6 Of The Best Portable Ice Makers (According To Amazon Reviews)
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
One of the biggest benefits is right there in the title. If you’re someone who hosts outdoor gatherings or loves tocamp with a few conveniences, a portable ice maker can be invaluable. All you need to do is add water, plug it in, and wait as the compressor and fan turn it into ice. Depending on the model, you may be able to choose a size or decide between bullet or nugget ice, which have their own set of pros and cons to weigh, like the former melting slowly and the latter being soft and chewable.
If you’re considering jumping on the portable ice maker bandwagon and taking control of the size and taste of your ice, we turned to Amazon to select seven of the best on the market.These highly-rated models are recommended by other consumers for delivering the best portable ice maker experience.
Crzoe Portable Ice Maker
Crzoe’s Portable Countertop Ice Makeris an efficient machine that favors quick and easy operation over a complex design with a ton of features. The bullet ice maker produces thick, melt-resistant cubes with the press of a button. Insix minutes, nine bullet cubes will be formed and ready. Otherwise, you’re able to wait for it to cycle through its water reservoir and scoop out a bunch from the tray at a time.
Crzoe’s portable ice maker may have fewer ratings than other models, but it may be its lower price may drive some consumers away. With similar models selling for nearly double, $39.99 can give the appearance of a low-quality machine. On the contrary, 4.5 stars, with more than 74% being 5-star ratings, is far more indicative of the maker’s quality than its lower price tag.
Crownful Portable Ice Maker
Crownful’s countertop ice makeris another in a line of “26 lbs in 24 hours” bullet ice makers. The design is very reminiscent of Crzoe’s, with a sleek black finish, curved top, and fan vent on the side. The big difference between the two is in their button layout and indicators because, unlike the Crzoe,Crownful’s model can produce two sizes of bullet ice. The trade-off here is a higher price tag and quite a few more positive user reviews, as Crownful sells this model for $89.99 and boasts over 6,200 5-star reviews.
Though a second size of bullet ice may sound like an insignificant feature to sway one’s decision, the smaller ice is better suited for smaller glasses and it’s a bit more chewable than its larger counterpart. Whether that (and the additional 5,000 5-star reviews) is worth an extra $40 is really up to the buyer.
Frigidaire Portable Ice Maker
Frigidaire is a name you likely recognize for its larger,smarter refrigerators, which may be why theFrigidaire Portable Ice Makerstarts at just over $100 for its red stainless steel version rather than the sub-$100 price tags we’ve been seeing. Additional colors range from $109 for basic stainless steel to $126.74 for black. You’re not just paying more for the name, though. You’re paying for quality, which is touted by themore than 6,000 5-star and 1,000 4-star reviews responsible for its high 4.4 user rating. As one5-star review points out, there’s longevity, as even months down the line, the ice maker still works “flawlessly.”
Another review also praises the maker’s ability to last, though they point out one secret that’s true across all ice makers: Filtered water is a must. Anything directly from the sink risks gunk and build-up after just weeks of use. The Frigidaire unit is slightly longer than other models, coming in at 13 inches long compared to around 11 to 11.6 inches, but that’s hardly an issue.
EUHOMY Nugget Ice Maker
What you’re going to find across most of these units is that theft offers the same basic features.EUHOMY Nugget Ice Makercan produce the same nine cubes as the previous models in 6 minutes. You’ll enjoy a self-cleaning option, as well as an included scoop to shovel out the pile of cubes in the tray. There is a difference with this model, though, and it’s thatit can deliver 34 lbs of ice in 24 hours. It’s also not producing bullet ice but instead lighter, crunchier nuggets.
The catch with nugget ice is you’ll pay a bit more. Whereas thebullet ice maker costs $89.99, the slightly larger nugget ice maker costs $189.99. Over 20,000 reviews earned Euhomy’s nugget ice maker a 4.4-star rating, which is full of positive reviews touting the speed at which it makes multiple batches. One of the more common complaints is the noise level, which is slightly higher at 50 dB compared to 30 to 34 dB of the above models.
Aglucky Portable Ice Maker
Aglucky’s pricing is a little all over the place, witheach of the four colorshaving a different starting price. If you don’t mind something silver and shiny on your countertop, then you may get away with a$39.99 modelthat scored over 16,000 5-star reviews. Its overall rating of 4.3 stars comes with accolades about the speed at which it produces ice and its overall performance and convenience. You won’t really see any new features, asit offers two bullet ice sizes and around 26 lbs of ice per day. It is slightly bigger, at 12.3 inches long, but it’s still easy to carry around.
The real selling point is the price. It’s a tough one to pass up, especially when there are so many owners with a lot of positive things to say about it. One glowing review evenbroke down the cost-savingsof using the portable machine over buying ice, stating it saved them about $700 in one year.
Silonn Portable Ice Maker
If over 19,000 people recommend a product by slapping a 5-star review on it, it’s probably worth having in your home.Silonn’s portable ice makertakes only 6 minutes from the initial start to produce nine bullet ice cubes, which should be more than enough to chill your waiting beverage. Within a day, you’re able to have 26 lbs of bullet ice bagged and in the freezer. The self-cleaning countertop unit can make two different sizes of bullet ice, so there’s no worry if you tend to use smaller glasses in your home.
Per the listing, the machine runs near whisper-quiet, which is supported by many reviews that describe the unit as convenient, quiet, and quick. Overall, reviews tend to focus on the machine’s ease of use, efficiency, and size, with one of the bigger complaints being that it has no refrigeration to keep ice from melting. Silonn’s highly-regarded ice maker sells for $109.98, which is in line with many models.
How we chose these portable ice makers
There are a lot of portable ice makers listed on Amazon, but variety and being able to compare and contrast are important when trying to pinpoint the best of a product type. Building this list of the best portable ice makers was a matter of looking at not just the highest star ratings but also the highest number of reviews. We base-lined the “worst” of the best as an ice maker that received at least 1,000 5-star reviews, as that’s a healthy sample size, especially if the price is as low as Crzoe’s portable ice maker.
