We also like the Costway EP24228 bullet-ice maker, which has a matte finish that doesn’t show fingerprints as much as other machines’ surfaces did. It’s more expensive than our picks (the price was $250 at this writing), but if you happen to find it on sale, which it often is, it’s a good choice. Its see-through, illuminated frigidaire washing machine reservoir for the ice reminded us of an aquarium. It also has a water tank that attaches easily to the side of the machine via magnets. The tank allows for more ice to be made between refills, but you don’t have to use it. You can buy a slightly cheaper model of the Opal 2.0 that doesn’t include a side tank.
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 frigidaire washing machine 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.
The GE Profile Opal 2.0 with Side Tank produced the highest-quality nugget ice of the models we tested. In our testing, the Opal 2.0 churned out batches of crunchy, pebbly ice fit for chilling everything from sodas to cocktails with its satisfying, chewable consistency. Like the Magic Chef MCIM22/HNIM27, the Igloo IGLICEBSC26 makes nine bullet-shaped cubes in less than 10 minutes.
If you’d asked me a couple of years ago whether I’d consider spending money on a fancy ice maker, I would’ve said no. It’s easy enough to throw some ice cube trays in the freezer and call it a day, right? About a month ago, though, while doing a bit of late-night online shopping one weekend, I decided to go all in and order a countertop ice maker of my own — and I couldn’t be happier that I did.
We also took note of extra features, self-cleaning options, and the water tank capacity. Using ratings for portability, performance, and capacity, they determined which machines were the best in our top categories. We’ve also kept our winners at home for long-term testing, to find out how each machine performs over time with continued use. The Humhold Nugget Ice Maker took forever to make ice, dropping just three to four nuggets at a time. It is also a much smaller machine than other nugget-ice machines we tested, so it requires much more frequent refills. After reading this, maybe you realize you don’t need an ice machine at all.