Consumer Reports' Highest-Rated Countertop Ice Maker Is From A Well-Known Brand And Under $100

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There's a long list of modern appliances that have changed the way we prep and cook our meals, some cutting down on time spent in the kitchen, and others making painstaking tasks easier. Then there's the one appliance that has literally changed the way we chill. It may not be as convenient as the all-action instapot, or as ubiquitous as the air fryer, which is officially America's favorite kitchen appliance, but instant ice makers have been a splendid addition to the kitchen countertop. And if you've been sitting on the fence about getting one, there's great news for you. The highest-rated countertop ice maker on Consumer Reports ticks two boxes: It comes from a well-known brand and is priced quite reasonably too. We're talking about the Igloo Premium IGLICEB26HNBK, which you can buy for just $100 on Amazon.

When it comes to countertop ice makers, Consumer Reports gives the Igloo Premium IGLICEB26HNBK the highest score among all tested products, with GoveeLife H7172 and the Luma IM200SS completing the top three. When testing countertop ice makers, Consumer Reports checks for various things, from how quickly the units produce ice (speed) to how much ice it produces before it needs to be refilled (capacity). It also considers how noisy the units are during the ice-making process (not counting the noise made from ice falling into the bucket). The Igloo ice maker scored especially well in terms of speed, and also got a strong score in terms of efficiency and noise. Where it scored less well was its capacity.

The one thing you can't argue with is that when it comes to chilling, Igloo knows what it's doing. The brand has been around since 1947, initially producing steel water jugs for oil field workers, and has created several pioneering products over the decades. With ice-at-home going from convenience to experience — big cubes, small cubes, globes, bullets, nuggets — it was inevitable that Igloo would come up with a market-leading product.

The Igloo Premium IGLICEB26HNBK can make 26 pounds of ice a day and can hold 1.25 pounds worth of cubes at any given point, which is useful, especially if you have guests over frequently. It also makes the first eight cubes in between 7 and 15 minutes, which means you can even handle surprise visitors without breaking a sweat. The Igloo also makes both big and small cylinders, so you can pick your ice depending on what cocktails your guests are drinking.  

Needless to say, consumers love the product, which is why the Igloo features prominently on our list of 13 best ice makers, according to online reviews. "I've been really impressed with this ice maker so far! It works super fast—you don't realize how nice that is until you don't have to wait forever for ice anymore," one customer wrote in their review on Amazon, confirming that the machine wasn't too loud. "You can definitely hear it running, but it's more of a background noise and not disruptive at all, which was a big plus for me." Another reviewer states, "It just keeps working and working cranking really nice ice."