Kitchen
Appliances and tools that earn their place on the counter.
- Espresso Machines
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Buying guides
Best Frozen Drink Machines
Frosé, frozen margaritas, and slushies on demand — we researched the leading frozen-drink machines to find the ones worth the counter space. The big divide is how they make the cold: compressor machines freeze the drink itself (no ice), while party machines shave bagged ice for speed. Here are our picks for each.
2 picksBest Nugget Ice Makers
Soft, chewable "good ice" is the reason nugget ice makers went viral. We researched the leading countertop machines — comparing ice quality, output, reliability, and price — to find which ones are worth it. The short version: one maker still makes the best ice, but a cheaper rival gets you most of the way.
Reviews
Best for PartiesMargaritaville
Margaritaville Tahiti
The Margaritaville Tahiti is the party machine: three 24-oz pitchers blend at once and a motorized chute shaves and distributes ice, so it can pour a round of frozen margaritas faster than any single-blender setup. It is built for throughput and bar-style fun. The downsides are that it is enormous and loud, needs bagged ice (it does not freeze drinks itself), and its plastic pitchers are a weak point at this price.
Best Frozen Drink MakerNinja
Ninja SLUSHi
The Ninja SLUSHi is the frozen-drink machine that finally makes home slushies effortless: its RapidChill compressor freezes the drink itself, so there is no bagged ice to shave and no blender to babysit. Five presets cover everything from frosé to milkshakes, and it holds drinks at slush temperature for hours. The catches are size (it is big and heavy), a one-year warranty, and a learning curve on the sugar/alcohol ratio.
Best Value Nugget Ice MakerFrigidaire
Frigidaire EFIC255 Nugget Ice Maker
The Frigidaire EFIC255 is the value play in nugget ice: it makes the same craveable chewable pellets as the GE Opal — reviewers say you genuinely cannot taste the difference — for roughly $150 less, with higher daily output. The trade-offs are real, though: it is louder, has no app or WiFi, and its long-term reliability and support are notably weaker, with owner ratings sliding as units age.
Best Nugget Ice MakerGE Profile
GE Profile Opal 2.0
The GE Profile Opal 2.0 is the machine that made countertop nugget ice a phenomenon, and it is still the one to beat — the softest, most craveable chewable ice of any home maker, plus a SmartHQ app to schedule batches and a side tank that cuts refills. What holds the score back is ownership: it is expensive, the one-year warranty is thin, GE does not repair its small appliances, and owners have to stay on top of cleaning to avoid mold.
Comparisons
For most people the Ninja SLUSHi wins — it freezes drinks itself with no bagged ice and fits everyday use — but the Margaritaville Tahiti is the better machine if you mostly pour for a crowd.
See the breakdownThe GE Opal wins overall on app smarts, quieter operation, and a better support path — but the Frigidaire makes near-identical ice for about $150 less, so value buyers should look hard at it.
See the breakdownIs it worth it?
Are Frozen Drink Machines Worth It?
A frozen drink machine is worth it if you will actually use it — for frequent entertainers and households that crave frosé, slushies, or frozen margaritas on demand, a dedicated machine delivers a smoothness a blender simply cannot, with far less effort. If you picture it coming out twice a summer, it is a large, single-purpose appliance that will spend most of the year in a cabinet, and a blender with ice will do. The honest deciding factor is frequency, not capability.
Worth It for SomeIs the GE Opal Worth It?
If you genuinely love nugget ice and will use it daily, the GE Opal is worth it — it makes the best chewable ice of any countertop machine and adds app scheduling. But it is a flawed champion: an honest look at the price, the thin warranty, and a near-identical $150-cheaper rival makes it a "worth it for some" rather than an easy yes.