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The short answer: the Frigidaire EFIC128AMZBLK is the countertop ice maker to buy for most kitchens — 26 lb a day, first cubes in six to nine minutes, and the most mature ownership record in the bullet-ice field. If you want soft chewable nugget ice, that is a genuinely different machine and the Silonn nugget maker has the largest owner base. The EUHOMY 26 lb unit is the value pick.
And the thing the box does not say: a countertop ice maker does not freeze ice for storage. It makes ice quickly and then lets it melt back into its own reservoir. That single fact accounts for most of the disappointment in this category, so we are going to deal with it before we rank anything.
What a Countertop Ice Maker Actually Is
A countertop ice maker is a fast ice producer. You pour water into a reservoir, a compressor chills a set of metal fingers, water is pumped over them, ice forms in six to nine minutes, and a hot-gas cycle releases the cubes into a basket. Then it does it again. It is genuinely impressive: from cold water to a scoopful of ice in under ten minutes, from a plug-in appliance with no plumbing.
What it does not have is a freezer. The basket sits in an insulated compartment, but nothing is refrigerating it. The moment the machine reaches its full-basket sensor and stops, the ice starts melting, and the meltwater drains straight back into the reservoir to be frozen again. Leave the machine running all afternoon and you do not come back to a full basket — you come back to roughly the same amount of ice you had an hour in, plus a warm compressor and a water bill's worth of cycling.
So the correct mental model is a batch machine. Run it, scoop the batch into a zip bag, put the bag in your freezer, and repeat until you have what you need. Owners who do this are happy. Owners who expected a small freezer that dispenses ice on demand are the ones writing the one-star reviews, and they are not wrong to be annoyed — the marketing photography rarely makes this clear.
Top Picks at a Glance
Our #1 Pick: Frigidaire EFIC128AMZBLK
Bullet ice makers are a commodity. Most of the machines in this category come off a small number of production lines with different plastics and badges, share the same 26 lb per 24 hour rating, and produce the same hollow-centered bullet cubes. When the hardware is that similar, the thing worth paying for is the ownership record — how many people have run this exact unit for two years, and what broke.
On that measure the Frigidaire-badged EFIC128 is the strongest pick in the field. It holds a high rating on one of the larger review bases in the category, and the long-term reports are consistent rather than polarized: cubes in six to nine minutes, two size settings that genuinely differ, indicator lights that tell you when the reservoir is dry or the basket is full, and a footprint that fits under a standard upper cabinet.
The recurring criticisms are honest ones. It is loud — a clatter every few minutes as the batch drops, plus continuous compressor hum. The bullet cubes are hollow and melt faster than a solid cube, which is fine in a glass of soda and poor in a whiskey. And the reservoir is small enough that heavy use means refilling every couple of batches. None of that is a defect; it is what this class of machine is.
Check price on Amazon → (paid link)
The Ranked Field
Best for the household that wants bullet ice on the counter without a project
- 26 lb per 24 hours from a 1.5-quart reservoir
- First nine bullet cubes in roughly 6 to 9 minutes
- Two cube sizes, small and large
- Water-full and ice-full indicator lights
Why buy it: the most consistent performer in the category and the one whose failure modes are best documented, because Frigidaire-badged bullet makers have been in kitchens longer than almost anything else here.
Best for anyone who actually wants soft, chewable Sonic-style pellets
- 36 lb per 24 hours of soft chewable nugget ice
- Auger-driven mechanism rather than a chilled evaporator finger
- Self-cleaning cycle built in
- Ready in under 10 minutes from a cold start
Why buy it: the largest owner base of any home nugget machine by a wide margin, which matters more here than anywhere else because auger machines have more to go wrong.
Best for a first ice maker at the lowest sensible price
- 26 lb per 24 hours, nine cubes per 6-minute cycle
- Recessed carry handle in the body
- Auto-cleaning cycle with a drain plug underneath
- Two cube sizes and a scoop included
Why buy it: mechanically the same architecture as machines costing half again as much — the same compressor class, the same 26 lb rating, the same bullet cubes.
Best for small counters, RVs, boats and dorm rooms
- 26 lb per 24 hours in a narrow footprint
- Removable ice basket and see-through lid
- Front-facing control panel with indicator lights
- Runs on a standard 115V outlet, no plumbing
Why buy it: the smallest footprint that still produces a genuinely useful daily volume, which is the trade most compact makers get wrong in the other direction.
Best for buyers who shop on rating rather than brand
- Eight bullet cubes per cycle in about 6 minutes
- 26 lb per 24 hours with two selectable sizes
- Self-cleaning cycle and a bottom drain
- Quieter compressor than most of the budget field
Why buy it: the highest owner rating in the mainstream bullet field, and the noise complaints that dominate this category show up noticeably less often.
Best for the nugget ice enthusiast who wants the side tank and app control
- 38 lb per 24 hours of nugget ice
- 0.75 gallon side tank extends unattended running
- Scale-inhibiting filter on the intake
- App scheduling and cleaning reminders
Why buy it: the machine that made home nugget ice a category — but it carries the lowest rating in this roundup, and the complaints are about reliability rather than the ice.
Quick Comparison
| Product | Best for | Rating | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRIGIDAIRE EFIC128AMZBLK Compact Countertop Ice Maker, 26 lb per Day, Black | Best Overall | — | Check (paid link) | |
| Silonn Nugget Ice Maker Countertop, Chewable Pellet Ice Machine with Self-Cleaning, 36 lb per 24H | Best Nugget Ice | — | Check (paid link) | |
| EUHOMY Countertop Ice Maker Machine with Handle, 26 lb in 24 Hrs, 9 Cubes in 6 Minutes | Best Value | — | Check (paid link) | |
| Frigidaire EFIC108-Blue Compact Ice Maker, Countertop Portable, 26 lb per Day | Best Compact | — | Check (paid link) | |
| Crzoe Countertop Ice Maker, 26 lb per 24H, 2 Ice Sizes, Self-Cleaning, Black | Highest Rated | — | Check (paid link) | |
| GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice Maker with 0.75 Gallon Side Tank and Scale Inhibiting Filter, 38 lb per Day | Premium Nugget, With Reservations | — | Check (paid link) |
Specifications Side by Side
| Model | Ice type | Output / 24h | First ice | Self-clean |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frigidaire EFIC128AMZBLK | Bullet | 26 lb | 6–9 min | No |
| Silonn Nugget | Nugget / pellet | 36 lb | ~10 min | Yes |
| EUHOMY 26 lb | Bullet | 26 lb | ~6 min | Yes |
| Frigidaire EFIC108 | Bullet | 26 lb | 6–9 min | No |
| Crzoe 26 lb | Bullet | 26 lb | ~6 min | Yes |
| GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra | Nugget / pellet | 38 lb | ~15 min | Yes |
Read the "output per 24 hours" column with some skepticism. It is measured under favorable conditions — cool ambient air, cool inlet water, and the basket emptied as it fills. In a warm kitchen with the basket left in place, real throughput is well below the rating, because the machine spends part of its time refreezing its own meltwater.
Bullet, Nugget or Clear: Which Ice Do You Actually Want?
The ice type matters more than any other specification, and it is the one buyers pay least attention to.
| Ice type | What it is | Typical price | Best for | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet | Hollow cylinders formed on chilled fingers | $100–150 | Sodas, water, cocktails you drink fast | Hollow, so it melts and dilutes quickly |
| Nugget / pellet | Soft compacted flakes extruded by an auger | $250–600 | Chewing, iced coffee, kids, smoothies | Several times the price; more moving parts |
| Clear cube | Slow-frozen solid cubes | Not a countertop format | Spirits, presentation | Needs an undercounter or built-in machine |
Nobody buys a countertop machine for clear ice, and no countertop machine makes it. If clear, slow-frozen cubes are the goal, you are shopping for a plumbed unit — see our undercounter ice maker picks. If nugget ice is the goal, read the honest case for the premium in best nugget ice maker.
How We Rank
We do not buy these machines or make ice in them. Four things carry the weight in this category. Rating quality against review volume, because the hardware is so similar across brands that the ownership record is the only real differentiator. Documented failure patterns after eighteen months — specifically water pumps, which fail more often than compressors, and freezing fingers that scale up on hard water. Honest throughput, judged against the 26 lb figure that nearly every bullet machine claims. And noise complaints, which are the most-repeated negative in the entire category and the reason machines end up in a garage. Prices were checked at the time of writing. Full method: how we rank.
The Field, Reviewed
1. Frigidaire EFIC128AMZBLK — Best Overall
Covered above. Worth adding that the Frigidaire name on these machines is a license rather than a Frigidaire factory, which is normal in this category and does not change the ownership record — what you are buying is the specific unit, and this one has been in kitchens long enough for its faults to be known.
Owners praise: speed to first ice, two genuinely different cube sizes, clear indicator lights, a lid you can see through, and a footprint that fits under cabinets. Owners gripe about: noise, hollow cubes that melt fast, a small reservoir that needs frequent refilling, and the melting-back behavior nobody warned them about. Check price (paid link).
2. Silonn Nugget Ice Maker — Best Nugget Ice
Nugget ice is made completely differently. Instead of freezing water on chilled fingers, an auger scrapes soft ice flakes off a chilled cylinder and compresses them into pellets. The result is the soft, chewable, slightly slushy ice that soda fountains use, and it genuinely absorbs flavor rather than sitting inert in the glass. It is not a gimmick; it is a different product.
This Silonn is the machine most home nugget buyers end up with, and it has by far the largest owner base of any home nugget maker. It rates well, runs a built-in self-cleaning cycle, and reaches usable ice in under ten minutes. Being an auger machine, it has more to go wrong than a bullet maker, and the failure reports reflect that — auger motors and the drive gear are the things that stop.
Owners praise: genuinely soft chewable ice, fast start-up, the self-clean cycle, and output that keeps up with a family. Owners gripe about: price against a bullet machine, noise from the auger on top of compressor noise, and units that stop augering after a year or so. Check price (paid link).
3. EUHOMY 26 lb Countertop Ice Maker — Best Value
This is the honest budget answer. Same 26 lb rating, same bullet cubes, same six-minute cycle, a recessed carry handle and a self-cleaning function that the Frigidaire units lack. The plastics feel cheaper and the control panel is less legible, and that is roughly the whole difference.
Owners praise: price, the carry handle, the self-clean cycle, and cube output that matches machines costing more. Owners gripe about: noise, a drain plug that is awkward to reach on the underside, and a lid hinge that feels flimsy. Check price (paid link).
4. Frigidaire EFIC108-Blue — Best Compact
The narrowest body here that still makes 26 lb a day, which is the reason it is a favorite in RVs, on boats and in dorm rooms. The blue-lit reservoir window is cosmetic but it does make the water level obvious at a glance, which on a machine you will refill constantly is more useful than it sounds.
Owners praise: small footprint, real output for the size, simple controls, and portability. Owners gripe about: the smallest reservoir in this roundup, noise in a confined space such as an RV, and no self-cleaning cycle. Check price (paid link).
5. Crzoe 26 lb Countertop Ice Maker — Highest Rated
Less familiar brand, best rating in the mainstream bullet field. Eight cubes per cycle in about six minutes, two sizes, a self-clean cycle and a bottom drain. What stands out in the owner record is that the usual noise complaint appears noticeably less often, which in this category is the single most valuable difference a machine can offer.
Owners praise: quieter running than the field, rating consistency, easy drain, and value. Owners gripe about: an unfamiliar brand with limited parts support, and the same hollow-cube and melt-back characteristics as every bullet maker. Check price (paid link).
6. GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra — Premium Nugget, With Reservations
The Opal created the home nugget category and it is still the best-known name in it. The Ultra adds a 0.75 gallon side tank so it can run unattended for longer, a scale-inhibiting filter on the intake, and app scheduling with cleaning reminders. When it works, owners love the ice.
We are ranking it last, and honestly: it carries the lowest owner rating in this roundup on a small review base, and the complaints are about reliability rather than the ice — units that stop making ice, error states, and repair experiences. At around $600 that is a hard case to make. Buy it because you want nugget ice and the side tank specifically, and buy it somewhere with a return window.
Owners praise: the ice itself, the side tank, app scheduling, and the scale filter. Owners gripe about: price, reliability, the daily cleaning routine, and slower time to first ice than the specification suggests. Check price (paid link).
What Owners Actually Complain About
The melting. Reviewed above, and it is the number one source of disappointment. It is not a fault. It is the design.
Noise. Second most common, and worse than buyers expect. Compressor hum plus a water pump plus a batch of ice dropping onto plastic every six minutes, in a lightweight shell on a hard counter. A rubber or cork mat underneath cuts the transmitted vibration meaningfully. Do not put one on a countertop that backs onto a bedroom wall.
Cloudy ice and off tastes. Fast freezing traps minerals and air, which is what cloudy is; hard water makes it worse. Off tastes are the reservoir, not the water — a warm, damp, plastic tank cycling the same water is a good home for biofilm. Both are maintenance issues rather than defects. Our guide to bad-tasting ice and the cleaning walkthrough cover the fix.
Pump failure in years two to three. The water pump, not the compressor, is the usual death. Scale is the accelerant: minerals build on the freezing fingers and inside the pump housing, cycle times lengthen, and eventually the pump stops moving water. Regular descaling is the whole prevention strategy.
Leaks after moving. These machines hold water in a reservoir with a drain plug on the underside. Carrying one to a party without draining it first is how people discover where the plug is.
How to Choose One
Decide the ice type first. If anyone in the house chews ice, or you drink iced coffee daily, nugget is worth the premium and a bullet machine will disappoint you. If ice is for sodas and water, bullet is fine and costs a third as much.
Then be realistic about volume. A 26 lb per 24 hour machine yields nowhere near 26 lb in practice unless you empty the basket as it fills. For a party, plan to start bagging ice the day before, not an hour before.
Then check where it will live. Height under the cabinet, clearance behind for the vent — these machines exhaust warm air and need a few inches — and honestly, how close it is to where you sit in the evening. Our counter space planning guide is worth five minutes here.
Then plan the water. Filtered water produces clearer ice, better taste and a longer-lived machine in the same box. If your tap water is hard — the U.S. Geological Survey's water hardness scale puts anything over 121 mg/L as calcium carbonate in the "hard" band and over 180 in "very hard" — assume you will be descaling every few weeks, not every few months.
The Verdict
The Frigidaire EFIC128AMZBLK is the countertop ice maker to buy if you want bullet ice and a machine whose behavior is well documented. Choose the Silonn nugget maker instead if soft chewable ice is the actual goal — it is a different product, not an upgrade. Take the EUHOMY if price decides it, the Frigidaire EFIC108 if the space is tight, and the Crzoe if noise is your main worry. Whatever you buy, treat it as a batch machine, bag the ice into the freezer, and descale it on a schedule. Check price on Amazon → (paid link)
More from this hub: small kitchen appliances · best ice maker · best nugget ice maker · best portable ice maker · how to clean an ice maker · how long do ice makers last · how we rank.