I Tested And Ranked The Best Countertop Ice Makers On Amazon

Helpful review: For a long time, and practically every other day, I found myself at Sonic, craving their delicious ice. And yes, it really is delicious... I would literally drag it home and throw it in my freezer, hoping it wouldn’t turn into one block of ice. But once the summer heat wave hit, I knew I knew I didn’t stand a chance, so I decided to look into buying my own ice machine that mimics the sonic design. And then I found this machine!

I wasn’t sure if I should get the water attachment, but since the whole thing was on sale, I said oh eff it, why not?

And man, I’m so happy I did. So if you’re unsure about it, then now you know, this is your sign–do it! I go through a lot of ice a day and I ended up using the water attachment multiple times a week.

A couple issues I’ve found though–it’s not really that easy to hold the attachment to fill the water. I think you really need two people for it, personally. One to handle the tank and another to hit the nozzle of the container. Still, it’s definitely worth it, so if you’re unsure, just go for it and get it! There were some scratches on the side tank and on the lid of the ice maker, and yeah, it annoyed me, but to ship it back over that wasn't really worth the annoyance if you ask me, so I ended up just keeping it. That was kinda a mistake though, cause I wish I’d sent it back and gotten it fixed, but here we are. It likely would have gotten scratched up anyways though, so keep that in mind.

The bottom of the ice machine is sharp and damaged the counter where I first put it. That pissed me off more than anything.

The humming sound the machine makes when it drops ice can sometimes be super loud, so keep that in mind too, especially if you live in a compact space. There’s also an error message sometimes where it says it needs water when it doesn’t but that might just be my model. It also runs on a schedule that you can link to your phone and has a smart HQ app that lets you keep track of what it's producing, but there is a limit of about twenty characters on that password. The built in wifi is an awesome plus, too.

Keep in mind that the inside isn’t actually a freezer. Yeah, it’s cold, but when it melts, the ice drips into the baskets and recycles all that water to create new ice. Overall, despite the little issues, I really like it, and I think some of that is just me being picky. What I def recommend is get the side tanks, and be careful when you move it. Will save the headache! — Robert Cole

Helpful review: Talk about the best value for your bucks! I spent soooo much money, like thousands, on my Samsung fridge five years ago, and I officially joined the club of loving the fridge but hating the ice maker. Even had it replaced and the issue still worked, only working fifty percent of the time.

My husband needs ice in his diet coke, he can’t live without it, and ice is super important to all his drinks. Instead of investing in another fridge, we decided to try out this countertop ice machine.

Naturally our fridge started working again Christmas morning when I gave him the present, but of course, it was dead by the afternoon–just in time for a Christmas drink with ice. And for that, we got our first real chance to try this thing out. I am so in love with this thing, I just make extra ice and then I store it all in empty ten pound bags and just keep those in the freezer in my garage.

My husband also plans to use the ice for fishing next summer, too. We’re going to save so much freaking money for our drinks and our fish! My only regret is that I wish we bought this sooner! I also love how there’s an oversized window that lets you monitor the ice level, and it’s so cool that every five to six minutes it’s producing about nine cubes, capable of making about twenty six pounds over a day! Talk about easy to use, so fun to use, and just simple.

PROS:

- Really well built.

- Super easy to figure out how to use .

- Makes first cubes in eight minutes and bask in an hour.

- Stops automatically when full and starts up again when the basket is emptied.

- Melts slowly.

- Cord is super long.

CONS:

- The drain plus is annoying and you can’t see it under the machine. I just use a microfiber towel to get all the water leftover, but I guess if you do that it’s not really a con.

I think I’m averaging about twenty pounds a day. Just make sure you empty out the bin to another bag or container so it can keep brewing up that ice. — Rick Libby

Helpful review: First off, yep, it’s just like Sonic ice. It has great melting speed that lets you keep the same flavor of your drinks, too.

My last one pretty much went kaput at the one year mark. And I never was able to get a refund or replacement, so I was wary about doing this again.

I decided to give it a go though because I really needed one and it was a better alternative than fixing my broken fridge ice maker. This one was half the price of the other ones listed on Amazon and that’s why I went with it. It wasn’t bulky or as wide as the first one I got, which meant it was more compact and took up less space. Def a positive in my book.

Especially considering that even with the smaller size, it works great. It produces so much more ice and so much faster than my last one did. One gallon of water can make like 3 baskets of ice so that’s awesome. The basket is also larger than it looks in the pictures, and it makes a lot more sense than just having a pull out tray.

Overall, it’s quiet, no hassle to clean, easy to use, and really great if you crave Sonic style ice like I do! — Anthony C. Sparrow

Helpful review: I adore this amazing ice machine! Super chic, stylish design. Can be used inside or out if you’re a big party hoster like me. I also work from home, and I really needed something to keep my drinks cool on those hot days.

I do recommend giving it a thorough cleaning with vinegar and water before you get it moving and according to the instructions, it’s best to let it sit for a few hours and make sure you have nothing near the exhaust fan too. Be careful with how much vinegar you use though, because it took me a few rounds to make ice that didn’t taste like vinegar lol.

But after all that was said and done, all of it was great honestly. I just put the ice into gallon bags and store them in the freezer.

I love how there’s a digital LED panel where you can control everything, too.

The cubes are on the wet side, but it’s not a cooler or a freezer so keep that in mind. You’re not supposed to have it just sit in the basket, it’s there to make it and use it. It makes like eight or nine cubes every fifteen minutes. It runs for a good two hours, and then I have to empty the whole basket into a zip lock baggy and put it into the freezer. Bottle water filled to the max can make like 2 baskets full.

Don’t let the water run out though cause it will register the water as empty and then the motor could end up overheating.

Just a little pro-tip: when you move all the ice to the baggy, make sure you’re rolling all of the air out of it before you zip it up, and make sure you’re pushing the ice nice and flat. It stops it from clumping into large lumps when you store it. I really love this thing so much.

I’ve had it for a few months now and it’s a staple in my household. Maybe I’ll get a new freezer but unlikely because this is just so much easier. Just note that there’s no return policy, so even though that might make you hesitant to buy it, I still don’t regret it! You can get insurance on it too, but not really necessary for the price in my opinion. — Scott Berglin

Helpful review: This is an awesome little invention. So quiet and compact. Has a great light indicator on it too. I'm the only one in my house who uses it regularly, but now I have ice all the time, and I never not use it.

It produces so much ice and so fast, I love it, but just beware it might not be the perfect ice machine if you’re a huge family.

Now, it’s advertised as making massive amounts, and while it does and can, it’s only if you empty the bin, so keep that in mind. It works if you’re using it daily, but I dunno, I feel like if you have a huge party, it might make more sense to just buy bags of ice, unless you plan to prepare this for the day before.

Setup is straight forward, not difficult at all, and definitely not rocket science. You just fill it up with some water and hit power and then in ten minutes you have your first cubes and there are two sizes, small and large. The smaller are about the size of my thumbnail and the larger ones are about fifty percent double that size.

The ice melts a little bit over time, but that’s to be expected with these things, so keep that in mind.

Because there’s a hole in the cubes, I find that the surface area is larger and the ice melts in a way that it chills the drinks faster. Personally, I’m going to remove the handle from the part of the scoop, because it kind of gets in the way. But that’s just a personal preference, not a deal breaker at all. I love this thing and I tell everyone about it! — Eric Nolan

Helpful review: After this arrived, I gave it a really good cleaning, just as the instructions said to do. It only took a few minutes and then it was done! After that, you pour in a bottle of water and choose between small or large ice cube sizes–warning though, they’re not really large. Small or smaller would make more sense lol.

It took a few minutes for the first batch to dump into the basket and then another cycle began. It will go like this until it either fills with ice or it runs out of water.

It’s on the quiet side, but you can hear the cubes dropping into the basket, even from another room. I really only have to check on it every forty five minutes or so to make sure it keeps going, and that’s usually to check the water level. The scoop is kind of pointless, you can just lift the tray out and pour the ice into a one gallon bag. Just a pro-tip: make sure you break up the ice otherwise it clumps together in one massive pile.

I love how you can see through the little window, too. And it’s cool that you can lift up the window without stopping the ice making process. Same with removing the basket, they just fall into the basket and get recycled. Just make sure you’re checking on it every forty five minutes or an hour! Other than that, I love this thing. — Doris Reynolds

Helpful review: Talk about portability! I’ve had this for about five months and it’s become a staple in my cottage, especially since it’s on the smaller side and the fridge that fits there isn’t big enough for an ice maker. I live by a lake, and especially in the summer, I need ice in my drinks! And for fishing, too. I needed way too much ice and ice cube trays just weren’t keeping up.

I did buy this on sale, but even then, I was nervous cause there were a lot of negative reviews that complained that it stopped working after a month and the company didn’t help. Still, I was over ice cube trays, and I couldn’t get over the price, so I went with it. And here I am, almost half a year later, and this hasn’t stopped working once. So not sure what the other people were talking about, but maybe they just got defunct models? I dunno. When I’m done, I let the lid stay open so it dries out, and then I unplug it until I use it again.

Just know that the ice cubers are on the wetter side and they don’t last forever. Be careful with throwing them all in the freezer or it will make one big clump. I break them up and keep them in separate gallon bags and that does the trick. Oh, and I leave them flat in the freezer, too. All you have to do then is just shake it up. And repeat!

It might sound time consuming, but honestly, it’s sooooo much easier than ice cube trays, and has saved me so much more money than actually buying bagged ice. If you’re planning on using it to stock your freezer though, remember it can take some time. On the largest setting, the basket will get about half full after twenty five minutes, and full about fifty minutes.

They’re on the tiny side, about one third smaller than a normal ice cube, but it doesn't bother me at all. It makes them fast, in about nine minutes, and is portable. I can bring it home with me back to my main house after the summer is over. I’ve told this to all my friends and def recommend it. Ten stars from me! — Rob Aiken

Helpful review: I’m so happy I ended up investing in this machine–I barely make reviews so let this be a sign of how happy I am with it.

PROS:

- The ice lasts a lot longer than bullet ice, and the cycle in general is pretty quick, and you can play around with the amount of time in one minute section to make thicker or smaller cubes. I find that about two minutes makes the perfect sized ice for me, but some people may feel differently.

- The opening is really wide so it’s no hassle scooping the ice out, and I like that there’s a separate water tank, which makes it really easy to fill up, compared to my old machine.

CONS:

The one big negative I noticed is that the mechanism that detects when the ice bucket is full does not always work. It ends up being like a thick block of ice that gets stuck in the freezer tray. To fix it you have to hold down the on and off button for five seconds. And sometimes it still doesn’t work and you have to like pry it out of the tray. It’s annoying and it does happen more than I want it to, but I’d still recommend using it because it’s better than the alternative.

NOISE:

Some reviewers talked about how loud it is, but I haven’t really noticed that being a problem. I think it’s on the quiet side.

ACCESSORIES:

The cubes are connected when they come out, so I recommend getting a heavy scoop so you can break it all up. The one it comes with is small and plastic and not the best in my opinion.

SUMMARY:

Overall, it makes great ice which is what I wanted, and it has a solid expansive size to do it, but doesn’t do great on detecting the ice. I still recommend it though! — Matt Oberg

Helpful review: I ended up needing extra freezer space so had to remove my ice machine. As a result, I ended up getting this countertop ice machine, and while there’s a lot of different machines on the market, this one is a little smaller, but honestly, it’s exactly what I want and need for one or two people. I can fit it on the counter right next to the coffee machine!

After filling up the bucket with fresh water, I slid in the bin and hit power. In total, the machine makes nine bullet shaped cubes in just about six minutes. Then I just let it run until the ice bin is completely full! The sensor at the top can detect it when it is. Then when the ice melts, it recycles back to be used with new ice.

I make a lot of smoothies and I just love so much how the bullet shaped cubes crush up. Normal ice can block up my blender, but bullet ice breaks up so much better. I also love how simple this is to use. Really quiet, too. The handle also makes it really easy to move around and the self cleaning function is great, especially since I hate cleaning lol.

I read some reviews which said that it melts fast, and doesn't keep stuff cold, but yeah, like if you’re using non insulated cups. I use insulated ones, which keeps it cool longer.

You do have to tilt it to drain it, though, so keep that in mind. Even with that being the case, it’s really awesome, and definitely ten out of ten in my book!

Even that being the case, the bullet cubes are on the smaller side and yet they also last super long in my cup, which is so cool. I really, really like that it comes with an ice bag. It stops the ice from melting down. Now I have a whole bunch of extra ice. The ice is just great quality overall. If you can’t tell—I freaking love this thing. — Linda & Garry Neiss

Helpful review: Love this thing. It’s so intuitive and easy to use. All you have to do is plug it in and give it a whirl, and then you have ice! I picked this specific brand because it had better reviews in relation to its customer service. Also it was cheaper and still reportedly worked well.

I can officially confirm that the reviews are accurate! So easy to clean, and while I don’t like the white color, and wish there was a black option to match my kitchen, it still does the deed. The ice is chewable and keeps my drinks cold! Would be convenient if there was an option for more water, but whatever. It’s easy enough to figure out how to use, and considering I’m addicted to iced coffee, I always have something on hand now. It’s on the quiet side, and while there’s a low hum, it doesn’t really bother me.

UPDATE:

After two months... I still love this thing. We’re a family of 4 and it does so much better at producing ice than the fridge does. We live on a working farm and require a lot to keep everyone cooled off, especially with the Florida humidity. We all love our iced coffee in the morning now. Just be aware that once the ice gets a little wet, it lacks the bite that it comes with if you take it straight from the machine. It can be annoying to keep refilling it with water, but overall it’s exactly what I wanted and I love it.

I do lose the scoop a lot in the ice, and it would be nicer if they had a place to hang it on the outside, but it is convenient that when it gets full, the sensors on the machine stop the ice production. It does clump in the freezer, but overall, it still gets the job done and I really love it. Would just wish that it came in black, but that’s just a small thing. I still recommend it! — Brad Rankin