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The Best Portable (Countertop) Ice Makers

We spent over fifty hours measuring pounds of ice, including production and melting times, capacity and gustation, and selected the Hamilton Embankment – 86150 as the all-time portable ice maker. It's the quietest of the other ice makers nosotros tested, and it tin can make 28 pounds of ice in a 24-hour catamenia. Likewise neat, and in shut second place, is the Igloo – ICEB26HNSS. It has a sturdy handle so it can exist transported anywhere, and a self-cleaning function makes cleaning the Igloo a breeze.

Our Top Choices

All-time Overall

Hamilton Beach

86150

Also Slap-up

Igloo

ICEB26HNSS

We spent over 50 hours measuring pounds of water ice, including production and melting times, capacity and gustation, and selected the Hamilton Beach – 86150 every bit the all-time portable ice maker. It'southward the quietest of the other ice makers we tested, and information technology tin can brand 28 pounds of ice in a 24-hour menstruation. Likewise great, and in close second place, is the Igloo – ICEB26HNSS. It has a sturdy handle so it can exist transported anywhere, and a self-cleaning function makes cleaning the Igloo a breeze.

The 8 portable ice makers we tested
1. Best overall: Hamilton Beach – 86150
ii. Also great: Igloo – ICEB26HNSS
Other products we tested
How nosotros selected
How we tested
Rebranding and knock-off machines
Important features to consider
The bottom line

(Editor's note: Nosotros recently learned that our top choice, Della – 048-GM-48186 was discontinued. For this update, we tested the Igloo – ICEB26HNSS to encounter how it compared to our runner-upwardly, Hamilton Beach – 86150. We were impressed past the Igloo's operation and convenience, and it is our new runner-upward. Run across our review below.)

The 8 portable ice makers nosotros tested

Product	Price	Racket Level	Overall Operation
one. Hamilton Beach - 86150	$$$	☆☆	☆☆☆☆☆
2. Igloo - ICEB26HNSS	$$$	☆☆	☆☆☆☆
3. Costway - STAKOL	$$$	☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆
iv. KUPPET	$$$	☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆
v. NewAir - AI-100BK	$$$$	☆☆☆	☆☆☆
6. Della - 048-GM-48186 (Discontinued)	$$$	☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆☆

1. Best overall: Hamilton Beach – 86150

The Hamilton Beach – 86150 can make water ice in eight minutes and upward to 28 pounds in 24 hours. It has a stainless-steel design with black trim, and its articulate, apartment chapeau lets you see the ice forming. It'due south as well quieter than the others we tested: You lot hear just a gentle whirring of its fan until the next batch of ice is made. During testing, the Hamilton Beach's water ice fabricated drinks a flake colder — a 22.seven°F reduction subsequently the first set of x water ice cubes, compared to nineteen°F for the closest competitor.

All-time overall: Hamilton Beach - 86150

With a smart stainless-steel exterior that could fit most kitchen designs, the Hamilton Beach can make ice in eight minutes and is the quietest model we tested.

The Hamilton Beach makes ii sizes of hollow, bullet-shaped ice, averaging one pound per hour. Nosotros programmed each size separately, just we saw only a small-scale divergence between them. The Hamilton Beach is well insulated, then the water ice doesn't cook, and automatically stops when the tray is full (at about 1 pound). Its control panel indicates when you should add h2o and when you need to empty the removable handbasket.

When nosotros first reviewed the Hamilton Beach – 86150, it was somewhat more expensive than most of the other ice makers nosotros tested. However, since so, its cost has been lowered and is on par with its competitors.

Key Takeaways:

Hamilton Beach is a reliable ice maker that can make ice in eight minutes.
It was the quietest model we tested.
This ice maker has a control panel that indicates when to add together water and when to remove the ice.
Its stainless-steel panels might be a better fit in some kitchens.

Likewise smashing: Igloo – ICEB26HNSS

The Igloo – ICEB26HNSS is one of the truly portable water ice makers we tested. While other water ice makers are a bit cumbersome to lug around, the Igloo has a sturdy handle that makes transport from room-to-room or identify-to-identify a cakewalk. Igloo is one of the very few water ice makers on the market place that has a handle, and if you programme on making ice somewhere other than in the kitchen, this ice maker is an pick you should consider.

Although it makes slightly less ice overall (26 pounds in 24 hours) than the competitors, it can churn out ice in a speedy seven minutes. The company touts that the Igloo is silent, but in authenticity, it emits a high-pitched humming sound when making water ice. The Igloo has good insulation and will keep a batch of ice without melting, so you could really have this ice maker on a camping ground trip (where electricity is bachelor of course).

Most portable: Igloo - ICEB26HNSS

Our runner-up has a sturdy handle that lets you easily transport the ice maker to wherever you like. Its self-cleaning function makes cleaning a snap.

Another nice feature is that the Igloo has a self-cleaning function. You pour in a vinegar-and-water mixture (there are other cleaning solutions available on Amazon), offset the clean cycle, and information technology runs through the ice-making process without the freezing element on. It'due south done in nearly x minutes, and and then the machine needs to exist drained.

Draining the Igloo, however, tin can be a hassle. The drain plug is located in the lesser right of the unit, so you demand to hold that side over the sink. The drain plug is, unfortunately, difficult to remove, and you may demand to utilize pliers or another tool to pop information technology out.

The Igloo – ICB26HNSS is the stainless-steel version, but there are several other colors available that are differently priced. Other than the tricky drain plug, this Igloo model is another nifty water ice maker you should look into purchasing.

Cardinal takeaways:

The Igloo – ICEB26HNSS has a sturdy handle that makes it ane of the few ice makers that's truly portable.
It has a self-cleaning function that runs through an ice-making cycle without the freezing element on.
Some might observe its high-pitched hum annoying.
The Igloo'due south drain plug tin can be difficult to remove.

Other finalists nosotros tested

Costway – STAKOL

The Costway – STAKOL is notwithstanding another water ice maker that is nearly identical to the other popular models you'll notice all over the Internet. Costway did a skillful job with this icemaker on a few counts. It'southward quicker at freezing upwards the very starting time batch than our runner-up, the Hamilton Beach, by a few minutes. It'south likewise lighter, which might exist more important than overall performance if you're lugging this to a party.

But, equally expected, the differences in bodily utilize betwixt this and most of the other water ice makers we tested were so pocket-sized as to exist nearly indistinguishable. After 25 minutes, you lot'll have plenty water ice to cool a glass of water to below 47°F no thing which car y'all utilize. Right now the Costway's big advantage over other designs is that you can still purchase it: About of our other top picks went out of stock in 2020, merely the Costway is still bachelor.

KUPPET

The KUPPET came close to taking our summit place in terms of overall water ice product rate, with 25.vi pounds per day on its all-time setting (small water ice cubes), and an average of 22.5 pounds per day overall. Like all the water ice makers we tested, the KUPPET uses about 100 watts, occasionally spiking at 140 watts, which calculates to a product cost of simply two cents per pound. Compared to the cost of a store-bought 10-pound handbag of ice, the KUPPET is 20 times less expensive to use.

The KUPPET has a clear brandish that uses words rather than symbols, and it's available in 3 colors. The lid is 1.five inches thick, which helped go along the ice cold during production. Although the ice tray holds 1.5 pounds of water ice, the KUPPET automatically shuts off when one pound of ice is made.

NewAir – AI-100BK

The NewAir – AI-100BK is a slightly larger unit and iv pounds heavier than the KUPPET. Its manufacturer claims that information technology can produce 18 pounds of ice and has a larger water ice tray, storing 2.2 pounds of water ice. To our surprise, the NewAir did all that its manufacturer claimed.

Still, depending on the size selected, there was considerable variance in how much the ice tray held before the auto automatically shut off: 2.25 pounds for large ice, 2.05 for medium ice, and i.xix pounds for pocket-sized water ice. That said, the medium size was the most effective setting and produced 26 pounds per day.

Another downside to the NewAir is that information technology's difficult to drain. Well-nigh portable ice makers drain from the bottom, but the NewAir drains from the side, and then we had to tilt the machine to drain out all of the water. The white model that we tested is about double the price of the KUPPET; however, the other available colors are about $100 less.

Della 048-GM-48186 (Discontinued)

Until information technology was discontinued, the Della – 048-GM-48186 had been our top option because it made the most ice the fastest and with the most consistency. The Della outperformed its competitors on both the large (26 pounds/day) and small (nineteen pounds/day) settings. Though the KUPPET was a shut second, averaging about a 3rd of a pound less per 24-hour interval on both settings, the Della flat out won.

On average, ice product on the small setting yielded nearly 7 pounds more per mean solar day than the large setting did. In general, the ice sizes differed merely a little, only it had more than to do with the amount of fourth dimension the car had been running rather than the size selected. Overall, the Della was the near constructive and affordable portable ice maker with a make clean and simple design, easy-to-read programming, and a big clear chapeau for viewing the ice information technology's made.

Ivation (Discontinued)

(Editor's annotation: The Ivation model that we tested was discontinued. A newer model is on the company'south website, but there is no indication of when information technology will exist released.)

The Ivation went toe-to-toe with Della in ice production and produced 23.5 pounds per day on the small setting. Its thin hat, all the same, reduced insulation and resulted in one-tenth of a pound melting. That said, the melted ice was simply recycled into the container and made into ice again.

ThinkGizmos (Discontinued)

(Editor's annotation: ThinkGizmos discontinued this model and no longer sells portable water ice makers.)

Despite its loftier rating on Amazon, ThinkGizmos – TG22 suffered from inconsistency between its settings, both in how much the water ice tray could hold and how rapidly the ice was produced. Like the units we tested, the ThinkGizmos worked best when making small water ice cubes even though information technology produced the least amount of ice (22.four pounds per twenty-four hours). At the large setting, the ThinkGizmos performed the worst, producing a meager 11.two pounds per twenty-four hours.

How we selected

Nosotros began our inquiry by familiarizing ourselves with how a portable ice maker works. We watched videos online and then turned to the subreddit /r/Frugal, which provided insight into what consumers are really looking for in a portable ice maker.

Most other review sites don't actually conduct real testing of products, so nosotros relied heavily on Amazon reviews to determine which portable ice makers consumers considered to be the all-time.

Finally, we chose highly rated products that were also dissimilar from one another. This actually proved to be quite difficult for such a niche product, the reasons for which we talk over in the section beneath: "Rebranding and knock-off machines."

How nosotros tested

Features

Ice Maker	L x W x H (inches)	Weight (lb)	Watts	Lid Insulation	Maximum Production (lb/twenty-four hour period)
Hamilton Beach - 86150	thirteen.5 10 9.75 x 13.0	21.0	99–106	Thick	24.65
Igloo - ICEB26HNSS	12.2 x nine.06 x 12.viii	22	105	Thick	26
Costway - STAKOL	xiv x ix.5 x 13	18.ii	97–150	Thick	21.v
KUPPET	14.8 10 11 x fourteen.7	20.0	?	Thick	25.6
NewAir - AI-100BK	15.0 x 11.8 ten 14.5	24.iv	110–120	Thick	26
Della - 048-GM-48186 (Discontinued)	fourteen.v x 9.viii 10 12.8	twenty.six	98–105	Thick	26

Ice-making ability: The ice makers we tested were supposed to be able to produce 26 pounds of ice per day (28 pounds for the NewAir) We compared the actual production past adding 8 cups of water to each ice maker and timed how long it took to make both big and small ice capsules.

We transferred the ice to a container and weighed it. We so took the total time the machine had been running and calculated the pounds of ice that each motorcar could produce in 24 hours.

Insulation and temperature: We indirectly measured the insulation of each machine by how well the ice stayed frozen until the tray was full. This was a major variable, as some ice makers had insufficient isolation, and the ice began to melt before the bicycle was completed.

Storage: Nosotros tested how much h2o each car could hold and how much ice it would produce. Generally, the full corporeality of water exceeded the ice storage capacity.

Size and portability: We measured and weighed each unit to meet if it matched the manufacturer's specs. Nosotros also noted how easy or not it was to transport the ice maker from place to identify. There actually wasn't much difference betwixt the units, varying past approximately five pounds.

Energy and sound: We checked each manufacturer's claim of the amount of energy each ice maker really used and besides measured its dissonance level in decibels.

The ice

We measured how quickly water ice was made and how long it took to fill up the ice tray. We so made rudimentary calculations to compare the ice to a 10-pound bag from the supermarket.

Melting time: The first melting measurement also took into consideration the size and thickness of the ice and the thickness of the unit's insulation. We also timed how long one and two batches of water ice took to cook in a drinking glass with 12 ounces of water.

Water ice size and cooling speed: This examination worked in tandem with the melting fourth dimension as we looked at how much the temperature of the 12-ounce glass of h2o changed in one case all of the ice melted.

Taste: This depends largely on the water used (nosotros recommend filtered water). In some reviews, consumers complained that the ice had a "taste." We found that whatever off-taste was gone afterward a first total run and a thorough cleaning of the auto.

Why a portable ice maker?

As every host knows, ice — and plenty of it — is a must-take for whatever party. Even if you've got not bad beverage containers like those we chose in our insulated tumbler review or insulated water bottle review, ice is essential for keeping any drink as cold as possible. If you're grilling exterior on a hot day, the best luncheon boxes and coolers with the best insulation volition still demand water ice to protect uncooked food from entering the bacteria-incubating danger zone.

A portable ice maker makes ice over twenty times faster than a freezer, so yous'll always have information technology on hand and won't have to make an ice-run in the middle of a cocktail political party. If you buy ice ofttimes in x-pound bags at the 7-11, then you'll be pleased to know that a portable ice maker can make you the same amount for a fraction of the cost.

Countertop vs. under-counter models

Countertop portable ice makers

Portable (or countertop) ice makers are about the size of a bread maker. They plug into a standard outlet and require no drainage system or connection to a water line similar under-the-counter water ice makers. You simply fill them with h2o, select the size of ice you desire, and press start. They can store roughly one to 2 pounds at a time, depending on the size of their ice tray and how well the ice maker is insulated.

Portable ice makers are less expensive than under-the-counter water ice makers. They're also quicker at producing ice, and the bullet-shaped pieces of opaque ice they make are smaller and thus melt quicker in your beverage.

Under-the-counter ice makers

Under-the-counter ice makers, every bit the name implies, are installed between kitchen cabinets and demand to be hooked upward to a water line and a bleed. They're more expensive than portable ice makers, but they have several benefits that portable units don't have.

Get-go, you won't need to add water, since it's added automatically. They also produce double the corporeality of ice — up to 60 pounds — and the ice stays frozen longer because the under-the-counter ice makers are well insulated. This type of ice maker is platonic for an outdoor bar, an RV or a boat.

Rebranding and knock-off machines

Well-nigh portable ice makers are not manufactured by the company that brands them. At that place is substantial bear witness that a Chinese visitor, Hicon, manufactures the ice makers, and a company slaps its logo on them. This is why you'll come across and so many similar — if not identical —
models of portable water ice makers that are branded under many different names. Proceed this in mind when y'all're browsing on Amazon or elsewhere.

Of import features to consider

Aesthetic: Although many of the shapes and functions are similar, the overall look of an water ice maker is of import. The Igloo has several brightly colored models, while the Hamilton Embankment has a cleaner, sleeker look that might pair better with other kitchen appliances.

Size: Check the dimensions and weight to make sure it will fit on your countertop or whether it can be easily transported from one location to some other.

Ice production: A crucial element in a portable ice maker is how quickly ice is produced. For a cocktail party, effigy about 1 pound per person.

Storage chapters: Storage capacity is some other key component. Generally, portable ice makers produce one.5 to ii pounds per hour at which signal, the water ice tray needs to be emptied for another batch of ice can be made.

Toll: Cost definitely plays a role. Bank check out the free energy efficiency of each water ice maker to run into which produces ice at the smallest cost to you (most units make ice at less than two cents per pound).

Dissonance: Some other thing to go on in heed, as with all machines, is how much noise it makes while making ice. Naturally, the quieter the amend, and nearly of the models we tested were at about the same dissonance level.

How to brand ice in a portable ice maker

Making water ice in a portable ice maker is a simple procedure. In one case you've plugged it in:

Open up the lid, remove the ice tray and fill the tank with filtered water to the "Max" line, almost 8-10 cups depending on the model.
Put the ice tray back in, and close the chapeau.
Push the "ON" button, and select the size of ice y'all'd similar. The default is "large," but we institute that to exist the slowest for ice product.

Portable ice makers have very few options beyond "on" and off" and size selections. Other LED notifications are "Add water" and "Total water ice," which will low-cal up when it'south fourth dimension to add water or empty the ice tray.

Similarities between ice makers

Watts used (energy)
Decibels created (noise)
No waterline required
9 bullet-shaped water ice pieces per batch
On/Off buttons
Size settings
Partially clear top

Differences between ice makers

Weight, size and color
Medium size setting on some machines
Placement of buttons
Water reservoir size
Ice tray storage capacity
Drainage system (side/bottom and plug/screw cap)

How to clean an ice maker

Since these water ice makers are designed to be portable and are often used at parties, you may see grit, food crumbs, and grime from the hands of your party guests if they determine to use their hands instead of the scoop. Fortunately, ice makers are easy to make clean. The only hitch is if anything glutinous gets inside the ice-making section.

After checking instruction manuals for our ice makers and cleaning each of them after testing, here'due south our preferred procedure:

Unplug the ice maker
Dump out whatever leftover ice and hold the ice maker over a sink
Pull the drain plug, usually on the bottom at the front of the ice maker
Plug the drain
To de-scale and clean the water ice maker, fill the water reservoir with 1/2 cup white vinegar or lemon juice and v cups (10:1 ration) of water
Plug the water ice maker back in, and set it to brand ice. let it run for at to the lowest degree 2 cycles (any size)
Discard the water ice and unplug the ice maker
Bleed the cleaning/descaling solution
Expect for any sign of remaining residuum or dirt, and if needed scrub with mild dish soap (no abrasives) and a no-scratch kitchen cleaning sponge, or a bottle castor if you lot need to make clean inside the water ice-making sleeping room
If any dirt, sand, or particles are in the ice maker, wipe them upward with a sponge or towel earlier they tin get into the pump
Rinse with fresh water
Use a large glass or a faucet hand sprayer to splash rinse water into the ice-making chamber
Plug the drain and fill the water reservoir completely with make clean water
Plug the water ice maker back in. Run at least two batches of water ice cubes and discard the ice
Wash the ice basket and scoop as you lot would any plastic utensils (dishwasher top rack only)

An ice maker should stay make clean for a long time if simply water ever goes inside, specially if you utilise filtered water. (See our reviews of faucet-mountain water filters and h2o filter pitchers for some easy means to get amend-tasting ice.)

The bottom line

If you detest making an ice run in the heart of a party, the Hamilton Beach – 86150 is the best portable water ice maker. Information technology's the quietest of the other ice makers nosotros tested, and it can brand 28 pounds of water ice in a 24-hour period.

Our runner-upward is the Igloo – ICEB26HNSS has a self-cleaning role and is i of the few ice makers on the market that has a handle, then you can brand ice in whatsoever place that has an electrical outlet.

Peak Pick: Hamilton Embankment - 86150

With a clean and elementary blueprint, the Hamilton Beach is the most consistent and efficient portable ice maker for a great price.

Bryan Vu, Editor

Bryan is our cooking and kitchen expert, with more than 15 years of experience of cooking and testing kitchen products. When outside of the kitchen, he enjoys woodworking, photography, videography and figuring out how to alive a more than eco-friendly lifestyle. He thoroughly enjoys discovering the all-time, whether information technology'south ingredients or equipment, and finding products that can stand the rigors of daily use.

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