Keeping drinks cool for a crowd can be a logistical nightmare in barbecue season. But fear not: the best ice machines will ensure your guests are sipping cold beers and frosty G&Ts.
These American appliances are fairly new to the UK market, so there are few available. While it might sound slightly extravagant to get an ice maker just for the occasional summer garden party, as with many other handy kitchen gadgets, you’ll soon find plenty of uses for these cool appliances.
From daily soft drinks to cocktail evenings, an unlimited supply of clean, clear ice cubes can come in handy. If you like to serve seafood platters at dinner parties, meanwhile, you’ll have ice aplenty to keep oysters and prawns nice and fresh.
Ice machines are consistent and quick, producing batches of cubes in a few short minutes, rather than hours. They’re easy to operate – just fill the tank with water, choose your preferred ice size and let the machine work its magic, rapidly cooling water into perfect ice cubes.
Once you see how quick the process is, you might start to wonder how you ever got by without an ice machine. Scroll on for our pick of the best.
How we tested
All the ice makers in this feature were tested in the same kitchen, using regular tap water. We evaluated each machine on how quickly it made ice, the quality of the ice produced, how easy the machine was to use, and the overall design.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Alicia Miller is an award-winning travel and food writer who has tested everything from the best skillets to the best rice cookers for IndyBest. In her reviews, Alicia shares her honest opinions and will only recommend products she believes are worth your money.
The best ice machines for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Caso icechef compact ice cube maker: £119.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Iceman ice maker: £79.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best mid-range option – Baridi ice cube maker: £135.99, Wayfair.co.uk
- Best for large parties – Gastroback ice maker bartender pro: £229.90, Gastroback.co.uk
- Best for shaved ice – KitchenAid shave ice attachment: £98.95, Kitchenaid.co.uk
Caso icechef compact ice cube maker
This was by far our favourite ice machine, a perfect balance of quality, output and good looks at a sensible price point.
Both small and large ice ‘bullets’ came out nice and even, with batches taking an average of about eight minutes to freeze during testing, but it could do it in as little as six. We liked the fact that the icechef is slim and compact, so we didn’t have to sacrifice too much counter space, but it was still capable of producing an impressive 12kg of ice in 24 hours. At just 6.6kg, it’s relatively light, so it’s easy to transport to a friend’s barbecue. The built-in handle makes it a breeze to carry, too.
Of all the ice makers we tried, we also liked the look of this one the best. Its matte black exterior was easy to clean and blended well with other kitchen appliances on our countertop. While this isn’t the cheapest or quietest option on test, there’s nothing else to fault this handy little machine. It will serve you well whether mixing margaritas for a crowd or chilling a bucket of beers at a garden party.
Buy now £119.99, Amazon.co.uk
Iceman ice maker
We found that this perfectly-sized machine made ice just as well as the more expensive models we tested. We liked that the Iceman was particularly intuitive to work, and unlike some other machines we used, it had a dedicated cleaning cycle button. We also loved the clear LED display. Even people who have never seen the machine before (or who may have enjoyed a couple of margaritas beforehand) could work it without issue.
There’s a detachable handle so you can carry the machine to a friend’s party, for example, and it’s pretty quiet, emitting just a gentle hum during the freezing process. The reason this model didn’t snag the top spot is that it produces slightly less ice in 24 hours than the Caso – 10kg compared with 12kg – and its speediest freeze time is slightly longer (seven minutes rather than six).
Buy now £79.99, Amazon.co.uk
Baridi ice cube maker
This high-quality electric ice cube maker can produce up to 12kg of ice in 24 hours. Much heavier than the Caso and the Iceland (8.25kg heavier, to be precise), it’s a little less portable but cuts a fine figure on your countertop with its gentle curves. We found that it made clear and evenly shaped bullet ice, and we particularly liked how large its serving ‘window’ was. This made it easy to scoop out ice, as well as see at a glance how much ice was ready to go.
The machine is marginally more complex to operate than some other models – for example, it requires a particular series of button pushes if you need to set the cleaning cycle or want to change between small and large bullets of ice. On the flip side, this is a machine that feels built to last.
Buy now £135.99, Wayfair.co.uk
Gastroback ice maker bartender pro
If you often throw large parties, this professional-grade ice maker will help keep things cool. Notably larger than other ice machines we tested, the Gastroback has the size and oomph to churn out nine ice cubes every 7-15 minutes (depending on ambient temperature), and up to 15kg of ice in 24 hours.
You can leave it to do its thing for longer periods before having to refill the 2.8l water tank – or transfer finished cubes out of the catch tray (all machines stop producing ice when the trays reach capacity). That means you can maximise the amount of ice you have ready to go at any given time, which is handy if you’re powering through rounds of cocktails or refilling drinks buckets. The machine’s quiet, while the stainless-steel exterior makes it easy to clean.
However, this machine is huge. You can see in the testing image above that it’s twice the size of the other ice makers we used. Realistically, this model will be too big and heavy (it weighs more than 11kg) for the average person’s home use. It’s best suited to those with a garage, laundry room or basement, because it’s too large to fit most kitchens. However, if you often cater to a crowd, this ice maker could come in handy.
Buy now £229.90, Gastroback.co.uk
KitchenAid shave ice attachment
Love frozen daiquiris, slushies, granitas, or Hawaii-style shaved ice? This is the gizmo for you, as it churns out very fine, snow-like shaved ice as well as slightly coarser flakes. Before you get too excited, though, we should note it’s not a stand-alone machine – instead, it’s sold as an attachment for the KitchenAid artisan stand mixer ( £449, Kitchenaid.co.uk).
To use the attachment, simply fill its accompanying puck-shaped cups with water and pop them in the freezer to harden before attaching the shave ice head and ice puck to the front of your KitchenAid mixer. The stand mixer’s motor powers the attachment’s blades, which shave down the ice puck to your preferred consistency, with one block making enough for a cocktail or two. If you already have the KitchenAid appliance, this add-on is great fun to use, but it’s unhelpful if you don’t have a stand mixer.
Buy now £98.95, Amazon.co.uk
The verdict: Ice machines
When it comes to value for money, the Caso icechef compact ice cube maker came out on top. It proved effective, portable, and stylish, and it comes at a good price point. However, if your budget’s a bit tighter and you don’t need quite the same volume of output, the Iceman is an excellent buy, too.
Want more recommendations? Read our review of the best hand mixers
