If you constantly use clear ice at home or in the office, the EdgeStar IB250SS ice maker is an excellent choice.

It can produce up to 25 lbs of ice per day and store 20 lbs of it in the bin.

The ice is clear and hard, the same kind you get at an upscale bar or restaurant. It’s perfect for drinks that you don’t want to be diluted by melting ice.

Read on for my full review of the EdgeStar IB250SS undercounter ice maker.  

If this is not the ice maker you are looking for, then see my list of the best undercounter ice makers for more options. 

For most families, a compact ice maker that produces between 10lbs and 20lbs of ice per day is enough. But for large homes or if you host guests often, you’ll need something bigger.

The EdgeStar IB250SS, with its 25lbs daily production capacity, is perfect for your needs. It’s also great for offices and venues.

Because it produces clear gourmet ice, it’s also ideal for use in restaurants and bars.  

The only slight downside is the installation. With portable and countertop ice makers, you just plug it in, add some water and wait for the ice.

The EdgeStar IB250SS is slightly more complicated since you need to set up a water line and drain it as well. So in addition to the purchase costs, you have to pay for a plumber to install it.

But once it’s installed, it’s fairly easy to use.

It looks good too with a beautiful stainless steel finish. I just wish it accepted custom panels. The only thing you can do is change the door’s orientation.

But it still looks great and blends nicely in any kitchen or home bar. It is invisible due to its type of installation and universal design.

The EdgeStar can make 25lbs of ice per day. That’s just about the same as other undercounter ice machines.

This is plenty for most homes. But if it’s not enough for your needs, consider buying a large ice maker such as the 65lb Sco​​​​​tsman CU50GA-1A or the 50lb SPT IM-600US.

The storage bin can hold up to 20lbs of ice and takes several hours to fill up. Once it is full, an automatic mechanism stops the ice maker from making more ice until you empty the bin.

If you need more than the 25lbs of ice at a time, e.g. if you have a home party, scoop the ice out (a plastic scoop is included) and store it in your freezer.

Unlike many other ice machines, which don't allow to leave the ice in the bin for too long, this unit operates as a freezer. It will keep the ice solid for as much time as you need, without melting.  

The EdgeStar IB250SS produces clear gourmet ice cubes.

This is the same kind of ice you get at a bar or restaurant. Its crescent-shaped ice is clear and is denser and harder than normal ice cubes.

The extra hardness and density makes it ideal for drinks that you want to chill without diluting such as whiskey, brandy and other premium drinks.

Aesthetically, the large clear ice cubes also look more elegant.

But you can also use the ice in whichever drink you want. But for certain drinks like margaritas and smoothies, I’d recommend you get a nugget ice machine which produces sonic-style soft chewable ice. 

The installation is the most involving bit. But you are not supposed to do it anyway so there’s no need to worry about it. Just get a certified plumber to properly install it for you.

Note that you don’t have to install it undercounter. You can also use it as a freestanding ice machine as long as there is water flowing in and you are able to drain waste water out.  

The door is reversible and the feet are adjustable, which gives you more flexibility when it comes to installation.

Using the ice maker is pretty easy. Just make sure the water is flowing and you’ve connected the power cable and then flip the switch to ICE. The machine will automatically start making ice cubes and dropping them into the bin.

Some customers discovered there is a hidden button at the back that you can use to adjust ice cube thickness to make it easier to break the sheet. The manual doesn’t mention any such setting so you have to go snooping around at the back yourself.  

Other than that issue of breaking the ice, most customers are happy with their purchase. They say the machine makes a lot of quality ice and is easy to use.

They also note how quietly it runs. Unless you are right next to it, you won’t hear the motor whirring or the ice cubes dropping into the bin.

If you think you’ll need a lot of ice cubes, either for your family or your frequent guests, the EdgeStar IB250SS is worth it.

The price tag is actually a bargain when compared to other undercounter ice makers especially those that make gourmet ice.

If you need a bigger or smaller clear ice maker, see our list of the best gourmet ice makers. It includes small portable models as well as large restaurant-grade machines.

While a bit pricey, the EdgeStar IB250SS proves its worth over time.

It’s easy to use, makes high-quality clear ice and will last for years without requiring much in terms of maintenance.

Whether it’s for your kitchen, your home bar or your office, this is one of the best undercounter clear ice makers.   

One of our top recommendations for most people is the Costway portable ice maker.

It’s a sleek little work hose capable of making up to 26.5 pounds of ice every day, which is plenty for most families.

It’s also enough for parties, small home events, and even a small office.   

And the price is excellent, at less than $150.

With a sleek, modern design, the Costway looks perfect on any kitchen counter, boat, RV or wherever you want to use it.

Unlike a built-in ice maker, you can move this one from room to room, or use it on your backyard deck or patio.

See our complete review below to decide whether this is the right unit for you. 

If you want alternatives to the Costway ice maker, then check out our reviews of other popular models.

It’s a close race between Ivation and other popular compact ice makers brands such as Igloo and Della. They are all attractive and share many of the same features.

But there is one thing that sets the Ivation ice maker apart: it’s portability.

If portability is important to you, then you’ll love this ice maker. You can carry it everywhere you want in a backpack, and make great ice for coctails if you have power socket and water.

Weighing just 17.5 lbs, this is one of the lightest portable ice makers you can buy.

So it's a pleasant surprise to learn it matches the production and storage capacity of other heavier portable ice makers.

The Costway ice maker punches above its weight.

Despite its compact size, it can produce up to 26.5 pounds of ice every day. That’s more than what you need for your daily cocktails or slushies. Even a large family can’t use all that ice in a day.

To make full use of the Costway’s capacity, you’d have to invite a few friends over for an evening carouse. Or carry the ice maker to a friend’s birthday party or wedding shower.

With more drinks to chill, the ice maker will have to work harder.

The Costway ice maker has another feature that makes it ideal for high-demand situations. It only takes 6 minutes to prepare another batch of ice cubes.

And the best part is that you don’t have to tell the machine to make more - or when to stop.

It also has a sensor that tells the machine when the ice bucket is full, which stops further production. As soon as you scoop some of the ice out, the machine automatically kicks back into action.

You just need to make sure there is enough water in the tank, and you can keep making ice all day long.

So whether you are home alone, enjoying chilled smoothies with the family or having a good time at a friend’s party, the Costway portable ice maker is good for all of them.

The ice maker is easy to use. Unlike a standalone ice maker, there is no setup involved. You don’t need to connect a water line or figure out the drainage. Just plug it in, add water to the tank and switch it on.

There are two buttons on the Costway that control everything.

One button is for switching the unit on/off. The second is for selecting your preferred ice cube sizes.

There are also two indicators. One lights up when there is no water and the other when the ice basket is full.

Note that you don’t always have to be there to make ice. You can leave the unit on in the morning and find ready ice cubes in the evening.

When the ice bucket gets full, it will stop making ice.

But since the ice cubes are not refrigerated, they will melt.

As the level of ice in the bucket falls, the ice maker kicks back into gear.

We've scanned the web to get others' opinions about this inexpensive ice maker.

A few owners have encountered  problems such as weird smells and unexpected breakdowns.

To get rid of smells, a thorough cleaning with vinegar or an ice maker cleaner is the answer (this is true for all portable ice makers, it's not a problem that is unique to the Costway).

As for the breakdowns, the Costway ice maker is not the most durable unit we've reviewed. 

We expect it to last two-three years of constant use.

But if you just want a cheap, light and high-capacity ice maker, the Costway is a good choice.

Most verified owners on Amazon happy with their purchase. Many noted that the unit produces more ice than they expected.

If you are looking for a more weather-resistant portable ice maker  for camping, road trips or your RV, then I suggest the Koldfront Portable Ice Maker.

But if you just want an ice maker to put in your kitchen or office, the Ivation is plenty good enough and will save you money.

You now have no excuse for those tedious trips to the store now and then.

There are plenty of affordable portable ice makers that will save you time and ensure you never run out of ice.

But the Costway high-capacity portable ice maker is one of the best around for the average kitchen or office. 

It’s small, it’s light, it’s easy to use and it produces more ice than you’ll most likely ever need.

It's also a great value, at less than $150.

If you are looking for a decent-quality, highly affordable portable sonic ice maker, then this unit by Tavata is a great choice. 

It is a small compact ice maker, weighing just 15.65lbs that can produce up to 26.5 lbs of ice per day.

It fits easily on your kitchen counter top, and you can also use it in a boat, RV or when camping.

It’s our top pick for a budget Sonic ice machine.  

It doesn't really produce perfect sonic ice, though it is close: it produces bullet-shaped ice that’s soft enough to chomp on with your teeth and is perfect for margaritas, ice tea, fruit juices, and cocktails.

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on a sonic ice machine for your home.

Sure, a pricey under counter ice maker is great, and all but you most likely don’t need 80lbs of ice every day. A good quality portable ice maker would probably serve you just as well.

The Tavata ice maker is one of the best and most popular portable ice machines. Measuring just 12.3 inches wide and 8.7 inches long, it will fit on just about any surface be it in your kitchen, your boat, RV by the side of the pool.

It’s also light enough (15.65lbs) that it’s no trouble lugging it around on your road trips and camping adventures.

It makes 26.5 lbs of ice every day, which is plenty enough for most families. The ice is bullet-shaped and pretty soft.

For the price, you are not going to get a better sonic ice maker. It does not make the crunchiest or softest nugget ice, but it comes pretty close.

The Tavata ice maker makes up to 26.5 lbs of ice per day. This is enough for most families and comes in handy if you are hosting a small function at home.

The ice maker produces about nine pieces of ice cubes every 6-9 minutes. This will be enough for 3 coctails or glasses of scotch.

If you are entertaining more people than usual, you can keep cranking out enough ice cubes to keep up with demand.

Note that the actual time it takes to make one batch of ice varies mostly depending on the room temperature. For best performance, keep the ice maker in a cool place.

Another thing to note is that this is not a refrigerator. While well insulated, it will not keep your ice in solid form forever. After time, the ice will start melting.

As I said, this is not the best nugget ice maker. The ice is not  as soft & chewable as you get at Sonic.

But it’s still soft enough that you can crunch it with your teeth. It also works well for any beverages that use nugget ice such as cocktails and margaritas.

The ice melts quite quickly, though, so don’t use it in drinks you don’t want to be diluted such as bourbon or whiskey.

The clearness of the ice will depend on the kind of water you use. Tap water tends to result in cloudy white ice while filtered water produces clearer ice with a cloudy center.

Using buttons on the control panel you can choose from two ice sizes: small and large. They are both around 1” long but differ in thickness.

The small size is perfect if you want more ice in your drink or want to put the ice in a bottle.

The large cubes are ideal for most drinks. Make sure you wash the ice maker (check the manual for instructions) before using it and then regularly after that. This prevents a stale or plastic smell on your ice.

This ice maker does not need any setup; no drain hose or water line. Place it on the counter, plug it in and run a cleaning cycle. Then it’s ready to use.

The control panel has indicators for power ON, Ice Full (when the bin fills up) and Add Water (when the water tank is empty). There is also a button for selecting your preferred ice size.

The ice basket is removable which makes it easy to transfer the ice to another container. Or you can just use the included ice scoop to add the ice cubes to your drink.

Customers generally love this Tavata ice maker. They say it’s easy to use and makes plenty of ice despite its conveniently compact size.

The main complaint I encountered was that the ice cubes are often wet. This is a problem if you decide to store them in the freezer. They will clump together, and you have to break them apart.

Some customers  say it’s a bit loud when the ice is dropping into the bin. But that’s only if you are in the same room where it is.

So you don’t have to worry that it will wake the baby or scare your pets. 

If you don’t need a lot of ice, then this portable ice maker is s great and surprisingly inexpensive solution.

It makes a lot of soft, chewable ice quickly.

Because of its compact size, it’s also handy if you are using it in cramped space such as a small kitchen or in an RV.

It produces fairly soft chewable ice, but if you need proper Sonic ice, this is not the best ice maker.

At the next level up in price, I highly recommend the Opal Nugget ice maker which costs around $500.

Or, if you really want perfect Sonic ice and LOTS of it, then buy one of the under counter nugget ice machines made by Ice-O-Matic or Scotsman. But you’ll pay for the privilege... 

The Tavata portable ice maker produces a decent amount of soft and chewy sonic-style ice without taking up much space.

It doesn’t require any setup, and maintenance is a breeze.

This is great buy if you are looking for a cheap but reliable ice maker.