How often do you use the ice? Do you want to make the ice faster? What kind of ice do you like?

With the best portable countertop ice makers, you can make the ice much faster and convenient than your freezer. If you always use ice or having a party frequently, the ice maker is a must for your family. It can make the first batch of ice in just a few minutes.

If you never use it before and want to know more about the detail, please read How To Choose The Best Portable Countertop Ice Makers to understand more.

Table Of Content

  1. Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker[THE MOST EXPENSIVE]
  2. Aicok 26lb Portable Ice Maker Machine for Countertop[TOP PICK]
  3. Frigidaire EFIC103 Ice Maker Machine Heavy Duty[EDITOR CHOICE]
  4. YONGTONG Portable Ice Maker Countertop[EDITOR CHOICE]
  5. Igloo ICEB26SS Automatic Portable Electric Countertop Ice Maker Machine[BUDGET PRODUCT]
  6. IKICH Portable Ice Maker Machine for Countertop
  7. NewAir Portable Ice Maker AI-215SS
  8. Hamilton Beach PIM-1-3A Portable Ice Maker
  9. Luma Comfort Portable Clear Ice Maker
  10. Sentern Portable Electric Clear Ice Maker Machine
  11. Euhomy Ice Maker Machine Countertop
  12. hOmeLabs Portable Ice Maker Machine for Countertop
  13. Northair Countertop Ice Maker Machine
  14. COSTWAY Ice Maker Countertop with Self-clean Function
  15. BOSSIN Countertop Ice Maker Portable Ice Making Machine with Timer
  16. How To Choose The Best Portable Countertop Ice Makers
  17. Conclusion

Best Portable Countertop Ice Makers

Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker


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[THE MOST EXPENSIVE] This is Opal Ice Maker. It weighs 44 pounds and measures 15.5 x 10.5 x 17.2 inches.

It features a removable transparent side tank. If you fill it full, it’s enough to make the ice 3 times without refilling it. The transparent design allows you to monitor the water level easily with just a glance.

In the front, you will see the transparent ice bin. The front view design is much convenient than the top view design. At least, you can see how much ice is left even you are far from the machine. It can hold 3 lbs of ice at one time.

This model can produce 24 lbs of ice every day. It’s 8 times the ice bin capacity. On average, it needs 3 hours to fill the ice bin full. If you hurry, you just need to wait 1 hour for 1lbs of ice that is much faster than your freezer.

It comes with a sensor inside the machine so it will stop making the ice if the bin is full.

You can connect the machine with Bluetooth and control it by using the free FirstBuild app. You can set up the ice making schedule at any time on your phone.

Note. When you want to use the phone to control the machine, don’t stay too far from it because the Bluetooth signal is not as strong as Wi-Fi. If too far, the Bluetooth signal will lose.

There is only one control on top of the bin. Therefore, the operation is very simple. Just fill the water tank and press the button to start.

Aicok 26lb Portable Ice Maker Machine for Countertop


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[TOP PICK] This is Aicok Ice Maker. It weighs 23.1 pounds and measures 14.6 x 6.3 x 2.9 inches.

In the front, you will see the eye-catching control panel with the backlit LED display. The backlit for the normal countdown may be useless. What if it can work like a real clock? It will be useful because you can see it at night. You can also see it clearly if you are far from the machine.

It features a self-clean mode. You just need to press the snowflake button on the left for more than 5 seconds until the L/M/S size icons flash in the middle of the display. It helps you to clean the ice maker easier. I think you will like this function more than using a sponge or rag.

It comes with a think foam layer that can insulate external heat effectively so your ice can be preserved for a relatively long time. If the weather is hot, this design is very useful. It also helps you to save electricity directly.

It can make 26 lb of ice every 24 hours. For normal family use, it’s more than enough. On average, it can make 9 ice cubes in about 6 -10 minutes. I think 6 minutes is not long for everyone.

You can fill 2.2L water at one time. During the operation, the freshly made ice will be moved to the basket inside. Then you can use the INCLUDED scoop to take your ice to your favorite drink.

You can change the ice size from L, M, S in the control panel by pressing the SELECT button on the right to fit your needs.

Frigidaire EFIC103 Ice Maker Machine Heavy Duty


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[EDITOR CHOICE] This is Frigidaire Ice Maker Machine. It weighs 25 pounds and measures 14 x 12 x 15 inches.

The control panel is in the front. It doesn’t have an LED display. The design is very simple. It just has 2 buttons. The SELECT button use to select the ice size from L, M, or S. The second button is the ON/OFF button. Each of the functions come with the GREEN indicator light.

On top of the control panel comes with 2 RED indicator lights for ADD WATER and FULL ICE. I think everyone will know what need to do if these 2 RED indicator lights go on.

It comes with a stainless steel housing that is easy to clean and maintain. I think it’s more elegant than using plastic.

It needs only 6 minutes for every batch of ice. The only thing you need to do is to fill the water in the water tank, press the ON/OFF button, and select the ice size in the front. Then the machine will do all the rest for you.

If the machine keeps making the ice in the whole day, it can make 26 lbs. Since the bucket can only hold 2.2 lbs at one time. If you want to store more ice, you have to prepare a large container and store it in your freezer.

Otherwise, the ice will be finished quickly if you are having a party.

You can change the ice size to fit your needs at any time in the control panel. For the small cup use the small ice and for the big glass use the big ice.

YONGTONG Portable Ice Maker Countertop


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[EDITOR CHOICE] This is YONGTONG Ice Maker. It weighs 17.86 pounds and measures 9.5 x 13.8 x 12.7 inches.

It comes with 2 colors model. You can choose RED or SILVER according to your preference or fit the decoration of your kitchen.

In my opinion, the SILVER color in this model is more similar to the GREY color. Therefore, the appearance is not attractive to me.

The plastic exterior is not as durable and nice as the stainless steel. It will be easier to be scratched too. But, plastic is lightweight than stainless steel.

The control panel is on the top. You can only choose 2 different ice sizes, small and medium, in this model. If you want big ice, this model can not fulfill your needs.

It can make up to 1.5 lb ice in 8 minutes and 26 lb ice every day. The speed is not big compared to other models on the market.

It features a viewing window on the top so you can always know how much ice is left in the ice bucket inside. The ice scoop is included for you to remove the ice conveniently at any time.

The ice bucket is removable. Since it doesn’t have a self-cleaning function so you have to clean the bucket by yourself.

If the ice is full or the water tank is empty, the indicator lights on the control panel will alert you. At that time, the machine will stop running also. Therefore, if you want more ice, you have to remove it and store it in your refrigerator.

Igloo ICEB26SS Automatic Portable Electric Countertop Ice Maker Machine


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[BUDGET PRODUCT] This is YONGTONG Ice Maker. It weighs 17.86 pounds and measures 9.5 x 13.8 x 12.7 inches.

It comes in 5 colors. They are Aqua, Black, Red, Stainless Steel, and WHT.

I like the cover because it’s fully transparent which lets me monitor the ice-making process and how much ice is left inside easily and conveniently.

Normally, it only has the viewing window on the cover in other models. I think most of the kids will love to watch the progress.

The control panel is on the top. I think it’s waterproof. It only has 2 buttons. You can choose the ice size to L or S by pressing the SELECT button. At the same time, the L or S indicator lights will go on according to your selection.

The POWER button is to turn on the machine and the indicator light will go on if you press it.

It also comes with ADD WATER and ICE FULL indicator light. When the ADD WATER light goes on, that means your water tank is empty so you have to refill it.

The ICE FULL light goes out means the ice basket inside is already full of ice. You have to remove the ice by the INCLUDED ice scoop. Otherwise, the machine will stop running until you solve the problem.

Similar to most of the models. It can make 26 lbs of ice in 24 hours. But, the ice basket can not hold 26 lbs of ice at one time. It can only hold 2 lbs of ice so you need to store the extra ice in your freezer.

The more ice you want to store, the more place you need to prepare in your freezer.

If you are having a party or going to a picnic, it needs a lot of ice to freeze the drink. You have to prepare it earlier.

IKICH Portable Ice Maker Machine for Countertop


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This is IKICH Ice Maker Machine. It weighs 17.3 pounds and measures 13.4 x 10.2 x 14.6 inches.

When you see the image above, will you surprise why the viewing window is not transparent?

Actually, it’s semi-transparent that similar to dark. I think the purpose of this design because it can reduce the light go inside so your ice can be preserved longer relatively.

The main disadvantage is a little bit hard to see the situation inside. Your kids will be hard to see how the ice comes out from the machine and move to the ice basket.

Remember to clean the water tank before the first use. It features a drain plug on the bottom so you can drain the water easily. I like this design. It makes cleaning the water convenient. I think using water to clean is much better than using a damp cloth.

When you fill the water, don’t fill exceed the MAX line because the ice basket is placed right on top of the water tank. If you fill too much, the water will contact the ice directly and the bottom of the ice will melt.

You can only choose S or L for the ice size. It doesn’t have an M size. The indicator lights on the control panel will show you the selection clearly all the time.

In this model, it can make 26 lbs ice in 24 hours and the capacity of the water reservoir is 2 L. On average, it can make 9 pieces of ice in just 6 minutes.

NewAir Portable Ice Maker AI-215SS


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This is the NewAir Ice Maker. It weighs 37.6 pounds and measures 14 x 16.9 x 16.8 inches.

When you see the weight, I think you should realize this model is relatively bigger so the price is also higher. Normally, the price is directly proportional to the size and productivity of the machine.

In this model, it can produce 50 lbs of ice daily. It’s almost one time more than other models I have introduced before in my post.

The control panel is in the front. It comes with 4 buttons and a backlit LCD display. In this model, you can select the ice size from S, M, and L.

In the beginning, I think all of the ice makers will have 3 options of ice size. But, I’m wrong. Normally, it has 2 options only.

I think one SPECIAL feature in this model may interest you. It comes with a DELAY START function so you can start the unit according to your set hours. This feature is really rare on the market.

Honestly, I can’t think of any situation that needs this feature. But, maybe someone will like it.

It also features the self-clean function. When you need it, just press the CLEAN button for at least 6 seconds to activate it. Then, the machine will do all the rest for you. The process needs around 6 minutes. After that, you just simply drain out the water.

The size of this model is quite big. If you are a lady, I think you should find a man if you want to move to other places.

Hamilton Beach PIM-1-3A Portable Ice Maker


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This is the Hamilton Beach Ice Maker. It weighs 19 pounds and measures 14 x 12.5 x 9.5 inches.

The machine is fully black. If you are lazy to clean or maintenance the machine, I think black is a good color for you. At least, it’s stain-resistant. You don’t have to put too much effort to maintain it.

The viewing window on the cover is quite big. You can see the ice and the ice-making process clearly as you want. I think most of you will be curious about how the ice is made from the ice maker. Now, you can always watch it through the window. Your children will love it so much.

The control panel on the top has 2 buttons and 5 LED indicator lights that come with different icons. But I think the icons are difficult to understand. I will tell you the functions from the left. They add water, ice full, power, small ice size, and the large ice size.

In the first use, remember to clean the ice basket, ice scoop, and the interior of the machine. It comes with the drain on the bottom, just simply remove the drain cap to drain the water after finish cleaning.

Also, it’s recommended to clean regularly to remove spotting and mineral deposits in the water tank.

It can make up to 26 lbs of ice daily and produces 9 ice cubes every 7 minutes. You can change the ice size on the control panel at any time.

Luma Comfort Portable Clear Ice Maker


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This is Luma Comfort Ice Maker. It weighs 25.5 pounds and measures 11.3 x 14.8 x 14.1 inches.

Compared to other models, the main difference is this model makes the CRYSTAL CLEAR ice instead of CLOUDY ice.

The process of making CRYSTAL CLEAR ice is the waterfall continues to slip through the super cool honeycomb and freezing layer by layer which is totally different from the traditional metal finger.

The main difference between both kinds of ice is the CLEAR ice melts up to 5 times slower than the CLOUDY ice.

It can make 28 lbs of CRYSTAL CLEAR ice every day that is a little bit more than other models which make 26 lbs. But it takes longer to make the first batch of ice that needs 15 minutes. It’s almost one time longer than other models.

It comes with one button on the control panel so you just need to press the ON/OFF button to start the machine. At the same time, the green indicator will go on.

The other 2 indicator lights are ADD WATER and FULL ICE. I think every one of you knows the meaning.

The ice has 1 size only. You can’t select L, M, or S.

The cover doesn’t have a viewing window so you can’t see the ice-making process. If you want to know how much ice is left inside, you have to lift the cover every time.

The removable ice bin and the ice scoop are included for you that can wash at any time.

Sentern Portable Electric Clear Ice Maker Machine


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This is Sentern Ice Maker Machine. It weighs 24 pounds and measures 18 x 18 x 15 inches.

This model also makes CLEAR ice that is harder and denser than CLOUDY ice. The melting speed of CLEAR ice is much slower than other forms of ice too.

It comes with a control panel in the front. You can adjust the ice size there. For the small ice size, it needs 15 mins, medium for 20 mins, and large for 25 mins. If you hurry, you can make the small ice first.

The ice-making process of this model is quite high. It can make 48 lbs of ice per day. But the bin inside can not hold 48 lbs of ice. You have to keep moving it to your freezer.

It comes with a removable ice bin. But under that, it’s not a water tank. If you want to fill the water, you have to fill it on the top.

It comes with a drain on the bottom for you to drain the water from the water tank. It allows you to clean easily than using a damp cloth.

Note. It doesn’t have any drain in the ice bin compartment. When the ice melt, the water will be used to make the new ice.

In this model, it comes with a viewing window on the cover so you can see how water becomes the CLEAR ice in the honeycomb slowly. It should be fun if you see it with your children.

Euhomy Ice Maker Machine Countertop


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This is Euhomy Ice Maker Machine. It weighs 22 pounds and measures 14.1×13.7×11 inches.

The honeycomb of this model can make 24 CLEAR ice around 12 to 18 minutes. The time range depends on the size of the ice you set. The bigger the size, the longer it needs.

The electronic control panel with an LCD display is on the front. You can change the unit of the time and the temperature by using the TIMER button. It also comes with a delay start function of up to 8 hours.

If you set the time before sleep, you will have the fresh make ice when you wake up. The main purpose of the delay start is the ice will melt inside the machine. It can not be used as a freezer.

One more interesting feature. The ice size in this model is not decided by the L, M, or S. It depends on the time you set. If you set the time longer, then the ice will be bigger.

Therefore, you can create the best size of ice according to your preferences with the right settings.

If you want to add water, you have to remove the cover on the top. Don’t fill the water under the ice basket.

If you want to drain the water in the water tank, just simply remove the drain cap on the back of the machine. It also lets you clean the water tank easily and conveniently.

The scoop is included for you to remove the ice at any time.

hOmeLabs Portable Ice Maker Machine for Countertop


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This is the hOmeLabs Ice Maker Machine. It weighs 19.3 pounds and measures 12.9 x 9.5 x 14 inches.

In this model, the ice will be a bullet shape that is the most common shape made by the ice maker on the market.

In each batch, it needs 6 to 8 minutes. The speed depends on the size of the ice. You can choose the small or medium size on the control panel on the top. It doesn’t have the big size option for the ice.

Small or medium size are easy to put in the bottle than the bigger size.

The water reservoir is right under the ice basket. Don’t fill the water too much. Otherwise, your ice will soak in the water directly and it will melt.

When the ice melt, the melted ice will drop to the water reservoir and the water will use to make the ice again. If you want to save energy, you have to store the ice in your freezer. Otherwise, it will repeat the cycle continuously.

On the cover, you will see the big viewing window there so you can watch the ice-making process with your children all the time. It also allows you to monitor the ice in the ice basket without lifting the cover.

It can make 26 lbs of ice per day. But, remember the ice basket can not hold so much ice so you have to keep moving the ice to your freezer.

If you find the ice taste bad or like plastic, you can try to rinse the water reservoir with water.

Northair Countertop Ice Maker Machine


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This is the Northair Ice Maker Machine. It weighs 22 pounds and measures 9.5 x 14 x 12.9 inches.

It comes in 4 colors that are black, copper, red, and stainless steel natural. Not many ice maker has a different color to choose from.

The soft-touch control panel is on the cover. I think there is the best place. It’s easy to see and easy to press. You can press the SELECT button the choose the S or L size of the ice. Note. It has no M size can be chosen.

The large viewing window on the cover enables you to see the ice-making process at any time you want. It also helps you to monitor the amount of ice easily

It can make 26.5 lbs of ice per day that is 0.5 lbs more than most of the models. If you have no ice at a time, you just need to wait 6 minutes to make 9 ice.

When the ice basket is full of ice, the FULL ICE indicator light on the control panel will go on and the machine will stop making ice at the same time.

You can choose to store the ice in your freezer or leave it alone. Then the ice will melt back to the water reservoir and be used to make the new ice.

If you go out, remember to unplug the machine, otherwise, it will repeat the ice making process repeatedly.

It comes with a stainless steel housing that is durable and elegant. It’s easy to clean and maintain too.

COSTWAY Ice Maker Countertop with Self-clean Function


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This is COSTWAY Ice Maker Machine. It weighs 23 pounds and measures 14.5 x 10.5 x 13.5 inches.

It comes in 3 colors. You can choose black, red, and silver as you like.

The most special part of this model is the control panel. The buttons are grouped into a hexagon shape.

The rightmost hexagon only has the POWER button inside. The middle one has a CLEAN and SELECT button. The leftmost one for the options and the alerts. The SMALL and LARGE is the ice sizes. The ICE FULL and ADD WATER are the alerts.

It can make up to 44 lbs of bullet-shaped ice per day. Normally, it can make 26 lbs only. If you use ice frequently, this model can work best for you.

If you just need a little ice for the drink, you can wait 8.5 to 9.5 minutes for one cycle that has 12 ice cubes. The time depends on what size of the ice you choose. If you choose the LARGE size, the time will take longer.

The cover is totally transparent so you can know the amount of ice in the ice basket at any time. Your children can watch the ice-making process. They can see the ice freeze in the ice lattice slowly.

Then how the ice is removed from the ice lattice and push to the ice basket. I believe it should be fun for them.

The scoop is included for you to remove the ice as need. Never use the hand to grab the ice because it’s too cold.

BOSSIN Countertop Ice Maker Portable Ice Making Machine with Timer


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This is BOSSIN Ice Maker Machine. It weighs 16 pounds and measures 13.4 x 10.2 x 14.6 inches.

It comes in 5 styles that are black, high-end stainless steel, red, silver, and white. You can choose the one that best fits your kitchen decor.

The control panel is on the top. It comes with 4 buttons and an LCD display that lets you select the ice size and set the timer easily. All the information you need will show clearly on the display.

It comes with the CLEAN button on the top right corner. I like the self-clean function so much because you don’t need to clean the machine by yourself. The machine can clean itself by the self-clean function. It saves time. I think no one dislikes this function.

It features an auto-shutoff function. Normally, the ice maker will just light up the FULL ICE indicator light. But the machine will continue running so the ice will melt and the machine will keep making the ice continuously. It wastes energy and electricity in the long term. Waste electricity means wasting your money.

With this feature, the machine will not keep making the ice once the ice basket is full. Then, the ice will melt back to the water reservoir under the ice basket.

The capacity of the ice basket is 1.54 lbs. But the machine can make 26 lbs of ice every 24 hours. Therefore, the ice basket will be full in a short time and you have to keep moving the ice to your freezer.

How To Choose The Best Portable Countertop Ice Makers

Size

Although all the models are designed for countertop use, the size varies so largely according to how much ice it can make. Therefore, you should measure the space on your countertop before making any decision.

Moreover, the bigger the machine, the heavier it is.

Ice Size

For the bullet-shaped ice, not all the models can choose the ice size from S, M, or L. It comes with 2 options normally. It’s either S and M, M and L, or S and L.

You have to choose it carefully according to your needs. S and M are easy to fit into the bottle.

Delay Start

Only a few models come with this feature. The machine can start to make the ice according to the hour you set. This feature helps you to save electricity because the ice will melt and the machine will keep making the ice if you turn on the machine overnight.

If the machine features an auto-shutoff function, it will solve this problem perfectly. But, I only see one model on the market that comes with this feature.

Digital Display

You can see your selection clearly on the display. Normally, all the information will be shown too. But it depends on the models.

Some displays are big so they can show more information. Some displays are relatively small.

Capacity Of The Ice Basket

The capacity is varied model by model. Some can hold up to 3 lbs of ice but some only can hold 1.5 lbs of ice.

Color Of The Ice Basket

It’s either transparent or white. You can choose it as you like.

Viewing Window

99% of ice makers come with a viewing window. It’s either big or small, transparent, or semi-transparent.

If you want to watch the ice-making process and have fun with your kids, just choose the model with the viewing window.

Speed Of Making First Batch Of Ice

It can be 6 mins to 9 mins that only have a few minutes of differences. If you care about this, just choose the fastest one.

How Many lbs Of Ice In 24 Hours

This feature will vary so large too. It can be 26 lbs to 48 lbs. Of course, the more ice the ice maker can make, the higher the price.

If you always have a party or celebration, it will be good to buy a high productivity model.

Drain

If the water tank features a drain, the cleaning process will be simply a lot. You can rinse it with water and drain the water conveniently.

Exterior

It’s either plastic or stainless steel that will be durable and heavier.

Metal Finger/Honeycomb

The traditional bullet-shaped ice is made from a metal finger. The honeycomb can make the CRYSTAL-CLEAR ice that will melt 5 times slowly than bullet-shaped ice but it’s not popular on the market.

As I see, most of the people choose the model that makes bullet-shaped ice.

Self-clean Function

The machine can clean itself so you don’t need to clean by yourself. It saves you time. Only a few models come with this feature.

Conclusion

I think all of you should be able to choose the portable countertop ice makers for your family. Compared to the freezer, the ice maker can make the ice efficiently.

It has one important difference between them. If you make ice in the freezer, you need an ice mold that will greatly reduce the speed of making ice unless you buy a lot of ice mold. And you have to keep remove the ice from the ice mold to the container.

If the home model is not enough for you, I think the appliance below will be suitable for you.

I hope my post is helpful to everyone. If you have any questions, comments, and opinions, please leave them below. Iā€™d love to hear that.


4 Comments

drinkteahub · December 5, 2019 at 6:45 am

As we don’t have a freezer with an ice dispenser this would be ideal and will make a selection from this list. Thank you for doing the research needed to put this list together and share it 

    CT · December 5, 2019 at 3:42 pm

    Hello drinkteahub, thanks for your comment. If you have any questions in the future, please feel free to ask me at any time.

Cat's Meow · December 1, 2020 at 8:27 pm

Thank you for your reviews. They are very helpful with finalizung my decision. šŸ˜Š

    CT · December 7, 2020 at 12:26 pm

    Thank you so much. It’s nice to hear about that.

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