Never run out of ice again with our guide to the best countertop ice makers in Canada. We’ve reviewed top models for fast ice production, ease of use, and compact size.
Icy drinks are a fan favourite across Canada all year round, but this is especially true in the sweltering summer months. Anyone disagree? We didn’t think so! And while it’s fun to get your fix from a restaurant occasionally, there are plenty of occasions when you want to enjoy them at home, too. For some people, daily. But what do you do when you’re sick of buying ice or making it in your freezer all the time?
You get a countertop ice maker, of course! These handy machines can make, store, and recycle ice constantly so you always have a fresh supply ready when you need it. They can make ice in various shapes and sizes, and some of them can even connect to other devices for convenience. They’re super easy to use, too. Just fill the tank up with water and choose your settings. The machine does the rest!
If a countertop ice maker sounds like something you need, we’d love to help you find the best one for your home. They’ll vary in things like price, overall size, number of ice sizes, ice shape, water tank capacity, ice bin capacity, and more. And we strongly encourage you to think about every feature… that’s the best way to get the right fit!
This comprehensive guide will investigate the best countertop ice makers in Canada right now and outline the criteria you should consider while making your purchase decision. Let’s dive right into our top five products.
The Best Countertop Ice Makers Right Now
- Top Pick: Frigidaire EFIC189 Compact Ice Maker
- Runner-Up: Crownful HZB-12/H Countertop Ice Maker
- Upgrade Pick: Ecozy Countertop Ice Maker
- Connected Pick: GoveeLife Smart Countertop Ice Maker
- Budget Pick: LivingBasics Portable Ice Maker
Our Top Pick for The Best Countertop Ice Maker
Frigidaire EFIC189 Compact Ice Maker Review
What We Think of the Frigidaire EFIC189 Compact Ice Maker
The Frigidaire EFIC189 Compact Ice Maker has a lot of features worth mentioning. It has one of our favourite control setups of all time—only a couple of buttons to start/stop the machine and choose your ice size. It’ll automatically stop producing ice when the bucket is full, too, and restart once you’ve removed some!
Plus, instead of annoying alarms, it has light indicators to let you know when the water is low and when the ice bucket is full. We love this the most. Since the ice production process is also really quiet, this machine is perfect for low-noise households. And also low-space households, since it’s so compact and countertop-friendly, even in the smallest kitchens.
The only fault we can really find with this ice maker is the cleaning process. Since it doesn’t have a self-clean function, it needs to be done by hand every couple of weeks (depending on use) to make sure it’s hygienic and working properly. The drain can be awkward to reach, though, and it just takes more time than hitting a simple self-clean button. This might be a dealbreaker for some people, which is why we bring it up.
All in all, the Frigidaire EFIC189 Compact Ice Maker is a pretty awesome ice maker. It doesn’t have any fancy features or extraordinary ice production rates, but it’s super reliable, easy to use, and perfectly countertop-friendly. You can’t ask for much more than that at this price!
- Performance: 5/5
- Usability: 5/5
- Price: 4/5
- Quality: 4.5/5
What Reviewers Are Saying About the Frigidaire EFIC189 Compact Ice Maker
Reviewers have a great opinion of the Frigidaire EFIC189 Compact Ice Maker. It’s quieter than a lot of other ice makers they’ve used in the past, and it also fits a lot better on the counter. The controls are very basic and easy to understand, which helped first-timers a lot, and the smaller ice size is made pretty quickly. They wish it were a bit easier to drain and clean, but it’s not that big of a deal for any of them.
Frigidaire EFIC189 Compact Ice Maker Pros and Cons
Buy If…
- You need something very compact
- Simplistic and intuitive controls are ideal
- You want a quiet and unobtrusive ice maker
- You don’t want to micromanage the ice production
Don’t Buy If…
- You don’t want to clean the machine by hand
Frigidaire EFIC189 Compact Ice Maker Specifications
- Dimensions: 8.7” x 11.6” x 11.4”
- Weight: 12.9 lbs
- Daily Production: 26 lbs
- Water Tank Capacity: 1.1 L
- Production Rate: 9 cubes every 7-15 minutes
- Ice Sizes: 2
- Ice Shape: Bullet
- Ice Storage Capacity: 1.5 lbs
- Warranty: 1 year
Our Runner-Up
Crownful HZB-12/H Countertop Ice Maker Review
What We Think of the Crownful HZB-12/H Countertop Ice Maker
There are lots of things to like about the Crownful HZB-12/H Countertop Ice Maker, and we’re excited to tell you about all of them. One of the things we think you’ll adore is the self-cleaning mode. Yup, it can clean itself. You won’t ever have to get your hands dirty to keep your ice maker running well and your ice tasting fresh. We also appreciate the removable ice basket and included scoop—it’s never been easier to transfer your ice to a cooler, glass, or storage container in the freezer.
The compact size of this ice maker is another winning feature. It’s one of the smallest ones out there, so it will fit well on every counter, and with a handle, it’s great for travelling to campsites, too. Since it can make nine ice cubes in only six minutes, you’ll never run out when you need a fix. We love that for you.
The only feature that might become annoying is the small water tank. It can only hold 1.2 litres of water at a time, and that’s on the small side for countertop ice makers. If you’ll be relying on your machine for a lot of ice production each day, you’ll have to keep a close eye on the water level and fill it often. Not ideal, we know, but this won’t be too much of an issue for general use. We promise.
All in all, the Crownful HZB-12/H Countertop Ice Maker has a lot going for it. Whether you’re prioritizing a compact size, quick ice production, or streamlined maintenance, this ice maker has exactly what you need. Doesn’t it sound like a winner?
- Performance: 5/5
- Usability: 5/5
- Price: 4/5
- Quality: 5/5
What Reviewers Are Saying About the Crownful HZB-12/H Countertop Ice Maker
Reviewers have plenty of great things to say about the Crownful HZB-12/H Countertop Ice Maker. It’s very quick at producing ice, the removable basket and ice scoop make it really easy to move the ice to a freezer or cooler, and it fits well in everyone’s space. It isn’t very loud either. They’d all choose this one again for themselves and highly recommend it for others. They have no complaints.
Crownful HZB-12/H Countertop Ice Maker Pros and Cons
Buy If…
- You don’t want to stress about cleaning your ice maker by hand
- Quick ice production would be good
- A compact size is important for your space
- Easy ice removal is something you want
Don’t Buy If…
- You don’t want to fill the water tank very often
Crownful HZB-12/H Countertop Ice Maker Specifications
- Dimensions: 8.7” x 11.4” x 11.6”
- Weight: 13.7 lbs
- Daily Production: 26 lbs
- Water Tank Capacity: 1.2 L
- Production Rate: 9 cubes every 6 minutes
- Ice Sizes: 2
- Ice Shape: Bullet
- Warranty: 1 year
Our Upgrade Pick
Ecozy Countertop Ice Maker Review
What We Think of the Ecozy Countertop Ice Maker
The Ecozy Countertop Ice Maker has so many features working in its favour. One of its most noteworthy characteristics is the sheer amount of ice it can make in a day—44 lbs! That’s almost double what the average ice maker can put out. This makes it absolutely perfect for serving large groups, or for those last-minute ice emergencies. They happen.
We really like that you get three ice bags with this machine—they make it so much easier to store the ice in the freezer for later use. You won’t have to sacrifice any of your containers. It has a delayed start timer, too, so you can have ice ready when you get home from work or when you wake up in the morning. It even makes solid cubes instead of hollow bullet-shaped ice.
There are only two groups of people that won’t be extremely happy with this machine. This first group is people looking for something budget-friendly—this one costs almost three times as much as the least expensive options out there. The second group is people with small kitchens. This machine needs more counter space than most.
All in all, the Ecozy Countertop Ice Maker is one of the absolute best ice makers money can buy. It outperforms every other machine in daily ice production, comes with extra accessories, and is perfect for cube lovers.
- Performance: 5/5
- Usability: 5/5
- Price: 3/5
- Quality: 5/5
What Reviewers Are Saying About the Ecozy Countertop Ice Maker
Reviewers are blown away by the quality of the Ecozy Countertop Ice Maker. They only need to run a few cycles (less than an hour) to get a freezer full of ice, and it melts very slowly. They love that they can use the delay-start timer to have ice ready even when they won’t be home to start the machine. They all agree wholeheartedly that this one is worth the higher price tag.
Ecozy Countertop Ice Maker Pros and Cons
Buy If…
- You need a large volume of ice on a daily basis
- You want to store your ice in the freezer
- You’d enjoy the convenience of a delay-start timer
- You prefer cube-shaped ice over bullet-shaped
Don’t Buy If…
- You aren’t prepared to spend a good chunk of change
- You don’t have a lot of free counter space
Ecozy Countertop Ice Maker Specifications
- Dimensions: 9.9” x 14.2” x 14.6”
- Weight: 24.6 lbs
- Daily Production: 44 lbs
- Water Tank Capacity: 3.2 L
- Production Rate: 24 cubes every 13 minutes
- Ice Sizes: 1
- Ice Shape: Cube
- Warranty: 1 year
Our Connected Pick
GoveeLife Smart Countertop Ice Maker Review
What We Think of the GoveeLife Smart Countertop Ice Maker
The GoveeLife Smart Countertop Ice Maker is the best choice for people who love smart machines. It can connect to your voice assistants or an app on your smartphone. You can use both options to start or stop the ice maker, and your phone’s app will also alert you when the ice bucket is full or the water tank is empty. Talk about convenience!
We also really like how versatile this machine is. It can make three different sizes of ice instead of just two, and you can even put in pulp-free juices to make flavoured ice cubes. So much fun. It also has a 10-minute self-clean cycle to save you the hassle of doing it by hand. And we’re still not done! Since each ice cycle takes between 6 and 8 minutes (even for the largest size), you’ll never be left without ice.
There’s really nothing wrong with this ice maker, and we love that for you. Just be aware that this one is a bit more expensive than the average ice maker (because of the extra tech), and it also has extra tech…if you’d prefer a more basic machine, you’ll want to steer clear of this one.
Overall, the GoveeLife Smart Countertop Ice Maker is our top recommendation for folks who would love to get a little more intelligence out of their machines. Not only is it super connected, but it also makes really great batches of ice, really quickly, and is even super quiet. It’s hard to beat, we know.
- Performance: 5/5
- Usability: 5/5
- Price: 4/5
- Quality: 5/5
What Reviewers Are Saying About the GoveeLife Smart Countertop Ice Maker
Reviewers absolutely love the GoveeLife Smart Countertop Ice Maker. It’s a super reliable machine, they’ve never had it mess up a batch of ice like other machines can, and the app connectivity is really convenient so ice is ready when they get home. The self-clean function works great, and they even find the ice melts slower than store-bought varieties.
GoveeLife Smart Countertop Ice Maker Pros and Cons
Buy If…
- You’d like to control it with your home assistant and get updates in a companion app
- You’d prefer not to clean it by hand
- You’d like a little extra versatility
- You go through a lot of ice every day
Don’t Buy If…
- You need something really affordable
- Connectivity isn’t something you want
GoveeLife Smart Countertop Ice Maker Specifications
- Dimensions: 12.3” x 8.7” x 12.6”
- Weight: 11 lbs
- Daily Production: 26 lbs
- Water Tank Capacity: 2 L
- Production Rate: 9 cubes every 6-8 mins
- Ice Sizes: 3
- Ice Shape: Bullet
Our Budget Pick
LivingBasics Portable Ice Maker Review
What We Think of the LivingBasics Portable Ice Maker
The LivingBasics Portable Ice Maker was an easy choice for our budget pick this year. And we’ll tell you why. It’s one of the smallest and quietest machines out there, so it will fit perfectly in smaller kitchens with limited counter space as well as households that don’t do well with extraneous noise. You’ll only have to hear the ice cubes dropping—no other noise will be a nuisance!
We’re also really happy with the cycle time on this machine—the smaller size of ice only takes 6 minutes to freeze, and the larger size is ready in 12 minutes. And since nine cubes are produced each cycle, you’ll never run out even if you’re serving a group. Since the controls are incredibly simple, even your kids will be able to get in on the fun of using the ice maker.
One of the only things we don’t love about this ice maker is the size of the water tank. It can only hold 1.2 litres of water at a time, so if you’ll be using up your ice quickly, you’ll also be filling up the tank quite often. This can get a bit annoying if you’re doing it all the time, so just something to keep in mind while you’re considering your options.
Overall, the LivingBasics Portable Ice Maker is our favourite choice in the budget-friendly ice maker arena. It isn’t perfect, but it makes a ton of ice every 24 hours, is incredibly easy to use, and is even more countertop-friendly than your average machine. It’s even super quiet as a bonus.
- Performance: 5/5
- Usability: 4.5/5
- Price: 5/5
- Quality: 4.5/5
What Reviewers Are Saying About the LivingBasics Portable Ice Maker
Reviewers are getting a lot of use out of their LivingBasics Portable Ice Makers. With the two ice sizes, they’re able to make the right kind of ice for drinks or packing coolers, which they love. The machine is very quiet aside from the noise of the ice dropping down, and they’re really happy with how quickly the cubes are made.
LivingBasics Portable Ice Maker Pros and Cons
Buy If…
- You need a quick supply of ice
- A quiet ice maker is ideal
- You’re short on counter space
- You’ll appreciate very basic controls
Don’t Buy If…
- You don’t want to be filling up the water tank all the time
LivingBasics Portable Ice Maker Specifications
- Dimensions: 8.7” x 11.6” x 11.4”
- Weight: 13.7 lbs
- Daily Production: 26.5 lbs
- Water Tank Capacity: 1.2 L
- Production Rate: 9 cubes every 6-12 mins
- Ice Sizes: 2
- Ice Shape: Bullet
- Ice Storage Capacity: 1.3 lbs
- Warranty: 1 year
How to Properly Choose Your Countertop Ice Maker
Price
Almost every countertop ice maker can be purchased for $300 or less, but some are as cheap as $100. In general, more expensive ice makers will have a larger production capacity, a faster production rate, and extras like app connectivity.
Ice Production Rate
The ice production rate of a countertop ice maker refers to how quickly it churns out a batch of ice. It generally varies between 5-7 minutes for small sizes of cubes and 8-15 minutes for larger sizes. If you frequently need ice on a last-minute basis, you’ll want to find a machine with a faster ice production rate.
Ice Sizes & Shape
Most countertop ice makers make ice in hollow bullet shapes, but a rare few can make traditional solid cubes. They can also vary the size of ice they make—generally, the cube-style machines can only make one size, but the bullet-style machines will offer at least two (if not three) sizes of ice to suit different occasions.
Water Tank & Ice Bin Capacities
The capacities of an ice maker’s water tank and ice bin should also come into play when you’re making a purchase decision. The water tank capacity can vary between 1 and 3 litres, generally, and the ice bin capacity is usually between 1 and 1.5 litres. A larger water tank means less frequent filling, and a larger ice bin means more ice can be produced before the machine shuts off.
