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Mar 19, 2024

Best Nugget Icemakers

We tested 10 countertop models from Frigidaire, GE, Magic Chef, Vivohome, and other brands When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we

We tested 10 countertop models from Frigidaire, GE, Magic Chef, Vivohome, and other brands

When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.

If chewing ice is your jam, nugget ice (or pebble ice)—which resembles little nuggets or small capsules of ice—is likely your go-to. Smaller than average ice cubes, nugget ice pieces fit comfortably in your mouth, melt a little faster, and still offer a satisfying crunch that you simply can’t get with larger, traditional ice cubes. (Yes, it’s true that chewing ice can damage teeth over time or even just a little too forcefully once or twice, and if this is your vice, you should probably stop if you value your pearly whites.) The more porous nugget ice seems to absorb flavors from beverages, offering more than just crunch. For years, though, nugget ice was largely available only at some fast-food chains (hello, Chick-fil-A and Sonic) and far too few fast-casual restaurants.

Enter the countertop icemaker. These home appliances, which don’t hook into your plumbing, offer convenience to ice crunchers who want to get their fix more often. Nugget icemakers are also useful for people recovering from surgery who can’t or don’t want to drink larger quantities of water. “After a recent surgery, my hospital recommended I use nugget ice at home,” says Consumer Reports visual designer Sharon Seidl. “Having a countertop nugget icemaker was my only source of hydration, so it really saved me.”

And when having a backyard barbecue, a nugget icemaker is good for mixing mocktails and cocktails and can be a convenient supplement to traditional ice cubes produced in a freezer. You can even plop one of these appliances into your backyard oasis to have ice handy while hanging out.

The best nugget icemakers make ice quickly and are efficient (or use less energy), factors CR’s test team of Bernie Deitrick and Jon Malatino weigh heavily in our ratings. Testers also factor in water capacity and noise level. Ice production in the models in our tests ranges from 24 to 38 pounds per day, “but none have the water capacity to make that much ice without attention,” Deitrick says. “Water capacity ranges from 1 to 5 liters, with most around 2 liters.”

We tested 10 countertop nugget ice makers. Two models produce nugget, or pebble, ice. The other eight make bullet ice, which resembles small, hollow cylinders closed at one end. The bullet ice models offer small and large ice sizes, and our testers used large. All models are easy to set up and come with a plastic scoop. Prices range from $88 to $630.

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