Best Nugget Ice Makers of 2024
1. BEST OVERALL NUGGET ICE MAKER
Frigidaire Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
PROS
- Matte finish resists fingerprints
- Intuitive control panel
- Easy-to-fill water tank
- Sturdy plastic drip tray
CONS
- No light to see inside ice bin
- Produced uneven jagged ice pieces
This compact, matte-finish model from Frigidaire Gallery aced our tests. Not only does it produce lots of nugget ice, but it received top marks for ease of use as well. We appreciate that you can pull the water tank out for quick filling and that a sturdy plastic drip tray slides into place below the main unit to prevent accidental dribbles on your countertop. It features an intuitive touch control panel and a self-cleaning mode.
In our tests, it took three hours to fill the entire bin with 3.4 pounds of ice, and after 5 hours and 20 minutes and two full ice bins, the tank needed to be refilled.
In our tests, this model produced jagged pieces of ice that were the same size and easy to crunch. They were not the same uniform nugget shape that other, more expensive models produce, but we didn’t seem to notice the difference once the ice was added to a beverage. In fact, in the melting tests that we conducted, we found that this nugget ice maker’s ice melted at a slower rate than the higher-priced models that we tested.
2. BEST VALUE NUGGET ICE MAKER
EUHOMY Nugget Ice Maker
PROS
- Simply lift lid to scoop out ice
- Water line hook-up available
- Well reviewed on Amazon
CONS
- According to reviews, some find this ice maker noisy
- According to reviews, the user manual is difficult to understand
While we haven’t tested this nugget ice maker from Euhomy yet, we were impressed with its more than 940 five-star reviews on Amazon, with many people applauding the brand for its great customer service. And at $300, it’s more affordable than other nugget ice makers on the market.
This model comes with a water line hookup, but if you don’t have the capability, you can fill the water tank with up to 12 cups of water. According to the manufacturer, it takes up to 18 minutes for this model to produce its first batch of nugget ice, and it can produce up to 30 pounds of ice in a day. A feature that we like about this nugget ice maker is that you simply lift the top lid to scoop the ice; there’s no need to pull out the ice bin like other models tested. (This seems noteworthy because we found that pulling out the ice bin can drip some water onto your countertop.)
3. BEST NUGGET ICE MAKER FOR LARGE GROUPS
GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker + Side Tank
PROS
- Largest ice bin capacity in testing
- Stayed frozen the longest in our single-cube test
- Very uniform nugget-shaped ice
CONS
- Small, thin plastic ice scoop
- Ice nuggets are larger and harder to crunch that other models’
- Have to memorize button’s meanings or have key on hand
The GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker with Side Tank is great for parties and for anyone who hates having to refill the water tank daily: It has the largest capacity for both ice bin (3.75 pounds) and water tank (23 cups), and the side tank functions as a reservoir to replenish the main tank under the unit. It’s also available without the side tank for a slightly lower price.
The Opal 1.0 (we also like the 2.0 version; read on for details) comes in a stainless steel finish and features a glowing round button on the front that signals what’s going on with the appliance, whether it’s self-cleaning or producing new ice. We recommend reviewing the user manual to understand what each glow pattern means for the button.
This pick claims it makes ice in 20 minutes, but we found that was only a few ice cubes; the entire ice bin takes about four hours to fill. That ice, which was the most uniformly shaped nugget ice we yielded in our tests, was larger than that from the other ice makers. It was harder to crunch than the rest but still easier than a full-sized ice cube.
4. BEST COMPACT NUGGET ICE MAKER
HiCOZY Dual-Mode Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
PROS
- Water line hookup available
- Eco and Cycle modes
- Plastic ice scoop is sturdy
CONS
- Cannot turn off light
- Have to memorize button’s meanings or have key on hand
The HiCOZY Dual-Mode Countertop Nugget Ice Maker was the smallest — and also the quickest — nugget ice maker we tested.The ice bin was completely full after 70 minutes with 2.4 pounds of uniform nugget ice. Our consumer testers loved this model, too, saying: “It works so well and produces ice very quickly. I love that it’s not bulky or ugly like other ice makers I’ve seen, so it’s perfect to have in my apartment.”
While we only tested this model utilizing its built-in water tank, it also comes with a water line hook-up. The square button on the front of the appliance lights up in a variety of colors and patterns depending on the ice maker’s current function, like cleaning, making ice or requiring a water refill. We recommend keeping the button’s key handy so you know which function your ice maker is in at all times.
5. EASIEST TO USE NUGGET ICE MAKER
GE Profile Opal 2.0 Countertop Nugget Ice MakerNow 23% Off
PROS
- Three different options for ice bin light
- Small, distinct nugget shaped ice
- Capability for adding a side water tank
CONS
- Ice melted faster than any other model
- Water tank did not produce a second batch of ice without refilling
The sleek GE Profile Opal 2.0 Countertop Nugget Ice Maker is similar to the Opal 1.0, but it brings some ease-of-use additions. We appreciate how the touch control panel clearly displays what is happening with the ice maker (e.g. whether it needs to be refilled with water or is making ice). It can be paired with GE’s SmartHQ app to monitor the device status and schedule fresh ice. We also like that there are three options for light inside the ice bin: no light, low light and full light; it means you can see the ice when you want to but turn off the light source when you don’t.
In our tests, we found that the Opal 2.0 has the same distinct nugget-shaped ice as the 1.0, but it is smaller and crunchier. You do see some ridges around the sides of the nugget shape though, unlike with the 1.0. Since the ice is a lot smaller, it melted the quickest of the models we tested.
