Before the days of freon and Frigidaire, American refrigeration was powered by ice. Across the coldest regions of North America, harvesters would clean, measure, and carve the frozen gold out of lakes and ponds before hauling the blocks to nearby ice houses. Today, you can conjure up a glassful of fluffy nugget ice with the push of a button. And like most fairly ordinary products — from water to coffee — companies have found a way to make fancier, more refined ice. But it’s not all baloney and marketing. Some appliances are better, which is why we’ve found the best countertop ice makers for all your bullet and nugget ice needs.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
| Icemaker Brand | Price | Ice Type / Daily Production | User Rating |
| Magic Chef Portable Countertop Ice Maker | $119 | Bullet ice / 27 lbs. | 4.3 stars |
| Luma Comfort IM200SS Ice Maker | $227 | Clear cubes / 28 lbs. | 4.1 stars |
| NewAir Countertop Ice Maker | $238 | Clear bullet ice / 50 lbs. | 4.4 stars |
| Crownful Nugget Ice Maker | $360 | Nugget ice / 26 lbs. | 4.5 stars |
| GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ice Maker with Side Tank | $579 | Nugget ice / 24 lbs. | 4.5 stars |
Magic Chef Portable Countertop Ice Maker
Price: $119
Ice Type: Bullet ice
Daily Production: 27 pounds
User Reviews: 4.3/5 stars
This Magic Chef ice machine doesn’t make fancy nugget ice (aka Sonic ice). But at this price, who cares? This compact and cute machine, which comes in five colors, can produce two sizes of bullet ice cubes in just seven minutes, and it comes with a year-long parts and labor warranty. One word of warning: Consumers do complain about the quality of the ice, which may come out wet and melt quickly.
Luma Comfort IM200SS Ice Maker
Price: $227
Ice Type: Clear cubed ice
Daily Production: 28 pounds
User Reviews: 4.1/5 stars
The Luma Comfort is notable for producing restaurant-quality clear ice, which melts slower than the cloudy variety that most machines produce. That makes this unit great for liquor lovers and iced coffee connoisseurs who don’t want to dilute their drinks. Cons include the ice maker’s speed and its lack of certain features like self-cleaning.
NewAir Countertop Ice Maker
Price: $238
Ice Type: Clear bullet ice
Daily Production: 50 pounds
User Reviews: 4.4/5 stars
NewAir’s nearly 40-pound countertop ice maker is a beast. Not only can it produce pounds upon pounds of slow-melting clear ice every day, but it also produces three different sizes and boasts a self-cleaning function. That said, apartment dwellers might want to think twice about this machine given its large footprint.
Crownful Nugget Ice Maker
Price: $360
Ice Type: Nugget ice
Daily Production: 26 pounds
User Reviews: 4.5/5 stars
The Crownful nugget ice machine makes chewable Sonic ice for almost half the price of our most expensive pick. Sure, it might not be the fastest or fanciest nugget ice maker, but it’s one of the cheapest machines that creates genuine pellet ice. The Crownful’s only major downside might be its massive frame.
GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ice Maker with Side Tank
Price: $577
Ice Type: Nugget ice
Daily Production: 24 pounds
User Reviews: 4.5/5 stars
The king of ice makers, the GE Profile Opal 2.0 is a sleek, futuristic nugget ice maker that you can control via your smartphone. It’s not worth going into all the bells and whistles because this unit includes most of them — and, most importantly, it makes beautiful, lightweight, and airy pellets of nugget ice, satisfying the snootiest home bartenders. Then again, look at that price!
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