I’ve Written About Nugget Ice Makers for 3 Years — These Are the 3 I Recommend for Every Budget

Micki Wagner
Micki Wagner
Before I decided to be a writer, I wanted to be a chef. My love of food started with watching Rachael Ray, Giada De Laurentiis, and Alton Brown on the Food Network when I would get home from middle school. Naturally, I made my way into the kitchen to try out the recipes I saw on…read more
published Jul 8, 2025
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Credit: Photo: Lucy Schaeffer; Food Styling: Nicole Rufus

One of the best parts of going to Sonic is getting a drink packed with nugget ice. It’s different from — and, to me, better than — standard ice because it’s more porous. So it has a chewier texture and can absorb all the flavors from my soda or lemonade. 

While I’m a big fan of nugget ice, I have yet to buy a nugget ice maker for my kitchen. I’ve written about them for the last three years, and I know that some models can go for as much as $649. That’s not exactly in my budget right now, so I went looking for a cheap countertop version that doesn’t sacrifice quality. 

I ended up finding three at Walmart — all come highly rated, have free shipping, and start at just $134.

EUHOMY Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
$134

I’m always considering how much a new kitchen appliance costs and the amount of counter space it will take up. This Euhomy Countertop Nugget Ice Maker is both compact and affordable. It’s about as wide as a small pizza and it’s the cheapest nugget ice maker I’ve ever come across at just $134.

Not to mention, you can get your nugget ice fast with this best-selling machine (the silver one is actually sold out at the moment). It begins pumping out ice in a speedy six minutes, and it can make as much as 34.5 pounds of ice in a single day, so gas-station ice runs can be a thing of the past. Plus, it has a built-in handle, which makes it easy to move between the kitchen and outdoors for summer parties.

$134 at Walmart
Auseo Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
$300$150

In terms of size and price, this Auseo nugget ice maker is also a great contender. It’s ever-so-slightly smaller than the Euhomy nugget ice maker, and pretty affordable at $150 (it’s on major sale — at a staggering 50% off right now!).

With this nugget ice maker, you’ll have enough ice to fill a glass for your favorite fruity soda or perhaps a classic Arnold Palmer in 10 minutes or so, although the first pebbles of ice will start popping out around six minutes. This machine comes in black and silver color options, although the black is currently $9 more.

$150 at Walmart
Qunler Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
$590$200

This sleek nugget ice maker is the splurgiest on this list at $200 (although, at 38% off it’s still a deal). It makes the most ice of any machine on this list — it pops out a whopping 44 pounds of ice in just a single day, with the first few pebbles forming in only 10 minutes.

There’s also 2.6-liters' worth of ice storage built into the machine, so you can keep nearly 11 cups of ice on deck for iced coffees, refreshing sodas, mocktails, cocktails, and more. Plus, this nugget ice maker has cool blue LED lights inside that look so sleek against the black and silver exterior.

$200 at Walmart

Which countertop nugget ice maker are you buying? Tell us about it in the comments below.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: 3 Cheap Nugget Ice Makers — Starting at Just $134

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