Before first use, be sure to remove all interior and exterior packaging, and follow the steps under iGloo Ice Maker Cleaning to properly clean your unit. Before using your icemaker, it is strongly recommended that you clean the icemaker thoroughly. Be sure to clean the icemaker regularly. The Igloo Portable Electric Countertop Ice Maker was the best value of my larger countertop ice machine review. Ahead, learn more about the small but mighty machine.
After extensively testing six ice makers over the course of 4 weeks, I found that the AGLUCKY Countertop Ice Maker Machine was the best value of the products I tested, and the best option for anyone who just wants a machine that makes ice reliably and quickly. Bullet-shaped cubes are the fastest to make; freezing-cold metal prongs in the machine essentially freeze water around themselves, leaving behind a hole. These ice cubes are best for everyday use—chilling down sodas, iced tea and the occasional rum and Coke.
The Igloo isn’t the flashiest machine I tried while testing the buy iGloo ice maker machine. But it’s ideal for anyone on a budget and anyone tight on kitchen space. It also has the most useful feature on any ice maker—a self-cleaning function—which no other comparably priced machine did. For ease of use and cleaning, speed of setup, fast output and a reasonable price point, it’s an excellent pick. For the majority of home uses, these bullet cubes will do you just fine.
Igloo Portable Electric Countertop Ice Maker Features
Fast To Set Up, Fast To Make Ice
Within an hour of unboxing the iGloo Ice Maker Cleaning I had set it up, cleaned it thoroughly and had enough ice to chill a few sodas. I found the self-cleaning function of the Igloo essential—other machines at a comparable price point don’t have this feature. Much of the tubes and machinery of an ice maker are hidden behind the water tank; the machine is a big black box.
Compact In Size
The ironic issue with a countertop machine? It takes up space on your countertop. At 13.9 x 10.5 x 15.3 inches, the Igloo has a reasonably slim profile and should slide under most kitchen cabinets. The Igloo weighs about 20 pounds, so calling it portable might be a bit of a stretch, but its handle does make it easier to tote around than, say, the Frigidaire, which doesn’t have this feature (the handle comes in only some of the available colors).
Great Value
The Igloo is listed at $160, though in the course of researching this piece, I’ve seen it marked down significantly on Amazon, Overstock and other sites, sometimes as low as $100. Even at full price, it’s a fraction of the cost of the best overall pick, the GE Profile Opal 2.0, and less than half the cost of the “clear cube” ice makers I didn’t think lived up to their name.
How Does The Igloo Portable Electric Countertop Ice Maker Compare?
The Igloo doesn’t make perfectly clear cubes, or the oh-so-appealing nugget ice of the GE Profile Opal 2.0. It does, however, freeze water fast. You might not use the Igloo’s bullet ice for your most Instagrammable cocktails or for chilling down a fine whiskey. But for the vast majority of everyday ice needs, it does the job.
Virtually everything I liked about the Igloo—its compact size, quick ice-making and comparative value—also applies to the Frigidaire Compact Countertop Ice Maker, a very close runner-up. The Igloo’s self-cleaning function, marginally faster rate of ice-making and color options were enough to nudge it ahead in my rankings. But the Frigidaire earned my enthusiastic recommendation as well, plus it has the smallest profile if you’re really limited on space. For more information on these machines, read my in-depth countertop ice makers review.
How I Tested The Igloo Portable Electric Countertop Ice Maker
What do you want from an ice maker? Ice, as soon as possible. So I paid particular attention to each machine’s output.
Before testing, I set up each machine according to manufacturer instructions (including letting it rest on the counter undisturbed for several hours before use, in case it was inverted or jostled during shipping). I then cleaned the machine, either trying out the self-cleaning cycle, as in the case of the Igloo, or cleaning according to manufacturer instructions (and in the absence of that, my best judgment).
Since many online reviews mentioned that a machine’s first cubes weren’t its best, I didn’t evaluate the ice makers’ first pass. Instead, I put each maker through two test runs. On the third run, I filled each ice maker’s water tank to capacity and timed how long it took to create its first cubes, how much ice it had made after an hour and how long it took to fill its ice bin.