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The short answer: for most homes, buy a countertop bullet machine — the Frigidaire EFIC128AMZBLK is the one with the best ownership record. If you want soft chewable nugget ice, that is a different mechanism and the Silonn nugget maker is the sensible entry. If you want clear cubes in a bin that stays frozen, no plug-in countertop machine does that; you are shopping for a plumbed undercounter unit.
Before the rankings, one fact that resolves most of the disappointment in this category: countertop and portable ice makers do not store ice. They produce it fast and then let it melt back into their own reservoir. That is the design, not a defect, and it is why the buying decision starts with which type of machine you need.
The Four Types, and Who Each One Suits
| Type | Water supply | Keeps ice frozen? | Typical cost | Buy it if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Countertop bullet | Pour-in reservoir | No | $100–150 | You want ice fast with zero installation |
| Countertop nugget | Pour-in reservoir | No | $250–600 | Someone in the house chews ice |
| Portable | Pour-in reservoir | No | $100–150 | It has to travel — RV, boat, tailgate |
| Undercounter / built-in | Plumbed cold line, usually a drain | Yes | $700–2,500 plus install | You want a bin of clear ice always available |
The line between the first three and the last one is the important one, and it is not really about price — it is about plumbing. A built-in unit needs a cold water supply, an outlet, and in most cases a gravity drain or a drain pump, which puts it in the territory of a licensed plumber rather than an afternoon. We cover that honestly in best undercounter ice maker.
Top Picks at a Glance
Our #1 Pick: Frigidaire EFIC128AMZBLK
Bullet ice makers are commodity hardware. A handful of factories build most of them, the 26 lb per 24 hour rating is near-universal, the six-minute cycle is near-universal, and the cubes are the same hollow cylinders regardless of the badge. When the machines are that alike, the thing worth paying for is the ownership record — and this is the unit with the deepest one.
It holds a strong rating on one of the larger review bases in the category, and the long-term picture is consistent rather than split: cubes in six to nine minutes, two size settings that genuinely differ, indicator lights that actually tell you what is wrong, and a body that clears a standard upper cabinet. That predictability is the whole argument.
The honest criticisms: it is loud, the hollow cubes dilute a drink faster than a solid cube would, and the reservoir is small enough that heavy use means refilling constantly. All three are characteristics of the class, not faults of this unit.
Check price on Amazon → (paid link)
The Ranked Field
Best for most households — plug it in, get bullet ice in under ten minutes
- 26 lb per 24 hours, no plumbing required
- First batch of nine cubes in 6 to 9 minutes
- Two cube sizes with a see-through lid
- Water-empty and basket-full indicators
Why buy it: the best-understood machine in the category, which matters because bullet makers are near-identical hardware under different badges.
Best for households that chew ice or drink iced coffee daily
- 36 lb per 24 hours of soft chewable pellets
- Auger mechanism, not a chilled-finger evaporator
- Built-in self-cleaning cycle
- Usable ice in under 10 minutes
Why buy it: the largest owner base of any home nugget machine, and nugget ice is a genuinely different product rather than a premium version of cubes.
Best for a solid first machine without paying a brand premium
- Nine bullet cubes per cycle, two selectable sizes
- Self-cleaning function and underside drain plug
- Recessed carry handle for moving it
- Basket and scoop included
Why buy it: the same 26 lb architecture as the name-brand machines with a self-clean cycle they do not have, for less money.
Best for RVs, boats, dorm rooms and genuinely small counters
- Narrow body that still makes 26 lb per 24 hours
- Illuminated reservoir window shows water level
- Removable basket, front control panel
- Standard 115V outlet, no water line
Why buy it: the smallest footprint here that still makes a useful daily volume, which is the compromise most small makers get backwards.
Best for a family that empties the basket faster than a 36 lb machine fills it
- 44 lb per 24 hours of nugget ice
- Front pull-out water tank — refill without reaching behind
- Removable basket for bagging batches
- Self-cleaning cycle
Why buy it: the front-loading tank is the practical upgrade, because refilling is the job you do most and reaching over a hot vent is the reason people stop.
Best for the nugget enthusiast who wants the side tank and app scheduling
- 38 lb per 24 hours of nugget ice
- 0.75 gallon side tank for longer unattended runs
- Scale-inhibiting intake filter
- App scheduling and cleaning reminders
Why buy it: the machine that created the home nugget category — but the lowest owner rating in this roundup, and the complaints are about reliability, not 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) | |
| Silonn Ice Maker Countertop, Portable Ice Machine with Carry Handle and Self-Cleaning | Best Value | — | Check (paid link) | |
| Frigidaire EFIC108-Blue Compact Ice Maker, Countertop Portable, 26 lb per Day | Best Compact | — | Check (paid link) | |
| Silonn Nugget Ice Maker Countertop, 44 lb per 24H Crushed Pebble Ice Machine with Front Pull-Out Water Tank | Best High-Output Nugget | — | 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 | Rated output | Refill point | Self-clean |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frigidaire EFIC128AMZBLK | Bullet | 26 lb / 24h | Top reservoir | No |
| Silonn Nugget 36 lb | Nugget | 36 lb / 24h | Top reservoir | Yes |
| Silonn Bullet | Bullet | 26 lb / 24h | Top reservoir | Yes |
| Frigidaire EFIC108 | Bullet | 26 lb / 24h | Top reservoir | No |
| Silonn Nugget 44 lb | Nugget | 44 lb / 24h | Front pull-out tank | Yes |
| GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra | Nugget | 38 lb / 24h | 0.75 gal side tank | Yes |
How We Rank
We do not buy these machines or make ice in them. Four factors carry the weight. Rating quality against review volume, because in a category of near-identical hardware the owner record is the only genuine differentiator. Documented failure patterns past eighteen months — water pumps first, auger motors on nugget machines second, compressors a distant third. Honest throughput versus the rated figure, since every bullet machine claims 26 lb and none of them delivers it with the basket left in place. And noise, the most-repeated complaint in the category and the reason machines get relegated to 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. One thing worth knowing: the Frigidaire name on countertop ice makers is a brand license rather than a Frigidaire factory. That is normal across this category and it does not change what matters, which is how this specific unit behaves in year two.
Owners praise: speed to first ice, two useful cube sizes, clear status lights, under-cabinet clearance. Owners gripe about: noise, hollow cubes that melt fast, small reservoir, and discovering the melt-back behavior after purchase. Check price (paid link).
2. Silonn Nugget Ice Maker — Best Nugget Ice
Nugget ice is made by a completely different mechanism: an auger scrapes soft ice flakes off a chilled cylinder and compresses them into pellets. The output is soft enough to chew, and because it is porous it takes up the flavor of whatever it is sitting in. That is why soda fountains use it and why people become genuinely attached to it.
This Silonn is where most home nugget buyers land, and it carries far more owner reviews than any other home nugget machine. The trade for the mechanism is more moving parts — the reports that matter are auger motors and drive gears rather than compressors.
Owners praise: soft chewable ice, quick start-up, self-clean cycle, output that keeps a family supplied. Owners gripe about: price against bullet machines, auger noise on top of compressor noise, and units that stop augering after a year or so. Check price (paid link).
3. Silonn Countertop Ice Maker — Best Value
The straightforward budget answer for cube ice: nine bullets per cycle, two sizes, a carry handle, a self-clean cycle that the Frigidaire units do not have, and a drain plug underneath. Plastics are less substantial and the panel is less legible. That is most of the difference.
Owners praise: price, the self-clean cycle, the carry handle, cube output matching pricier machines. Owners gripe about: noise, an awkward underside drain plug, and a lid that feels light. Check price (paid link).
4. Frigidaire EFIC108-Blue — Best Compact
The narrowest machine here that still makes a useful daily volume, which is why it turns up in RVs, on boats and in dorm rooms. The illuminated reservoir window is cosmetic, but on a machine you refill constantly, being able to read the water level across the room is a real convenience.
Owners praise: footprint, output for the size, simple controls, portability. Owners gripe about: the smallest reservoir here, noise amplified in a confined space, no self-clean cycle. Check price (paid link).
5. Silonn Nugget 44 lb — Best High-Output Nugget
If a 36 lb nugget machine cannot keep up — a household of iced-coffee drinkers, or a kitchen where the basket is emptied twice a day — this is the step up. The rated output is higher, but the front pull-out water tank is the change that matters day to day: you refill from the front rather than lifting a lid and reaching over a warm vent, which is the small friction that stops people using these machines.
Owners praise: output, the front-loading tank, a removable basket that makes bagging batches easy. Owners gripe about: price, a larger footprint than the 36 lb machine, and auger noise. Check price (paid link).
6. GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra — Premium Nugget, With Reservations
The Opal invented the home nugget category and still owns the name. The Ultra adds a 0.75 gallon side tank for longer unattended runs, a scale-inhibiting filter on the intake, and app scheduling with cleaning reminders. The ice is excellent and owners who have a working unit are enthusiastic.
We rank it last on the evidence: it carries the lowest owner rating in this roundup on a modest review base, and the complaints are about reliability and repair rather than ice quality. At around $600 that is difficult to recommend ahead of a machine costing half as much. If you want it, buy where returns are easy.
Owners praise: the ice, the side tank, app scheduling, the intake filter. Owners gripe about: price, reliability, the cleaning routine, and slower first ice than expected. Check price (paid link).
What Owners Actually Complain About
Ice melting back into the reservoir. The top complaint across every countertop and portable machine, and it is the design working as intended. Bag each batch into the freezer.
Noise. Second, and consistently underestimated. A compressor, a water pump, and on nugget machines an auger, all in a light plastic shell on a hard counter, plus a batch of ice dropping every few minutes. A cork or rubber mat under the machine helps more than you would expect.
Cloudy or off-tasting ice. Nearly always the water and the reservoir rather than the machine. Fast freezing traps minerals and air, which is what cloudiness is; off tastes come from biofilm in a warm, damp plastic tank and from scale. The EPA's secondary drinking water standards exist precisely for this class of problem — they set non-enforceable guideline levels for things that affect taste, odor and color rather than health, including total dissolved solids at 500 mg/L and iron at 0.3 mg/L. If your water is at or over those levels, your ice will show it.
Pump failure in years two to three. The water pump goes before the compressor, and scale is the accelerant. Descaling is the entire prevention strategy — see how to clean an ice maker.
Leaks in transit. These hold water. The drain plug is on the underside, and people find it the hard way after carrying a full machine to a party.
How to Choose
Start with ice type, not price. Nugget if anyone chews ice or drinks iced coffee daily. Bullet if ice is for chilling drinks. Clear cubes only if you are prepared to plumb a machine in.
Then be realistic about volume. Rated output assumes ideal conditions and an emptied basket. Halve it for planning purposes.
Then check the water. Filtered water gives clearer ice, better taste and a longer machine life, in the same box. Hard water means descaling every few weeks rather than every few months.
Then check the space. Height under the cabinet, several inches of clearance behind for the warm-air vent, and proximity to where you actually sit in the evening. Our counter space planning guide covers the measuring.
The Verdict
The Frigidaire EFIC128AMZBLK is the ice maker to buy for most homes: fast, predictable, cheap, and thoroughly documented by its owners. Choose the Silonn nugget maker if soft chewable ice is the real goal, the Silonn bullet machine if price decides it, the EFIC108 if the space is tight, and the Silonn 44 lb nugget if a family empties the basket faster than a smaller machine fills it. And if you want a bin of clear ice that stays frozen, stop shopping countertop machines — that is a plumbed appliance. Check price on Amazon → (paid link)
More from this hub: small kitchen appliances · best countertop ice maker · best nugget ice maker · best undercounter ice maker · why is my ice maker not making ice · how we rank.