There are few things more elite than the tinkling sound of fresh ice pouring luxuriously into a glass. Sadly, not everyone is privileged enough to have an in-fridge ice-maker, and while those TikTok influencers with eight different freezers may have the time (and space) to pour, freeze and display several different shapes of ice cubes for their variety of beverages, some of us have lives to attend to!

But fear not, whether you’re having friends over for a craft cocktail or you just need to keep your early morning iced coffee cold, investing in a countertop ice maker–like the the Joy Pebble ($110; $85), GE Opal ($580; $545) or Gevi nugget ice maker ($500; $370)–will ensure you never run out of the good stuff. So sit back with a soon-to-be-iced drink as we walk you through our eight favorite options for countertop ice makers.

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There are a few things to consider when choosing the right countertop ice maker for you. If you’re tight on kitchen counter space, you might want to look for something small and compact. Maybe you, like the rest of America, are obsessed with Sonic nugget ice—in which case a nugget ice machine is going to change your life for the better. Got a huge family who can’t get enough of ice crunching? Opt for a countertop ice maker that can churn out up to 50 pounds of the stuff a day. Rest assured, no matter your lifestyle or icy needs, there’s a countertop ice maker out there with your name on it.

We scoured the internet, poring over the reviews, materials and sales records of a slew of countertop ice machines before picking out the top-rated and best-selling options. We also considered a range of sizes and price points, so you could find one that fits your budget, lifestyle and ice cravings.

You can, but unless you’re throwing 24-7 cocktail parties, you probably don’t need to. A countertop ice maker isn’t the same as a freezer, so if you turn it off, the ice will eventually melt and turn back into water. If you want to save energy, bag your fresh ice, throw it in the freezer for later, and turn off the ice machine until you need it.

To ensure you’re always getting the best quality ice, it is essential to regularly clean your countertop ice maker to avoid adding dirty or stale ice to your drinks. While the cleaning techniques will vary by machine, in general, you will first want to make sure your ice maker is unplugged. Drain or dump any remaining water from the reservoir, then take out all the removable pieces and wash them thoroughly with soap and water. Mix together water and vinegar and use this concoction to scrub down the inside of your ice maker, using a toothbrush to get hard-to-reach spots. For some extra cleaning power, make ice with the water and vinegar solution to ensure that every part of the ice machine is touched with the solution. Then dump the vinegar ice and rinse out the whole machine with water. Afterwards, you’ll be ready to serve up some ice-cold drinks.

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