A countertop ice maker is a tank-fed machine that makes ice on the counter in minutes, with no water line and no freezer space, which is why people buy one for parties, bars and small kitchens. What decides whether one is worth buying is not the headline “26 lb a day” but the ice type, the size of the basket, and how long the machine keeps working. This page collects everything published here on the subject: one buying guide, four machine reviews, and two how-to guides.
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What to Look For
- Ice type: the bullet-ice machines make hard, bullet-shaped cubes; the nugget machine makes soft, chewable pellets. The nugget model in my comparison has the better ice and the weaker reliability record.
- Basket size, not daily output: the bullet machines are rated at about 26 lb in 24 hours, but the baskets I checked hold only 1.3 to 2.2 lb, because these machines make ice rather than store it. Frigidaire’s manual says its unit is not designed to keep ice frozen.
- Whose ratings you are reading: some listings share one rating pool across several models, so a 4.2 or 4.3 may describe a different machine. The reviews here say when that applies.
- Where it will sit: the maker’s manual asks for a level surface, about 6 inches of clearance on every side and no direct sun.
Countertop Ice Maker Guides and Reviews
- Best Countertop Ice Maker — the buying guide: four machines compared, with the Frigidaire EFIC189 as Best Overall.
- Frigidaire EFIC189 Review — the Best Overall pick, reviewed on its own, with the strongest rating record of the four.
- EUHOMY Countertop Ice Maker Review — the budget pick and the only bullet-ice machine with a handle, and what its 1.3 lb basket really means.
- Silonn Countertop Ice Maker Review — the fastest first batch of the group, and why it makes ice fast but cannot keep it.
- Silonn 33 lb Nugget Ice Maker Review — soft, chewable ice with a mixed reliability record in owner reviews.
- How to Use a Countertop Ice Maker — setup, the indicator lights, weekly cleaning and storing ice, from Frigidaire’s manual.
- Countertop Ice Maker Not Making Ice? — what to check, in the order the manuals give: the indicator light, water, the full-basket sensor, then heat and airflow.
How This Page Was Put Together
This page is an index of the countertop ice maker pages on this site, so its facts come from those pages and from Frigidaire’s user manual. I have not run these machines myself. One thing I could not establish is how long any of them lasts: the reviews rely on owner reports, which are mixed, rather than on a long-term test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is bullet ice or nugget ice better?
It depends on what you want. Bullet ice is harder and comes from the cheaper machines. Nugget ice is soft and chewable, but 34 of the 130 written reviews for the nugget machine in my comparison are critical, and more than a dozen describe it stopping working, some within weeks.
Can a countertop ice maker store ice?
No. Frigidaire’s manual says its ice maker is not designed to keep ice frozen. After each use you remove the ice, drain the water and move the ice to a freezer. That is why basket size matters more than the daily output figure.
Does a countertop ice maker need a water line?
No. The machines in my guide are filled by hand from a water reservoir, so they need only a level surface and a grounded outlet. Some units can connect to a water line, but those need a supply line and inlet valve the manuals here do not cover.
How long does a countertop ice maker take to make ice?
Listings for the bullet machines say the first nine cubes arrive in about 6 minutes. Frigidaire’s manual allows 7 to 15 minutes per cycle depending on room and water temperature, so expect the longer end in a warm kitchen or with warm water.
I'm Glenn, and I started Kitchenware Compare to cut through conflicting product reviews and help readers pick kitchen gear with confidence. I don't own or test the products I write about — these guides are built from verified-purchase reviews, manufacturer specifications, and independent testing where it exists, with the reasoning shown, not just a rating.