The best ice makers for 2025, chosen by refreshment enthusiasts
Stay frosty while you give your refrigerator/freezer a break with countertop ice makers that make sure the glass is always half full. The post The best ice makers for 2025, chosen by refreshment enthusiasts appeared first on Popular Science.
An ice maker can seem like an unnecessary indulgence until you check the freezer and find that you’ve forgotten to fill up the ice cube trays (again). At that moment, you either have to wait for a batch to freeze, run to the store, or settle for a room-temperature drink. And when the humidity is high, none of those choices sound appealing. This isn’t just frozen water; this is the foundation of refreshment, and on a sweltering day, it can’t wait. An ice maker can resolve that problem in under 10 minutes, and you can make extra cubes to store in the freezer, preventing this from happening again. This appliance will occupy a relatively small amount of space on your countertop and can be easily stored in a cabinet when you’re not using it. The best ice makers—like our best overall, the GoveeLife Smart Countertop Ice Maker—will provide a convenient way to keep all your drinks cool during the spring and summer months, and become a part of your party preparation before guests arrive.
- Best overall: GoveeLife Smart Countertop Ice Maker
- Best smart splurge: GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra
- Best portable: Antarctic Star Countertop Ice Maker
- Fastest machine: Whynter IMC-491DC
- Best budget: EUHOMY Countertop Ice Maker Machine
How we chose the best ice makers
Our ice maker recommendations are based on a mix of hands-on testing and extensive research. We ensured that our recommendations could produce a sufficient amount of ice in a relatively short period, while also focusing on ice shape and size, as well as water tank capacity. We also factored in price, which is a concern with any appliance purchase.
The best ice makers: Reviews & Recommendations
Whether you’re a cocktail-slinging home bartender, a morning smoothie type, or don’t want to leave the house to get a bag of ice to fill the cooler during the summertime, these unitasking gadgets do their job flawlessly. Whether you prefer a countertop pellet producer or bullet-shaped ice in bulk, one of these machines is right for you. And they’ve got us excited to share our nuggets of wisdom and water so you can appreciate the satisfaction, the uniform refreshment of proper ice maker output.
Best overall: GoveeLife Smart Countertop Ice Maker
Pros
- Multiple ice cube size settings
- Alexa and Google Home support
- App control
Cons
- Ice basket was a little hard to remove
Specs
- Size: 12.32 X 8.74 X 12.6 Inches
- Speed: 6 minutes per batch
- Price: $159.99
GoveeLife’s Smart Countertop Ice Maker has a lot going for it, and our tests proved it justified a place on your countertop. Its all-silver aluminum frame looks gorgeous in person, and setting it up took only a couple of minutes. You can run the machine by pushing clearly labeled buttons on its top side, which allow you to turn it on, select your preferred ice cube size, and run its cleaning cycle, or by using Govee’s iOS or Android app. You can even hook it up to run via voice commands through Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant. In our tests, we stuck to using the manual controls, which worked very well.
In our tests, this ice maker produced ice every eight minutes or so, which is slightly longer than Govee claims, but not by much. We observed a noticeable difference between small, medium, and large cubes, which mostly came down to their thickness. The ice maker produces hollow, bullet-shaped cubes rather than solid ice nuggets, so be mindful if you’re particular about your ice shapes. GoveeLife claims its ice maker can be used with non-pulp beverages, allowing you to make solid cubes of different drinks that won’t dilute your beverage as they melt.
We didn’t encounter any major technical difficulties during our time with this ice maker, but found it could be a little challenging to locate the handles of its basket when the machine had been running for a few cycles. This isn’t a deal breaker, but something to watch out for if you pick the ice maker up.
Best smart splurge: GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra
Brandt Ranj / Popular Science
Pros
- WiFi and voice control
- Side tank is easier to fill
- Stainless steel construction
Cons
- Price
Specs
- Size: 17.5 X 13.43 X 16.5 Inches
- Speed: 10 minutes per cycle
- Price: $629
If you’ve already committed to making a totally comprehensive smart home, GE’s Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra is the ice maker for you. It’s the ultimate tool for making ice at home, and while its $629 price is steep, it’s completely justified. The fit and finish of the Opal 2.0 XL are immediately apparent—it’s a large and heavy appliance—and fits in with the GE Indoor Smoker and Stand Mixer.
Once you’ve connected it to your home WiFi network, you can engage all of the ice maker’s controls and even schedule it to turn on at a specific time through the Opal Profile app on iOS and Android. You also have the option to hook it up to Alexa or Google Assistant to operate it totally hands-free.
What separates the Opal 2.0 from other ice makers with similar features is its design. Its stainless steel construction is premium, and little touches, like having a detachable water tank on the side of the machine, make a big difference in how easy it is to use. Additionally, the Opal 2.0 produces irresistibly crunchy nugget-shaped ice rather than hollowed-out bullet-shaped cubes (up to 38 pounds in 24 hours).
If the GE Profile Opal 2.0 didn’t have smart features, it’d still be one of the most premium ice makers we could recommend. These additional functions take the machine to the next level, making it a must-have splurge in any smart kitchen.
Best portable: Antarctic Star Countertop Ice Maker
Antarctic Star
Pros
- Makes ice as quickly as our top recommendation
- Small size
- Price
Cons
- Barebones design
Specs
- Size: 11.22 x 8.66 x 11.73 Inches
- Speed: 6 Minutes per cycle
- Price: $74.99
If you need ice, but don’t have a lot of counterspace to spare, Arctic Star has you covered. Its Countertop Ice Maker is a little smaller than our other recommendations, but it can make as quickly as our top choice. The ice maker produces bullet-shaped ice cubes in a single size and comes equipped with a handle, allowing you to carry it to different parts of your kitchen. It’s a barebones machine, which means it doesn’t have a timer or multiple cube size settings, but it can beep at you when its tank needs water, or its ice chest is full. A drain plug on the side allows you to flush out water from the tank if you don’t use it all, or when you select its cleaning setting.
While its slightly smaller size and handle have earned it the portable pick slot in this guide, it’s also tied (currently) with our budget recommendation on price. This makes it a good choice if you’re unsure about whether a dedicated ice maker is worth the investment. Antarctic Star’s Countertop Ice Maker will produce nine cubes every six minutes, won’t take up too much room in your kitchen, and won’t cost you very much. It’s an entry-level model that doesn’t have any frills, but can still get the job done.
Fastest machine: Whynter IMC-491DC
Whynter
Pros
- Can make up to 49 pounds of ice per day
- Allows you to hook it up to a water line
- Self-cleaning feature
Cons
- Takes up more space on a countertop
- Expensive
Specs
- Size: 17 x 14 x 16 Inches
- Speed: 2.7 pounds of ice per hour
- Price: $288
If your ice needs tend to be higher than usual, you’ll need a machine that can keep up with your consumption. Whynter’s IMC-491DC can make nearly twice as much ice as our top recommendation, and it’s incredibly easy to use. The only decisions you’ll have to make are the size of your cubes (small, medium, or large) and whether to set the machine on a timer. You’ll need to keep refilling its tank to ensure it keeps producing cubes, but it’s pretty hands-off besides that. Whynter says the ice machine can produce 49 pounds of ice per day, which is over half a pound every 15 minutes. You can set this appliance’s timer between 30 minutes and 18 hours, allowing you to be relatively hands-off when using it. Once you’re done, you can run the IMC-491DC’s cleaning function to get out any germs that may have accumulated.
Most ice makers require manual refilling of the water tank, but this model offers the option to connect directly to your water line. This is especially useful if you want to set a longer timer and don’t want to keep refilling the tank throughout the day. Using the ice maker’s cleaning function will shoot water out of its side-mounted drain, which you should put in the sink before using the setting. The only major downside to using this ice maker is that it’s larger and more expensive than most of our recommendations. This makes sense when you consider its speed and how much ice it can make, but it may give you pause. Still, if your ice-making needs are great, Whynter’s IMC-491DC will meet them.
Best budget: EUHOMY Countertop Ice Maker Machine
Pros
- More compact size
- Built-in handle
- Price
Cons
- Lower capacity
Specs
- Size: 11.57 X 11.42 X 8.74 Inches
- Speed: 6 minutes per cycle
- Price: $76.49
If you need a low-cost, compact ice maker that’s easy to move around, you can’t go wrong with this model from EUHOMY. It’s smaller than all our other ice maker recommendations, and while that means it can hold less ice, the tradeoff is worth making given its sub-$80 price tag. In fact, EUHOMY says its appliance can make ice in six minutes, which means it’s faster than any other ice maker in our guide.
The machine only has a single button, which powers it on and off. There are no options to change the size of its cubes, but the button can be used to engage the ice maker’s cleaning mode. While it doesn’t have any bells and whistles, this ice maker does have a built-in handle for easy transport, and it can be detached when not in use. LEDs will shine if you need to add water to the ice maker’s tank and when its chamber is too full, which are handy visual indicators that it’s time to address an issue.
If you’ve been curious about ice makers, but haven’t wanted to spend a lot of money to see whether or not they’re a worthwhile investment, this is the best option for you.
What to consider when shopping for an ice maker
There are many factors to consider when shopping for an ice maker. These are the ones we thought were most important when picking the best machines to keep enough water frozen so that your good times continue to flow:
Size
When picking up a countertop appliance, it’s essential to ensure you have sufficient space to accommodate it, whether it’ll be a permanent fixture or an occasional tool. All of our ice makers will take up more space than a typical blender, but far less room than a smart oven. If you have enough room on your counter for a stand mixer, you’ll be able to accommodate an ice maker.
Speed
The main purpose of using an ice maker over ice cube trays is its ability to get ice into your glass a lot more quickly. Our recommendations vary in speed, but all of them will begin to produce usable ice in under 10 minutes. If they’re left running for 24 hours (assuming you continually refill their water tank and keep ice from overfilling their inner chamber), you can get several pounds of ice.
Cost
We’re conscious of the fact that an ice maker, like any countertop appliance, can get very expensive. We’ve done our best to accommodate the widest possible cost spectrum.
FAQs
Using an ice maker will yield identical results, but you can increase the quality of your ice by using purified water, which may have a more neutral taste.
No. Ice makers require roughly the same amount of power as similarly sized countertop appliances. Their energy draw will depend on how often you run them and for how long.
Not necessarily. You have control over how much water you store in the tank, so be mindful of capacity when deciding which one to get.
This depends on its size and speed. Our recommendations range in price between $76 and $500.
This will vary by model, but most at-home ice makers can make hollow, bullet-shaped ice cubes in two or three sizes. Some specialty machines can make bullet ice cubes, which are smaller and denser.
Yes, provided you use water that’s free from contaminants, and clean out their container regularly. Some ice makers have built-in filters and dedicated cleaning functions, which you should run after every use.
Final thoughts on the best ice makers
- Best overall: GoveeLife Smart Countertop Ice Maker
- Best smart splurge: GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra
- Best portable: Antarctic Star Countertop Ice Maker
- Fastest machine: Whynter IMC-491DC
- Best budget: EUHOMY Countertop Ice Maker Machine
An ice maker is one of the most affordable appliances you can purchase that can make a significant impact in your kitchen. You never know when you’ll need to grab a few cubes for your cocktail, and going without can be tedious or ruin the drink. An unexpected benefit is that you’ll end up reclaiming the freezer space you use for ice cube trays. Not everybody is lucky enough to have a fridge with a built-in ice maker, which is what makes having a standalone model so appealing. The best ice makers will work quickly, relatively quietly, and save you from frustration at least a few times per year.
The post The best ice makers for 2025, chosen by refreshment enthusiasts appeared first on Popular Science.
