EUHOMY Nugget Ice Maker Countertop, 40Lbs/24H Sonic Ice Maker Machine, Self-Cleaning Pellet Ice Makers with Ice Scoop&Basket, Countertop Pebble Ice Maker for Home/Kitchen/Office

Why it's worth it

Euhomy rates this compact unit at up to 44 pounds a day, with the first pellets in about 7 to 10 minutes. It's a one-button machine with a 20-minute self-clean cycle, and the ice it makes is genuinely soft and chewable.

This is the machine most people in this category actually buy, and it's easy to see why. Press ICE and it starts. There's a light button for the chamber and a clean button, and that's the entire interface. At 13.9 by 9.85 by 14.95 inches it tucks into a corner of the counter or an office breakroom without rearranging anything.

The ice itself is what surprises people. Owners who expected a compromise describe soft, chewable pellets rather than the hollow bullets that cheap machines usually turn out. It uses the same flake-compaction approach as the Opal. What you give up is polish, smart features and support — not pellet quality.

From our review of 8 countertop nugget ice makers, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +This is the machine most people in this category actually buy, and it's easy to see why
• +The ice itself is what surprises people
• +The 1.8-liter tank is the practical limit

What to know

• –Plan on daily attention
• –Squealing turns up in owner reports here too, sometimes within days of unboxing, and support quality varies