice than countertop units, so they’ll be bigger. You can expect them to have a diameter of 18 inches, a width of 22 inches, and a height of up to 32 inches. 

FAQS

Are ice makers noisy?

Ice makers are made to operate as quietly as possible, but they do produce some noise. You’ll hear a humming or buzzing noise while they’re working, and you’ll notice a clicking or clinking noise when the ice drops. If you want to minimize noise, look for a unit that produces under 40 decibels or keep the ice maker in your garage or a room in your house you don’t use as often.  

Do ice makers use a lot of electricity?

Ice makers, like any appliance, will increase your electric bill, but how much will depend upon which ice maker you choose. Commercial ice makers have a larger ice output so they will use more electricity. If you run it non-stop, you might see an extra $10 to $20 on your electric bill each month. A countertop ice maker will be cheaper to run because it requires less electricity. 

Do ice makers need a drain?

Commercial ice makers generally need a drain because they produce a lot of wastewater to make all that ice. Countertop units will not need a drain. They reuse the melted ice to make more ice. When you do need to empty the water in the water tank for cleaning purposes, you’ll find a plug at the bottom for simple draining. 

ABOUT BUYER'S GUIDE

Navigating the many choices for every consumer purchase can be challenging. Our team spends hours doing research, combing through forums, and reading consumer reviews on even the most basic of household items, and we summarize that information in clear, precise comparisons.

Join the millions that have trusted Bestreviewonline.com to help them make smarter buying decisions. We help our readers spend their money wisely and find the right product to suit their specific needs. Our independent expert reviews and data-driven shopping recommendations empower you find the product that’s right for you.

We leverage user data to understand decision-making and put the best products in front of each user. We tailor our comparisons to what matters to our user’s needs, specific or broad. We keep our content up to date, we are constantly looking for new merchants and products to compare, and we are quick to remove any that are outdated or no longer meeting our standards.

Our rankings change day-to-day based on our proprietary algorithms that crunch data to identify top-performing products and tailor recommendations to exactly what our readers are looking for.

Written By Ryan W.

Ryan graduated with a degree in journalism and spent years building his writing career in the tech media field. An avid fan of gadgets and tech in general, Ryan has spent years testing and reviewing a wide array of devices. He specializes in reviewing everything from laptops and smartphones to more niche items like smart home devices and security cameras.

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