The Best Ice Machines For Home Bars

A good ice machine keeps drinks cold and can add an extra dimension to your party bar. The best ones produce enough ice to keep up with your guests, so you don’t have to worry about running out of ice at the peak of your party. You should also consider the ambient temperature where your ice machine will be operating because high or low temperatures can affect the quality of your ice.

There are a lot of different ice machines on the market, from freestanding models that require a dedicated water line and drain pipe to countertop units that sit on your counter and use a plug for a drainage hose. Some have a more expensive price tag for features like self-cleaning cycles, timers and the ability to adjust ice thickness (thicker ice melts more slowly).

We looked at several different types of ice makers and evaluated them for speed, performance and capacity as well as convenience and design elements. We rated each one for its ability to provide a large volume of quality ice in as little time as possible, taking into account the ambient temperature where it will be operated and whether the machine is air or water cooled.

Our picks for the best ice machines for home bars range from a sleek, black countertop machine that produces clear cubelets to a sophisticated GE model that makes “snow” and synchronizes with smartphone-enabled voice assistants. They have a range of bells and whistles to suit any lifestyle, but they all churn out great-tasting ice.    ice machine