Are you looking for a reliable ice maker? Do you want a machine that will give you a large quantity of ice without taking up much space? If your answer is yes, then you have come to the right place since we have reviewed some of the best undercounter ice makers.
Not only will these machines provide high-quality ice, but they are also compact enough to fit under the counter at your home, restaurant, or office. Since it is a one-time profitable investment, do read our buyer’s guide at the end to purchase the best one for your needs.
Best Undercounter Ice Makers
Comparison Chart
Best Undercounter Ice Makers Reviews
1. Sunpentown IM-150US Undercounter Ice Maker
Founded in 1985, Sunpentown is a brand based in Keelung, Taiwan. It later expanded to Japan, China, and the USA as Sunpentown International in 1993 with its headquarter located in California. This company specializes in the production of kitchen and home appliances like cookers, humidifiers, air conditioners, and ice makers.
Product Highlights
Sunpentown ice maker is made from high-grade stainless steel which makes it quite tough and corrosion-free. It is built durably to ensure that this ice maker lasts for a long time. Apart from this, it has a weight of only 55 pounds which makes it portable, allowing you to move it from one location to another effortlessly.
The Sunpentown ice maker has dimensions of 15 x 18 x 25 inches, making it compact enough to fit in small places like under the counter. With a front ventilation system, the ice maker can be used as a free-standing or built-in ice maker. However, it is better to install it under the counter as it is designed for such installation.
The most important feature, though, is its ability to store ice along with producing it. The machine can make almost 12 pounds of ice in 24 hours and store half of that in its six pounds storage bin. You will find this storage bin in a built-in freezer that keeps your ice solid for a long time.
As the ice does not melt, this ice maker does not require drainage at all. The machine is even automated to shut down when the storage bin fills up. All these features come in handy when you do not have to use the ice in one go, or you are short of refrigerator space.
If all this was not enough, the ice maker’s door is not only stylish but also reversible. This allows you to position it depending on your preference and your kitchen design.
The Good
This durable ice maker packs a lot of features at a reasonable price. It produces a larger amount of high-quality ice, includes a storage bin, and has a compact and lightweight design for portability. All these features give the best value for money.
The Bad
Unfortunately, this machine does have some drawbacks. It requires professional help for installation and takes a while before it can function properly. Furthermore, it does not make enough ice for commercial use.
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2. Smad Undercounter Ice Maker
SMAD is a Chinese company founded in 1999 and rebuilt in 2003. This brand manufactures more than 50 products, including refrigerators, washing machines, freezers, and ice makers. This international company not only has a Chinese CCC certificate, but it also has certificates like ROHS, CE, and ETL.
Product Highlights
Made from stainless steel and ABS, this ice maker is tough, which increases its lifetime. With a weight of just 55 pounds, it is also relatively portable for easy transportation. Also, the built-in design is complemented with front-facing ventilation to allow normal functioning.
If you are worried about it looking out of place in your kitchen, stop right there. Having dimensions of 15.2 x 17.7 x 25.1 inches, the ice maker is not only compact, but its black and silver color theme fits right with your kitchen design. If this was not enough, its reversible door can be adjusted for both right- and left-hand swings to match your needs.
Coming to the most important feature, the ice maker can produce up to 12 pounds of ice per day by just filling the water tank with water. This automatic ice maker is even easy to control. It also shuts down automatically to conserve energy as soon as the ice tank is full.
Most importantly, this frost-free ice maker features a built-in freezer with an interior ice bin for storage. Not only can this bin store almost six pounds of ice, but it can be pulled out easily or pushed back in for your convenience. Along with this, it comes with an ice scoop to take out the ice cubes from the bin.
The Good
This ice maker is perfect for you if you are looking for one that is compact and durable enough to fit under the counter. Features like built-in freezer and reversible door make it one of the top choices among the best ice makers available in the market.
The Bad
This ice maker is not suitable for large-scale use and only includes a built-in installation. Thus, it is not versatile enough to be used as a free-standing ice maker. Apart from this, you need the help of professional plumbers to install this ice maker.
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3. ROVSUN Commercial Ice Maker
ROVSUN has more than ten years of experience in offering high-quality, trusted products in the USA, Germany, the UK, and more. They aim to provide the best home and kitchen appliances at reasonable prices along with a one-year warranty.
Product Highlights
ROVSUN ice maker is ETL certified to make sure you only get the topmost quality product from this brand. With a stainless steel body, the ice maker can resist rusting to give you durability along with a stylish finish. On the other hand, the panels are constructed from anti-fingerprint black frosted material to give the ice maker a more upscale look.
Nobody wants a machine with a complicated control system. Fortunately, this ice maker includes a control panel with an LCD indicator which makes controlling different options easy.
It also includes an automatic cleaning function along with being smart enough to save energy and operate on low noise. You can even control the time for ice-making and the thickness of the cubes using the panel. Such that, the faster options produce about 100 pounds of ice per day in cycles of 12 to 18 minutes and a cube size of 0.9 x 0.9 x 0.9 inches.
You also have the option to store a massive 33 pounds of ice in the machine. If all this was not enough, this compact unit has a size of 18 x 16 x 31 inches and can be operated as a free-standing or built-in appliance.
ROVSUN ice maker is designed to be user-friendly with quite an easy installation. You must ensure, though, that your floor drainage and water pipe outlet are always installed and functioning properly. A water inlet hose, ice scoop, two connectors, and a drain hose are included in the whole package.
The Good
Many features set this machine apart from other ice makers. Not only is it compact and durable, but it also produces a large quantity of ice. With bigger storage capacity and a smart yet easy-to-control system, this machine is perfect for residential and commercial use.
The Bad
Compared to its positive features, this appliance only has a few drawbacks. It is slightly heavier than others and requires a few drainage outlets for proper functioning.
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4. Maxx Ice MIM50P-O Energy Star Ice Maker
Maxx Ice is a part of the X series of the USA-based brand, Maxximum, which specializes in refrigeration equipment. These include under-counter and reach-in units, display cases, coolers, sandwich stations, and ice makers.
Product Highlights
To begin with, this ice maker is a perfect choice for commercial use that requires large-scale ice production capacity. It can produce 65 pounds of ice every day, each of them having a size of 0.75 x 0.75 x 1 inches. Most importantly, it can store about 25 pounds of ice in its large storage bin which can shut down automatically to prevent any overflowing.
Its large storage capacity is further aided by its refrigeration system and thick insulation which allows you to use this ice maker outdoors. Therefore, the ice cubes will not melt even in really high temperatures.
Even though you might expect an appliance with all of the above features to be massive in size, it is not the case for this unit. The ice maker packs all these attributes in a compact size of 23.4 x 14.6 x 32.6 inches, allowing you to fit it even under the counter.
The best part is that its design also makes it suitable for freestanding and built-in installation. As the ice maker includes an internal drainage pump, it gives the plumber flexibility to install it anywhere.
Along with all this, the appliance uses a stainless steel reversible door and blue-colored internal lighting to help you scoop out the ice with the machine’s free steel scoop. Lastly, the ice maker is designed smartly with Energy Star Listing that uses energy efficiently to save up on electricity bills.
The Good
If you are looking for an ice maker suitable not only for commercial use but also for both indoor and outdoor use, then definitely go for Maxx Ice. It has been designed intelligently to pack multiple features in a compact box, keeping all your needs in mind.
The Bad
When it comes to the negative side, the ice maker is going to cost you a huge amount of cash. For this price, people expect to get a built-in water filter which, unfortunately, you won't find in this appliance. Apart from this, you can only defrost the ice maker manually.
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5. KUPPET Ice Maker
KUPPET, an international brand, mixes elegance with quality to give you some of the best home appliances with advanced technology and provide perfect customer care.
Product Highlights
KUPPET ice maker has a large production capacity of 100 pounds of ice per day, making it a suitable choice for large-scale needs. Its powerful compressors can work continuously to give you ice in just 11 to 16 minutes. Moreover, you can store around 33 pounds of ice in its storage bin, which has insulation thick enough to maintain solid ice for three to five hours even without a power supply.
Since people prefer easy-to-use appliances over ones with difficult control, KUPPET has incorporated a simple yet smart control panel. It includes options for automatic clean-up, timer, on and off buttons, and more. The LCD indicates temperature, countdown, error warning, and lets you know if the ice is ready or if water needs to be topped up.
This brand has kept safety as a priority too. It is ETL certified, prevents overflow automatically, and shuts down if the machine is waterless. Apart from this, the unit uses integrated ice sensors to power off the machine when the ice is full. Lastly, the unit has produces 40dB of sound to minimize background noise.
The Good
KUPPET offers a large production capacity and a strong, efficient compressor at a reasonable price. It includes many safety features to protect your unit from damage, has simple control, and works at a low noise level.
The Bad
There are not many drawbacks to this ice machine except that it is not suitable for outdoor use and some users have complained about faulty parts.
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Buyer’s Guide
If you do not want to make a wrong decision while purchasing your under-counter ice maker, you must know what to look for in your appliance. Read the following section to learn about the different features of an ice maker.
1. Storage
Since ice maker units come with a variety of storage bin capacity, you need to purchase one according to your needs only. If you do not need ice for a large-scale operation, a smaller unit will be perfect for you. Some ice makers might not even mention their storage capacity, but generally, a unit can store almost half of its production capacity.
Apart from the capacity, you should also look if the unit has a freezer or is it just insulated. You should prefer to opt for one with a refrigeration system, as it will keep your cubes solid for a long time.
2. Production Capacity
This is another factor you have to consider depending on your ice requirement per day. Under-counter units can produce a fixed number of cubes per cycle. While smaller ice makers can make around 12 pounds per day, larger ones can produce 80 pounds or more.
In the case where you want to purchase a unit for commercial use, we recommend that you opt for one that makes more than 40 pounds of ice in a day.
3. Ice Quality
Different units produce different types of ice cubes with the ice quality depending on the water quality as well as the machine. Your ice might be opaque or transparent, may melt fast or slow, or it may be of different shapes like a bullet, cube, nugget, and more.
Before purchasing your unit, you must focus on your needs first. For example, if you need ice for cocktails, you want clear ice cubes that melt slowly and chill your drink rather than diluting it. If you want chewable ice, you should opt for a unit that makes nugget-shaped ice.
4. Cooling System
Ice makers can either have an air compressor or a water-cooled condenser. The first one makes use of vents to take the cooler air in from the outside and blows out hot air out which cools down the compressor. The latter one uses a large supply of water to cool the insides, after which, the hot water is drained out.
So which one should you opt for? Although the air-based system utilizes more energy than the water-based coolers, they are still preferred over them. If you are wondering why, it is because the latter ones require a continuous supply of cool running water.
5. Maintenance
Before purchasing a unit, check if the ice maker is easy to clean or not. Per recommendation, you must clean your unit every six months. In the case where your unit is hard to clean, you might have to spend extra money to call a professional to clean it out for you.
However, many units nowadays come with buttons for automatic clean-up and maintenance. Even if they are not, you should choose one that you can clean easily.
Undercounter Ice Maker FAQs
1. What to Do When the Machine Is on but not Producing Ice?
If you are sure that the ice maker has been installed properly and still you are not getting any ice, ensure that the water lines are not leaking and they are hooked up properly. Apart from this, check if the inlet water is not hot enough to prevent the machine from functioning normally.
You must also check the filter for any blockage and ensure that the compressor is working without any leakage. If your unit is still not working, contact the brand’s customer care service.
2. Is a Water Filter Necessary With My Ice Maker?
Even though it is not necessary to install a water filter, it does have a lot of benefits. It makes your ice tastes better, gives extended life to your unit, and lengthens the maintenance period. Manufacturers highly recommend users to incorporate any type of filter with their ice maker.
3. How Do I Maintain My Ice Maker?
Some machines will come with an automatic cleaning and maintenance system, but there are many which require a thorough cleaning every six months or so.
In such cases, follow the instructions on the machine’s manual or you can just unplug your machine, take out all the removable parts, and wash them with warm water and a suitable cleaner.
Wipe out the inside of the unit and let all the parts air dry. Next, reassemble the unit, restart the unit, and make sure to throw away the first batch of ice made.
4. Do I Need a Drain for My Ice Maker?
Most of the ice makers available in the market include a drainage line in their models to remove any excess water. Those that do not have such drains are typically ones with a built-in freezer. These models keep the ice solid, which removes the need for a drainage system.
5. What to Do When My Unit Has a Water Leakage?
Broken hoses are the most common causes of water leakages. Therefore, look at the valves, drainage line, water inlet, pump, tank, and the ice bin for any faulty parts. Call for professional help if you cannot fix the fault yourself.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a unit suitable for commercial use, we are going to recommend the KUPPET Ice Maker. Not only does it have a large production and storage capacity, but its strong compressor gives you the top-quality ice in no time. Apart from this, it has a smart control system with multiple easy-to-use functions, and it even has multiple safety circuits to protect the machine from damage.
On the other hand, if you want a smaller ice maker for your home or office, then the Sunpentown IM150-US Undercounter Ice Maker would be best for you. It provides many useful features at a reasonable price.
With that being said, you can choose any from the above list of best undercounter ice makers as all of these are top options available today. You can choose one that fits your unique needs as each has a different set of features.