If you like to party or just want to speed up the process of filling and refilling plastic ice trays, think about getting a portable ice maker. Have you ever searched for what is the most reliable ice maker? All but the most powerful ice makers can make a few cubes in less than 10 minutes. The more powerful models can make up to 20 pounds of ice in a day. There are some freezers that make ice in three or four hours.
Since they’re heavy and usually need to be kept vertical and level, you shouldn’t relocate them around too much. They might be called “portable.” There should be a lot of room between the ice maker and heat sources, such as stoves or vents. Ice will take longer to form if the temperature outside is warmer.
Most ice cream shops make bullet ice, which is round at the top and hollow in the middle. It takes a while for bullet ice to melt, and most ice machines don’t have insulated baskets that can be used for a long time. If you’re running one during a party, you’ll have to empty it out a lot.
We tried out five ice machines and talked to Ken Ho, the co-owner of cocktail-making and consulting firm 1 Cocktail at a Time, about what makes a good ice maker different from the rest. You can buy the three ice makers below in 2023. We did research and testing and found them to be the best ones to buy.
This comparison table will help us to identify what is the best
| Product | Dimensions | Daily production | Water capacity | Ice shape | Ice sizes | Pros | Cons |
| NewAir Countertop Ice Maker | 11.75 x 14.60 x 13.75 | 28 pounds | 3 quarts | Bullet | small, medium, and large | Three ice sizes, huge water tank | The ice is bulky and tiny, and it is on the thin side. |
| Magic Chef Portable Ice Maker | 9.5 x 14.1 x 12.1 | 26 pounds | 2 quarts | Bullet | small and large | Outdoor use, quiet operation, small and large ice in under 10 minutes | Not easy to drain, and the white finish draws dust. |
| Opal Nugget Ice Maker | 13.43 x 17.5 x 16.5 | 24 pounds | 1.5 quarts, 4.5 with side water tank | Nugget | Nugget size | One water tank is enough for an hour of ice making. | Bulky, requires more time to make sufficient ice to fill a glass |
NewAir Countertop Ice Maker
With a capacity of three quarts, this ice maker’s water tank was the largest of any equipment we examined. After two small cycles, one medium cycle, and one large cycle, there were still more than two quarts remaining. Each ice cycle, regardless of the size selected, creates nine pieces of ice and takes less than 15 minutes to finish. This speed is typical for single- or dual-size ice producers, but I was delighted by the NewAir’s consistent timing throughout all three sizes.
Draining the remaining water was simple, as the drainage port of the NewAir is neatly situated on its side near the bottom, rather than underneath the machine. If the machine is turned off in the middle of a cycle, any ice formed will fall back into the water tank.
The small ice cubes began to lose shape immediately upon contact with my hand; the medium and large ice cubes remained more solid. This, however, was true of all of the ice makers We tested.
Magic Chef Portable Ice Maker
The Magic Chef is unassuming, yet it delivers on its primary promise: nine pieces of tiny or large ice in 15 minutes or less. This amount of ice is sufficient to fill an eight-ounce glass. The ice emerged fully formed, with identical cubes of the same size and shape. The large ice cubes formed in about the same amount of time as the small ones, and I discovered that the Magic Chef actually outperformed its claim: both sizes were ready to use in less than 10 minutes. The noise level was comparable to that of other machines, which is advantageous if the ice maker is being placed in a compact location.
Because the drainage port is located on the underside of the machine, it takes some finessing to open it and place a vessel underneath to collect the extra water. I did note dust particles clung to the machine’s white exterior and were really noticeable. The Magic Chef can be used outside, however like with all ice makers, the manufacturer recommends leaving it in its final position for around one hour before using.
Opal Nugget Ice Maker
Nugget ice is popular, yet there are few countertop nugget ice machines. Making the ideal mint julep can be difficult without an ice maker in your fridge. The Opal Nugget Ice Maker makes one pound of crushed ice every hour.
However, that’s very common for a nugget ice maker. It took the machine around 30 minutes to fill a 12 ounce glass with nugget ice. Considering nugget ice is microscopic and condenses in glasses, After an hour, you’ll have enough ice for two or three glasses.
The ice is firm and uniformly formed. The machine is elegant and takes up less than a foot of counter space.
The machine’s size is due to a side water tank that allows you to increase the Opal’s water capacity and manufacture ice for several hours. It was simple to connect to a tube in the machine’s back.