The HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker greatly speeds up the process of making ice, which has traditionally been a time-consuming process, and you’ll need to start well ahead of time if you anticipate needing ice. Whether preparing for a party or using ice to treat an injury, making ice isn’t always convenient, and store-bought bags are large and difficult to store, even with the best freezer in tow.
This HiCOZY ice maker is advertised as being able to make ice in just five minutes. It features a sleek countertop design and makes nugget ice, suitable for use in drinks, making ice cream, preserving food, and more. The ice maker features an Eco and Cycle mode, and it can be used independently or attached to your kitchen’s water line. With its efficient compressor, the ice maker is marketed as being able to produce up to 55 pounds of ice per day.
We thoroughly tested and reviewed the HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker in a home setting. We evaluated everything from the packaging to the cleaning to the ice-making modes. During the testing process, we timed the ice maker, measured its volume, and determined just how much ice it could make in an hour and in a day. The ice maker performed impressively during our tests, and we think it could be an excellent addition to homes and kitchens.
HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker: Product specifications
- Type of product: Countertop ice maker
- Material: Stainless steel
- Capacity: 3.97 pounds
- Power: 220 watts
- Dimensions: 14.2” deep x 9.6” wide x 16” high
- Weight: 28 pounds
- Number of settings: 2
- Self-cleaning? Yes
- Warranty: 1 year
HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker: price and availability
The HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker is available to buy on Amazon for $399.99. It is one of the more expensive countertop ice makers available with its competitors retailing for anything between $40 to $400, but we think the HiCOZY Ice Maker also offers some clear advantages compared to other brands when it comes to output and the size of the ice created.
HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker: first impressions
The HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker looks and feels like a quality machine. Its stainless steel finish is sleek and easily wipes clean. The ice bin’s clear design is illuminated by a blue light when in use, so the ice maker would naturally fit into a home bar or kitchen setting. A single button on the front of the machine contributes to its modern, aesthetically pleasing look.
This ice maker includes attachments that allow you to connect it to a water line in your kitchen, but you can also fill it by hand and use it independently of a water line. A plastic ice scoop is included, and the machine features a drain plug on the backside so that you can easily drain any water.
The machine features an Eco and a Cycle mode. When in Eco mode, the ice maker stops producing ice after the ice-making cycle is complete. In the Cycle mode, the ice maker continually makes ice in cycles, ensuring that there is enough ice in the basket. The Eco mode would be suitable for making ice for a couple of drinks, while the Cycle mode would be more appropriate when having a party and supplying ice for drinks over a multi-hour period.
A simple switch on the back of the ice maker allows you to switch between the two modes. There is also a power button on the back. A square button on the front of the machine allows you to start and stop the ice-making process. The button is illuminated by different colors throughout the process, and the colors can indicate messages like the ice basket is full or the machine needs more water.
HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker: user experience
The HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker shipped double-boxed. While the exterior box was heavily scuffed and torn in places, the interior box was largely in good condition, except for one small dent and puncture in the top.
The machine was bubble wrapped and packed in two large pieces of styrofoam, which protected it from any damage. It was tightly packed and somewhat difficult to remove from the box, but having a second person would have helped with this.
The user manual and product use guide are printed on quality paper and were neatly packed in an envelope. The manual is full of detailed diagrams, is well-organized, and is easy to use.
Assembling the ice maker was very easy. After removing the protective covering, assembling the machine was as simple as placing it on a countertop, inserting the ice bucket, and plugging in the machine. (Since I do not have a water line connected to my fridge, I did not connect the ice maker to a water line. However, the instructions are detailed and clear, and connecting the machine to a water line doesn’t appear to be difficult.)
Overall, the machine was easy to use. I filled it with water using a small measuring cup, which is slightly awkward. Being able to remove the water tank to fill it would be more convenient. The single-button design simplifies the use, and I appreciated the fact that a color code explainer is located right on top of the ice maker, so you can quickly identify what the color displays indicate.
I tested the ice maker in both the Eco and the Cycle mode. I found a slight noise difference between the modes. The Eco mode is very quiet, reaching 58.5 dBA, which sounded similar to a quiet refrigerator hum. The Cycle mode was slightly louder, reaching 65.5 dBA, but still wasn’t unpleasantly loud. Either mode could run in the background of a party without distracting from being able to speak with your guests.
Since the main difference between the modes is that the Cycle operates in periodic cycles and the Eco mode just produces ice for a single cycle, we found that both modes produced the same amount of ice at approximately the same speed.
After starting the ice maker in either mode, the machine hums for 5:10 seconds. At the 5-10 second mark, it starts to release ice into the ice basket. After 17 minutes, the machine produced two cups of ice, and after 30 minutes, it produced 3.75 cups of ice. When running continuously for an hour, the machine made 7.75 cups of ice, weighing 2 pounds, 5.5 ounces.
While we didn’t run the machine all day, based on its tested output, it would be capable of making approximately 186 cups of ice, weighing 58 pounds, 2 ounces. That predicted output exceeds the marketing claim of the machine being able to produce 55 pounds of ice per day.
The ice nuggets are dime-sized, and they could be excellent not only for drinks, but for adding to water bottles with narrow mouths, ice packs for first aid, and smaller coolers for keeping foods cool. Because of their small size, the ice nuggets are very easy to chew, and they don’t have the hard texture or create the squeak against your teeth that traditional ice cubes do.
While the smaller nugget size is convenient, the ice produced was also wetter than what results from freezing an ice cube tray. The water drains into the bottom of the ice bucket, and it does get all over the counter when you remove the bucket. The smaller cube size was ideal for immediate use in drinks, but when I froze ice to use it later, it froze into a large clump that was difficult to break up.
HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker: care and maintenance
HiCOZY recommends cleaning the ice maker at least once per week. The interior and water tank can be cleaned with a wet, soft cloth. This is somewhat awkward, and not being able to remove the water tank for a more thorough cleaning is a disadvantage. The baffle and filter cover can also be wiped clean.
Cleaning the interior tube requires adding citric acid and water to the water reservoir, then starting the machine in cleaning mode. The cleaning process takes about three minutes, and the water must be drained from the machine after cleaning. Then, the reservoir must be filled with clean water, and the cleaning mode should be operated two to four times before draining the water.
The ice maker body can be wiped down with a commercial stainless steel or granule-free liquid cleaner. Then, it can be dried with a soft cloth. I haven’t found a need to use any cleaner on the exterior, but found that it easily wipes clean with a soft towel.
While the refrigerant within the ice maker can’t be replaced, HiCOZY reports that the ice maker’s lifespan is as long as five years with good maintenance.
HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker: what the experts say
Dave Bringer, appliance expert and owner of Bringer Appliance Repair, explains that countertop ice makers are ideal for several reasons. “Countertop ice makers produce more ice,” he explains. “The regular ice maker that comes with your refrigerators and freezers gives about three to 10 pounds of ice per day. But a standalone ice maker can produce a remarkable 20 to 50 pounds daily.”
Bringer explains that the HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker offers many benefits. “The HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker is a really great ice maker brand that I personally find to be well worth the hype,” he says. “It is clean and efficient and takes away the hassle of the extra trip to the store for more ice.”
He explains that the nugget-sized ice the ice maker produces is usually lighter and makes for a more crunchy feel than regular-sized ice. The ice maker’s speed is also an advantage, and he notes that the stainless steel casing also reduces the chance of the machine being damaged.
While there’s a lot to like about the ice maker, Bringer notes that its price can be a downside. “Some people find it to be expensive compared to regular ice makers,” he says. “But I think that if you compare the advantages it has over the rest in terms of capacity, durability, and timing and the ease it brings to your life, it might be well worth the cost.”
Should I buy the HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker?
With its ability to start producing ice in just five minutes, and the potential to make up to (or beyond, according to our test results) 55 pounds of ice per day, the HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker puts in a truly impressive performance. Features like its self-cleaning capability make it easy to use, and the nugget-size, chewable ice is a versatile choice for drinks, food preparation, first aid, and more.
While the ice maker is one of the more expensive models available, it’s worth the purchase for households that use large amounts of ice frequently. It could be an excellent addition to a home bar, a great appliance to have on hand when hosting parties, and a valuable choice for anyone who prefers the softer, chewable ice that you often find at fast food restaurants.
How does the HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker compare?
The HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker is one of many countertop ice makers available, but it offers some distinct advantages over other models. The Igloo Large-Capacity Countertop Ice Maker retails for $109.99, but it only produces 33 pounds of ice in 24 hours. The ice maker also produces larger ice cubes, which aren’t as versatile as the nuggets that the HiCOZY produces.
At $214.11, the Frigidaire Countertop Cruncy Chewable Nugget Ice Maker is closer to the HiCOZY in price. It produces 44 pounds of ice per day, which is less than the HiCOZY. The Frigidaire model also takes 15 minutes to start making ice, while the HiCOZY starts to produce ice in just five minutes.
The HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker costs less than the GE Profile Opal 2.0, which retails for $579. The GE Profile Opal features WiFi and voice control capabilities, but it only produces 24 pounds of ice per day, which is significantly less than the HiCOZY’s production capabilities.
How we tested the HiCOZY Nugget Ice Maker
Paige reviewed the product’s packaging and condition after being shipped. She evaluated the assembly and cleaning processes and tested the performance of both operation modes.
During the testing process, she reviewed the ice maker’s performance, including confirming whether marketing claims about speed and production capacity were accurate.
Read more about how we test
First reviewed: July 2023
