Portable Ice Makers

Portable ice makers are compact enough to fit on a countertop and fast enough to produce a batch of ice in under 10 minutes. If you are looking for an ice maker to supplement the one in your freezer or to take on vacations, this is the perfect model. A portable ice maker makes bullet-shaped ice, or cylindrical ice, and has a round hole in the middle. They don't require any permanent installation or a water line to run. Simply plug it in and add water. If you don't use all of the ice, it will melt and the ice machine will reuse it. Portable ice makers can typically produce up to 30 pounds of ice a day.

Under Counter Ice Makers

Under counter ice makers are specifically designed to be built into cabinetry and under counters. If you host parties often or have a large family that your freezer ice maker can't keep up with, then a built-in, residential ice maker is a great addition to the kitchen or home bar. They produce crescent-shaped ice cubes, just like freezer ice makers, and do require a water line in order to operate. Some built-in ice makers have a refrigerated storage area, but not all, so a drain line is also necessary for any ice that melts. Under counter ice makers range drastically in the amount of ice they can make in a day from 12 pounds to 70.

Clear Cube Ice Makers

Clear cube ice makers produce square-shaped ice that is restaurant-quality, meaning the water is distilled and contains no impurities. These types of ice makers are therefore more expensive than built-in or portable models, which don't distill the tap water they use to produce ice. Clear cube ice makers have a refrigerated storage bin so the ice won't melt, and they can make up to hundreds of pounds of ice in a single day.

A very popular type of ice is the nugget ice that can be found at fast-food chain Sonic. Unfortunately, nugget ice is produced by commercial ice makers, which can cost over a thousand dollars to buy. They are also quite large and could prove difficult if trying to place in one's home.