Why would anyone need ice makers? Your fridge already makes ice! But, sometimes, your refrigerator or freezer might not make enough ice.
What if you’re having a summer cocktail party? Can your lowly fridge keep up with the ice-making demand?
No one likes warm lemonade or iced tea. And, if you do, that’s alright too. But, if you don’t, a home ice maker is one of the best investments you’ll ever make.
What Is An Ice Maker?
An ice maker is a device that makes ice cubes for drinks, such as cocktails and soft drinks. Making ice cubes is not tricky, but there are some essential factors to consider before choosing the best type of ice maker.
Why You Need An Ice Maker?
Ice makers make it easy to have chilled beverages on hand at all times.
Are you worried about the time and effort of making ice for your drinks? An ice maker does all of that for you! 24/7!
Many people are attracted to the idea of an ice maker because they are worried about the effort it takes to make enough ice for themselves. An average household can go through a lot of ice in a day, especially during summer, especially since coolers are not always on hand.
What To Look For When Buying An Ice Maker?
How do I buy an ice maker? What do I look for in an ice maker? Both are good questions. Luckily, we’re here to guide you. When buying an ice maker, here are a few more questions to ask yourself:
- Where will you keep the ice maker? – Countertop? Under the counter? Do you need a portable ice maker?
- Where will you use it most? – In the kitchen? Near your home bar? out in the yard?
- How big should your ice maker be?
- How fast can your ice maker make ice?
- How much ice can your ice maker hold?
- And, the price! All these things will influence your choice of ice maker.
The main thing to consider when buying an ice maker is the size of the ice cube you would like. If you want smaller, more fragile cubes, then a compact machine will be sufficient for your needs. If you want bigger and thicker cubes, you will need a larger device with more power.
Some other factors to consider are the price tag and weight of the device. An expensive machine may have features that may not be necessary or useful to you, so it is good to pick one that matches your needs in terms of size and price.
Choosing the best ice maker for home or other use is easy when you understand what you need in an ice maker. Consider the following tips when shopping for the best ice maker:
Design
Ice-making machines are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. There are stainless steel models, while others have white, black, or another coloring. Choose an ice maker in the color, shape, and design that matches your home or use case.
Usability
Indicator lights can tell you when ice is ready or when water needs to be refilled to make more lights. Alarms can do the same. Clearly labeled buttons with good sizing are a must for anyone to understand how to use the machine. Think about how easy the ice machine is to use.
Portability
When looking for the perfect ice maker, always consider whether you plan to use it in one place or if you’d like to move it around.
Some ice makers are large and heavy. Stationary ice makers are suitable for home/family use. But, if you plan on taking your ice maker on RV or camping trips and the like, opt for a smaller, more portable ice maker.
Features
Does it have Bluetooth? Is there a mobile app? Can it make different sizes of ice?
Can it make different types of ice? Some ice makers can make nugget ice, pellet ice, and cube ice. Some can only make one variety.
More things to consider:
- Underside Drain Plug – This makes it easy to quickly drain and clean the unit. Plugs placed on the bottom of the reservoir are best.
- Removable Ice Bin – For easy cleaning.
- Self-Cleaning Mode – A luxury feature for those who dread cleaning their units.
- Smart Ice Makers/Bluetooth Ice Makers – Another luxury feature that lets you control your ice makers using an app on your phone.
- Filter – To keep your water and ice clean and free of debris.
Let’s take a look at the best-selling ice makers money can buy, considering everything we discussed above.
Top Ice Makers At A Glance
- Great Value – AGLUCKY Portable Ice Maker Machine
- Most Expensive – GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
- Most Affordable Nugget Ice Maker – FRIGIDAIRE Nugget Ice Maker
- Most Compact – Igloo Automatic Portable Electric Countertop Ice Maker
- Best for All-Round – NewAir Portable Ice Maker
The Best Ice Makers
These are the best ice makers:
Great Value – AGLUCKY Portable Ice Maker Machine
Do you need an ice maker that makes plenty of ice? Do you prefer a very quiet and lightweight ice maker? How about one that takes up little counter space? The AGLUCKY Countertop Ice Maker Machine is all these things and more.
There’s a simple operation and intuitive display that reminds you when the ice tray is full or not enough water to make ice. It makes nine cubes in 6 minutes. You can set it to small cubes or large cubes. The AGLUCKY is also a portable ice maker so, you can take it with you wherever you go. The Aglucky Portable Ice Maker is the best value for money.
Most Expensive – GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
The GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker is as powerful as they come, and its price matches its performance. Its ice-making capacity is expanded through the use of a side tank (optional). The side tank allows it to make up to 3 times more ice than average.
How much ice can it make? The average amount of ice it makes is about 1 pound per hour, and the bin is large enough to keep up to 3 pounds of ice—more than enough ice for a family of eight.
It’s not the most petite ice maker, but it is compact enough to place on a countertop and not so large that you can’t move it around when needed. It does, however, need a power outlet to function.
Added to that, there’s an app that lets you schedule fresh ice, check the status of the ice, and even order accessories all through your smartphone. It’s super easy to set up, quiet, and convenient.
Most Affordable – FRIGIDAIRE Countertop Crunchy Chewable Nugget Ice Maker
This Frigidaire Nugget Ice Maker makes ice rather quickly once it has enough water in the reservoir. It’s also one of the cheapest ice makers compared to other nugget ice makers on the market (looking at you, GE). This Frigidaire Ice Maker is smaller than the GE brand, but the ice quality is the same, and it takes up less countertop space.
Best Compact – Igloo Automatic Portable Electric Countertop Ice Maker Machine
This ice maker is one of the most wished-for ice makers on Amazon. It’s portable and user-friendly. It’s popular because of its retro design and fantastic color options: red, aqua, and white, to name a few.
The Igloo Portable Countertop Ice Maker Machine holds up to 3 quarts of water and makes up to 26 pounds of ice per day. It can produce the first batch of ice in under 7 minutes.
It has a control panel that lets you know when the water level is low and when to remove ice. There’s a transparent lid too. So, you can see the ice-making from start to finish.
It’s portable enough to take with you on an RV, camping trip, or even to a beach party.
Best All-Round – NewAir Portable Ice Maker
This ice maker is ultra-portable. You can take it anywhere, and we mean ANYWHERE. Road trip? It’s ready! RV or Car? It’s ready! Park or Beach? It’s there too.
But, if it’s small, doesn’t that mean that it’s not as powerful as others on the list? Not by a long shot. The NewAir Portable Ice Maker is small and compact, but it can still make refreshing ice in under 15 minutes with a 6-minute freeing time per cycle.
It’s easy to set up and even easier to use. Best of all, it’s capable of making up to 28 pounds of bullet-shaped ice per day.
Best Selling Ice Makers On Amazon
Conclusion
If you are looking for an ice maker, there are many different types to choose from. The type of ice maker that is right for your needs will depend on the reason for your purchase.
For instance, if you need a portable or more affordable ice maker, then a portable ice maker may be the best choice.
On the other hand, if you need a large-capacity machine, then a commercial-grade ice maker might be a better buy. In conclusion, the best ice makers will depend on the needs of you, the user. Choose one that satisfies all of your needs.
Last update on 2023-02-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API