Best Ice Makers in 2026: Countertop Nugget and Bullet Ice Machines Ranked by Owners

The EUHOMY 40-pound machine is the budget nugget maker that 17,000 owners have bought, and it does two things better than the Silonn: it is smaller, with a top handle for carrying to the patio or the RV, and it drops its first ice in four to five minutes. It is ETL certified, rated under 45 decibels, and has a five-minute self-cleaning cycle plus indicators for a full basket and an empty tank. The trade for the compact body is a 1.3-quart tank and a 1.3-pound basket, so you will be refilling and emptying more often than with the Silonn’s 3-liter tank, and the ice-full sensor pauses production as soon as the small basket fills. Its 4.1 stars reflect a minority of owners whose machines failed within a year or two, a common story with budget nugget makers. Descale on schedule and it is the best cheap way into chewable ice.

Not everyone wants nugget ice, and the Silonn portable is the bullet-cube machine to buy: nine hollow bullet cubes every six minutes in a choice of two sizes, up to 26 pounds a day, from a box that measures under a foot in each direction and weighs under 14 pounds with a handle. That makes it the pick for a camper, a boat, a dorm or a party cooler. A 1.2-liter tank feeds it, a scoop clips to the basket, lights tell you when to add water or empty ice, and a 30-minute self-cleaning cycle keeps it fresh. Its 12,000 owners rate it 4.2 stars. Understand what a portable ice maker is: the basket is not a freezer, so unused cubes melt back into the tank to be refrozen, and bullet ice is softer and faster-melting than cubes from a freezer. For a steady supply of ice on demand it is excellent value.

Euhomy’s 35-pound machine is the refined version of its bestseller and the best-rated nugget maker on this page at 4.3 stars from 1,800 owners. It makes the same light, crunchy pellet ice, with the first batch in five to seven minutes and up to 35 pounds a day, but adds a dual water pump system that Euhomy says cuts scale buildup, which is the main killer of nugget machines, and a larger 1.8-pound basket. It is also the narrowest machine here at 8.5 inches wide, fits under a standard cabinet at 12.3 inches tall, runs under 45 decibels and is ETL certified. Euhomy sensibly advises running two or three rinse cycles and discarding the first batches after a descale. The 1.1-liter tank is small and 35 pounds a day is less than the Silonn’s 44, but for a couple or a small family who want a reliable nugget maker that lasts, this is the one.

The Crzoe is a direct rival to the Silonn portable at a similar price, and it wins on weight and noise: under 12 pounds with a handle and an R600a compressor rated below 45 decibels, which owners confirm is quiet enough for a bedroom or an office. It makes eight bullet cubes per cycle in six to twelve minutes depending on the size you choose, up to 26 pounds a day, from a 1.2-liter tank into a 1.3-pound basket with a scoop that clips to the side. Self-cleaning runs when you hold the power key for five seconds. Owners rate it 4.2 stars from 2,300 reviews. Large cubes take up to twice as long as small ones, output is the lowest tier here, and the brand has less history than Silonn or Euhomy. For a quiet bullet maker to carry between the kitchen, the deck and the camper, it is a good buy.

The Electactic is the nugget maker to consider if you want a stainless steel finish to match the kitchen rather than a plastic box. It makes up to 35 pounds of chewable pellet ice a day with the first batch in about seven minutes, has a one-touch ice button and an automatic deep-cleaning cycle, and measures just over eight inches wide so it fits where larger machines will not. Five thousand owners have rated it, which is a healthy sample for a newer brand, but the 4.0-star average is the lowest on this page alongside the big EUHOMY; the recurring complaints are machines that stopped making ice after some months and a small 1.1-liter tank that needs topping up often. Descale regularly, keep it level and ventilated, and it is a good-looking nugget maker for the money. If longevity matters more than looks, the Euhomy 35 lb is the safer buy.

EUHOMY’s 44-pound machine is for households that go through a lot of ice: it matches the Silonn’s daily output, holds 1.8 liters of water and runs a 20-minute self-cleaning cycle at the press of a button. Operation could not be simpler, an ICE button to start and a LIGHT button to see inside the chamber, and the first pellets arrive in seven to ten minutes. It is the biggest machine on the page at nearly 15 inches tall, so measure your cabinet clearance. Its 2,900 owners rate it 4.0 stars, below the Silonn, and the reviews follow the usual nugget-maker pattern: most are delighted, a minority report failures after a season. Without the Silonn’s removable tank, app and status ring, the case for the EUHOMY is a lower price for the same output. If that gap is wide on the day you look, it is worth it; if not, buy the Silonn.