Best countertop ice makers for home use

Top pick: GE Profile Opal 2.0 Nugget Ice Maker — the chewable "nugget" ice people actually want for home drinks, 38 lb a day, and it's the model with the longest track record. Worth knowing: its rating is only middling (3.9/5), so buy it for the ice, not the reviews.

Who the others suit:

• COWSAR 34 lb nugget — same soft nugget ice for far less; the value pick if you don't need the GE name.
• Euhomy Smart nugget — smaller footprint nugget maker for a couple or a bar cart.
• Antarctic Star Gen 2 nugget — newest generation, highest rating here, for nugget fans who want the latest.
• Newair 50 lb — biggest output and best-rated of the larger units; best for a busy kitchen or entertaining.
• Igloo self-cleaning / Frigidaire 26 lb / Mainstays / EDX / Simzlife — cheap bullet-ice machines for occasional use; fine for a few glasses a day, not for parties.
• VEVOR portable — basic bullet ice with a scoop and basket, for a dorm or small kitchen.

Nugget machines need more cleaning and cost more; bullet-ice units are simpler and cheaper but make harder, hollow cubes.