Best Undercounter Ice Makers (Things Need to Consider)

Published on: March 3, 2022
Written by Camila Avery / Fact-checked by David Rowan

A party’s not a party without the best under-counter ice makers and if you’re one of those people constantly having to travel to the local liquor store to stock up on another bag of countertop ice after you run out of ice. Then you need to invest in the ice maker you want. Especially in the summer when they are in the greatest demand. If your old ice maker just doesn’t keep up, then you have to find a quality replacement that will be reliable and suit your demand.

 We searched online to find quality reviews for the best under-counter ice maker for the home and we found the most detailed and comprehensive review on counter ice makers. After examining all pros and cons, we determined that the top 5 ice makers on the market today will present in this article and if you want to know more about ice makers, which will work for you, keep reading this article.

Type of Ice the Best Undercounter Ice Maker Produce

The type of ice produced by an undercounter ice maker can vary depending on the specific model. Some undercounter ice makers produce crescent-shaped ice, while others produce cubed or nugget ice. The type of ice produced will typically be specified in the product description or user manual. It’s recommended to check the product’s specifications before purchasing to ensure it produces the type of ice desired.

How Much Ice Does the Best Undercounter Ice Maker Produce in a Day

The amount of ice produced by an undercounter ice maker can vary depending on the specific model and its ice production rate. Some models can produce as little as 26 pounds of ice per day, while others can produce up to 130 pounds per day. It’s best to check the manufacturer’s specifications for the specific model you’re interested in to determine its ice production rate.

Things Need to Consider Before Choosing

Today we’re going to be reviewing some of the top questions you should be asking when buying an under-counter ice maker.

Our First Question Is What Types of Ice Makers Are There

Well, there are two kinds. You have a Crescent ice maker and a clear ice maker. Crescent ice is generally found in a regular refrigerator or ice cube tray. While clear ice is in 90% of under-counter refrigerators. All ice makers are also 15 and 18 inches wide and require a 110-plug outlet. The crescent ice is full of impurities and oxygen bubbles whereas the clear ice has no impurities or oxygen bubbles.

Let’s keep talking about ice for a moment in a clear ice maker. Ice is made upside-down. The water is pushed through a metal sheet at the temperature of 32 degrees to make sure it has no impurities or oxygen bubbles.

Our Second Question Is What Kind of Ice Shapes Are There and Which Is the Best?

Crescent ice is one of the shapes you can find. This can be found in any normal refrigerator ice maker. Another form of ice would be smaller ice cubes like your nuggets, your cubed, or your sonic ice. The smaller chips will cool your drink down faster but it also melts faster.

These are great for soft drinks and individuals who like to chew their ice. The last ice shape you find is top-hat ice or gourmet ice. This is the best in my opinion. This ice will give you the most surface area, which means it melts slower. You won’t necessarily want to chew this ice, but it works great for cocktails.

Our Next Question to Drain Is Not to Drain.

This is probably the most important and the most overlooked question: storage of clear ice does not last long. As it eventually melts and it’s drained. In order for the water to drain you need either a gravity drain or a pump.

The pound simply pumps the water from your ice maker into your sink drain whereas the gravity drain requires a drain to be installed into the floor if you’re replacing an existing unit already in your home but are not sure what kind of drain you have. Simply pull your ice maker out a little bit to see, if there’s a drain on the floor or if there’s a line to your sink.

Our Fourth Question: How Much Ice Under the Counter Ice Maker Hold and Produce in a Day?

On average ice, makers are able to produce up to 70 pounds of ice per day and can store on average up to 35 pounds. You’ll want to pay close attention to the production if you’re entertaining a lot. You’ll want an ice maker that can produce more ice during the day. Now you might be thinking what can I expect to spend on an under-counter ice maker?

Now You Have to Ask What Kind of Maintenance Comes With an Ice Maker?

you will need to clean and sanitize your machine every six months or when the notification life prompts you to. This is very important. The performance of your ice maker depends on routine maintenance and should never be overlooked. If you’re not a fan of maintenance work there are plenty of service companies that will take care of it for you.

Our Recommended Top 10 Undercounter Ice Makers-

1. Scotsman CU50GA-1A Undercounter Ice Maker

The self-contained ‘Scotsman CU50GA-1A’ is an under-counter ice maker for homes, hotels, restaurants, cafes, ice cream parlors, outdoor bars, and other commercial zones. This ice maker ensures you the best quality services along with the quantity more than its competitors. Scotsman CU50GA-1A comprises an air-cooling condenser that keeps heat away from high-pressure and high temperatures. This condenser also applies water as well as the heat conducting media to turn the refrigerant vapor into liquid.

The awesome-looking Scotsman CU50GA-1A’ is designed with a stainless steel body at the external structure. This under-counter ice maker is measured with the dimension of 35 inches in height, 22 inches in length, and 15 inches in width. The ultimate weight of the Scotsman CU50GA-1A is only 100 pounds and the ice maker is really easy to move from here to there wherever you want.

This ice maker is really compatible to grind out almost 65 pounds of ice per day. Besides, it also can store as well as 26 lb. of ice on a daily basis perfectly. This process of making ice through every cycle extends the duration of cleanings. The complete process also improves the quality of the ice greatly. ‘Scotsman CU50GA-1A’ leads to making the unique-shaped, crystal-clear, slow-melting, odor-free ice that won’t dilute the real flavor of the drinks and beverages.

The most exclusive feature of this air-cooling ice maker is the water quality sensor. The sensor can be placed through the control panel without giving you any trouble. With every cycle of making ice, the sensor mainly detects water conditions at a steady level and filters mineral-loaded pure water.

Things We Liked

• Power cord feature for fast installation;
• Makes perfectly shaped Gourmet ice cubes;
• R-134A Refrigerant settings;
• 15 inches width lets the machine to be set up in tight spaces;
• No extreme noise-creating issue.

Things We Didn’t Like

• Gravity drain requirement at installing location;
• A professional plumber is required.

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2. U-Line UBI95B00A Undercounter Crescent Ice Maker

Here introducing ‘U-Line UBI95B00A’ an under-counter crescent ice maker with the best ADA compliant for residential uses and small office atmospheres. The freestanding application of this ice maker makes it perfect to place in any room with tight space. U-Line UBI95B00A under-counter ice maker is absolutely capable of standing alone with the incredible form factor and settings quality in the competitive electronic market.

The U-Line UBI95B00A ice maker is embodied by a stylish black finish with the strongest steel construction. This ice maker is measured with balanced dimensions of almost 25.1 inches in height, 13.9 inches in width, and 17 inches in depth. The weight performs to be 59 lbs. That is really a relaxing figure to portability. You can even move this ice maker to a comfortable place on demand without extra hassle.

This awesome ice maker can easily produce up to 23 lbs. of ice per day applying less than 3 gallons of water. It contains up to 12 lbs. of ice storage capacity and its ice production rate on the daily basis is approximately 4 times greater than the regular household refrigerator.

U-Line can fill up the ice container overnight and stop the process automatically when it comes to full. You can experience the low noise-making productivity of this ice maker that never interrupts your confidential conversation and other respective acts.

Things We Liked

• No drain is needed;
• Custom inserting panel;
• Place reversible for door swing;
• Handy on/off switch;
• 115 volts is enough for the average application;
• Removal basket included.

Things We Didn’t Like

• Not approved for outdoor production;
• Accepts little or no custom panels.

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3. EdgeStar IB120SS Built-in Ice Maker

The extensive research on the comparison between numerous under-counter ice makers shows that ‘EdgeStar IB120SS Built-in Ice Maker is the best product of this century. This ice maker can conveniently be placed in a busy kitchen, office, bar, train, or boat wherever you want. It also fits under most counters and comfort zones. This is why the ice maker grabs attention these days.

The EdgeStar ice maker comes with a stylish black body and stainless-steel body that would match all interiors. The ice maker is measured with the superior configuration of 26 inches by nominal height, 15 inches by nominal width, and 19 inches by nominal depth. 54 lbs. by weight of this under-counter ice maker is truly appropriate for the installation process. The EdgeStar can simply be installed by a skilled plumber at an affordable cost.

The EdgeStar ice maker comprises the best preference, productivity, and attributes including other units which are more efficient than twice the pricing comparatively. For starting and pulling off the ice production, all you need to press the on/off switch on your demand.

Besides, the machine will turn off automatically when the ice bin is full. The EdgeStar is also functioned by freezer settings, so the ice will never melt and stays longer with better quality.

Things We Liked

• ADA Height Compliant;
• Water line connection included;
• Reversible door for easy swing;
• Ice scoop;
• No drain line is needed;
• Up to 12 pounds of ice-producing mode per day;
• Stores up to 6 pounds of ice on a daily basis.

Things We Didn’t Like

• Not approved for commercial uses;
• Accepts no custom panels.

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4. Sunpentown IM-150US Stainless Steel Ice Maker with Freezer

‘Sunpentown IM-150US’ is the best under-counter ice maker for its performance and functions. This ice maker comes with an exclusive stainless steel door with a black cabinet. The ice maker seems as well as a regular freezer which can easily be placed in your home and mounted internally with an ice bin.

This ice maker produces half-moon-shaped ice cubes rapidly which can be drastically authentic. This crescent-shaped ice is measured at approximately 2.5 inches in length, 0.5 inches in width, and 0.75 inches in density. This ice maker is configured by the dimensions of 25 inches in height, 15 inches in width, and 18 inches in depth which would match all bona fide decors.

The installation process of this under-counter ice maker is pretty cool and easy. All you need to start with is the water supply close to the unit, then toss the plastic line and fittings that are packed with the other components. After that, fix a braided flexible hook-up line which is made for connecting ice makers to plumbing especially. And then there you go for enjoying ice cubes on demand.

This ice maker also is featured an adjustment knob on the front panel for adjusting the temperature drastically. This excellent feature never lets you face the mechanical problem of ice blocking and shutting down ice production suddenly.

Things We Liked

• Freestanding application;
• Front exhaust fan;
• Up to 12 lbs. of ice production per day;
• Up to 6 lbs. of ice can be stored;
• Reversible door;
• Auto turn off feature when ice bin is full;
• No drain is required;
• Manual defrost facility;
• Ice scoop included.

Things We Didn’t Like

• Little bit expensive;
• Installation required by a certified plumber.

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5. DUURA DI50P Premium Clear Ice Cube Maker Machine

The DUURA DI50P is a built-in under-counter ice maker that comes with a lot of user-friendly attributes. The cooling system in the front door of this ice maker is truly inspired by freestanding features and is manufactured for residential use more than commercial use. DUURA DI50P holds a stainless steel full-length handle along with reversibility. The ice maker is absolutely meant to be with solid and well-built implements.

When it comes to configuration, then it is the best under-counter ice maker ever at that level. This ice maker machine produces 65 pounds of clean restaurant-quality slab ice cubes per day. Each ice cube measures 3.4×3.4x 1 inch and is clean, tasteless, and free from impurities. An indoor storage bin placed on the countertop is removable and stores 25 pounds of ice. 

For these exclusive accounts, this ice maker can easily be placed anywhere in your kitchen even under the counter.

The super-simple installation process makes this ice maker worthier to win the first row in the competition. This ice maker can produce approximately 65 pounds of clear ice per day. It comprises 25 lbs. ice storage compatibility so that you may never run out of ice when you are in demand. The electric fuel needs nearly 120 volts of current which is quite reasonable.

Things We Liked

• Bright blue LED light.
• UL listed components;
• Air-cooling condenser;
• CFC-free compressor;
• Ice removable bin;
• Auto overflow protection;
• Energy Star certified.

Things We Didn’t Like

• No ADA compliant;
• Accepts no custom panels;
• A bit noisy;
• No condensate pump.

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6. Whynter UIM-155 Stainless Steel Built-In Ice Maker

A built-in under-counter ice maker labeled as ‘Whynter UIM-155’ was introduced with a lot of excellent features. The ice maker is the latest innovation with professional standards for home appliances. It also brought you a stunning stainless steel front venting door and sleek black cabinet that adds an extraordinary volume to any modern kitchen, bar, RV, and busy decor.

Whynter is the best under-counter ice maker on remarking dimensions of 25 inches in height, 15 inches in width, and 18 inches in length. The ice-making machine is measured at 60 pounds by weight which defines easy portable compatibility. So, these manual defrost featuring ice makers can be set wherever you want without trouble.

This Whynter is an excellent ice maker that offers freestanding installation with highly efficient CFC-free compressor and power consumptive aspects. Around 12 lbs of crescent-shaped ice cubes can be produced by this Whynter ice maker on a daily basis.

The ice maker also owns up to 6 lbs of ice storage compatibility so that you may never face a shortage of ice when you need it. With the Whynter ice maker, ice scoop and ice bin are available including a food-grade water line connection benefit.

Things We Liked

• UL certified;
• Automatic shut-off skill;
• One button operating system;
• No drain is required at all;
• No batteries are required.

Things We Didn’t Like

• Few issues with durability;
• Licensed plumber required;
• Defrosted must be applied at times.

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7. Manitowoc SM50A-161 SM50 Undercounter Ice Cube Machine

Manitowoc is known as a revolutionary ice machine dedicated to reducing your extra expenses and generating operating systems easier than ever. Manitowoc ice machine comprises eco-friendly non-CFC refrigerant settings. Easy-to-read indicators and innovative diagnostic tools of the Ice maker provide a reliable monitoring system. So, go for the smartest Manitowoc ice machine when choosing an ice maker.

The stunning design of the Manitowoc ice maker features a stainless steel top and sides apparently. The ice maker counts the standard dimensions as 34 inches in height, 14.75 inches in width, and as well as 23.5 inches in depth. The ice maker produces around 53 lbs. of ice on a daily basis. The machine also comes along with an approximate storage capacity of 25 lbs.

Besides, the cleaning process is more efficient than other opponents and it improves energy management by a large amount. Intelligent built-in pop-out air filters conveniently protect the machine against grease, dust, and odor. No tools are required at all to clean a bit of rubbish! Manitowoc ice machine features a variety of ice sizes such as cubes, flakes, and nuggets which can be customized per your demand for blended beverages.

This Edge Star under-counter ice maker is specially designed to be installed into a life-sized cabinet. During installation, an optional drain pump easily integrates ice production inside the machine.

Things We Liked

• Auto ice-making settings;
• Easy cleaning and sanitizing mode;
• Delay start option;
• Quick ice productivity;
• Standard size;
• Cost-effective use of electricity;
• Water filter for real-tasting ice;
• Ice stays frozen lastly by insulation.

Things We Didn’t Like

• Little bit expensive;
• Cleaning is needed at times;
• A bit lacking durability;
• Professional installation might be required.

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8. Danby Mosel 15″ Undercounter Ice Maker

If you are eagerly looking for the best ice maker without sacrificing the most favorite cabinet area, then ‘Danby Mosel’ is the best under-counter ice maker on demand. This ice maker is measured at 15 inches slender complexion which is narrow enough to be placed in congested spaces. A height of 34.45 inches, Width of 14.96 inches, and Depth of 24.09 inches are the best configuration to suit the appearance of the Danby Mosel ice maker.

The Danby Morsel produces up to 32 lbs of the clearest ice ever daily. This ice maker comprises approximately 25 lbs of ice storage capacity. So, you would never feel the running out of ice on your entertaining occasions.

In addition, you will never have to worry about the ice compartment is dry and at a high temperature. This ice production powerhouse can easily produce ice cubes in 3 specific sizes abundantly. So, you will also have accurately tasted ice for your drinks and beverages.

Cleaning can be done so simply with more rapid action than ever before by a brilliant freestanding drain pump and removable ice bin. Which broadly means more production with less maintenance and as well as less effort.

Things We Liked

• Elegant preference;
• Built-in mode;
• Keeps ice frozen for a long;
• Energy efficient productivity;
• Less expensive.

Things We Didn’t Like

• Quite a bit noisy;
• Manual defrosting is required.

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9. hOmeLabs Freestanding Commercial Ice Maker Machine

The latest model named hOmeLabs built-in ice maker appears with a stainless steel body especially for commercial appliances as well as in restaurants, cocktail bars, RVs, ice-cream parlors, hotels, groceries, and so on. Besides, this under-counter ice maker is also widely used in busy kitchens and other indoor locations.

The medium-sized under-counter ice maker is manufactured with accurate balanced dimensions of 15.7 x 17.6 x 31.4 inches. This ice maker is truly efficient to produce up to around 99 lbs. of crystal clear bullet-shaped ice cubes per day. The integrated storage bucket is entirely well-insulated and is able to reserve almost 29 lbs. of ice cubes at a time.

This high-tech ice maker stays always in action to produce ice rapidly so that you can get ready-to-serve ice cubes within around 6 minutes on average. When the ice bin is full and the water level in the reservoir runs low, the light indicator located on the front of the machine makes a beeping sound. The sound alert lets you remove the previous branch of ice so that you can start creating more ice cubes.

You are just a few steps closer! All you need to do is turn the power button on or off, and switch on the timer of the handy control panel featured in the ‘Della’ ice maker.

Things We Liked

• Stunning silver-colored finish;
• NSF and UL approved;
• Easy-to-use control panel;
• Auto Overflow Protection;
• Auto Shut Off compatibility;
• Full Ice Basket Indicator;
• Add Water Indicator.

Things We Didn’t Like

• Professional installation is required;
• Quite a bit noisy.

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10. Manitowoc NEO UD-0140A Air Cooled 129 Lb Dice Cube Ice Machine

The exclusive ‘Manitowoc model is introduced as an air-cooled under-counter ice maker with the best prominence and materials ever! Are you looking for a compact ice maker for your narrow kitchen and areas with height restrictions? then ‘Manitowoc’ under-counter ice maker is the best solution to be placed under the counter and wherever you want.

The Manitowoc ice maker measures by the premium configuration with 26″width, 28″ depth, and 38.5″ height and 153 pounds of weight with a stainless steel body. This under-counter ice maker comes with the competence to produce over around 129 lbs. of ice in 24 hours and a storage capacity of 90 lbs. Ice easily.

This Energy Star-certified ice maker uses less electricity and saves on production costs drastically than its competitors. Moreover, an Alpha-San antimicrobial-coated decor boosts to prevent the growth of unwanted bacteria and odor ensuring your machine stands always clean and hygienic.

In addition, the ice maker features an NSF-certified compartment with interior materials which can be swiftly removed without tools. This user-friendly activity simplifies the cleaning process of the ice maker.

Things We Liked

• Easy access by an angled door;
• digital LED control pad;
• Delay’ option to pause ice production;
• Creates full-sized ice;
• Long-lasting equipment.

Things We Didn’t Like

• A bit noisy;
• Licensed installation required.

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Final Words 

An ice maker is a crucial hypothesis for your business so you have to guarantee that you are getting the best Ice maker. Considering these features before you get them, you will be altogether closer to finding the Best Undercounter Ice Maker for your home or business.

There are various parts open to finding the right ice machine, yet if you consider these questions, you’ll be well on your way to finding an extraordinary unit. Accordingly, consequent to scrutinizing this article, I am sure that you’ll pick the Best Ice maker which fits your essentials.

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