Head-to-head · Best Portable Ice Makers

Frigidaire EFIC452-SS Clear Ice Maker vs Frigidaire Gallery EFIC255 Nugget

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Frigidaire Gallery EFIC255 Nugget comes out ahead by a narrow margin (3.5 vs 3.7). The gap is mostly about Budget-minded nugget-ice fans who want chewable pellets and high output and will accept more noise and durability risk to avoid the GE Opal's price. — read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #5 in Best Portable Ice Makers

Frigidaire EFIC452-SS Clear Ice Maker

3.5

2 sourcesall derived$159as of Aug 1

The Frigidaire EFIC452-SS is the clear-ice specialist here, making transparent square cubes instead of cloudy bullets or soft nuggets. IceArtisan rates it 3 out of 5 and IceMakerSpot 4 out of 5, both praising the clarity while noting the cubes emerge fused in sheets you have to break apart. Up to 40 lbs a day and a 2.3-quart tank suit a home bar; slower cycles and manual cleaning are the price.

Strengths

— Makes genuinely clear, square cocktail-grade cubes
— Up to 40 lbs a day from a generous 2.3-quart tank
— Two cube sizes with a first batch in about 15 minutes

Watch-outs

— Cubes come out fused in sheets that have to be broken apart
— No self-cleaning, so descaling is a manual job
— 15 to 18 minute cycles are slower than a bullet maker's

$159 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Higher ratedRanked #4 in Best Portable Ice Makers

Frigidaire Gallery EFIC255 Nugget

3.7

3 sourcesall derived$288.97as of Aug 1

The Frigidaire Gallery EFIC255 is the budget route to nugget ice, making chewable Sonic-style pellets at a fraction of the GE Opal's price with a high 44 lbs/day output. Reviewers are candid about what that costs you: it is loud, its pellets are harder than the Opal's, and it carries a low 3.1-star Amazon average with real durability complaints. Buy it if you want nugget ice cheaply and will accept the reliability and noise risks.

Strengths

— Makes chewable Sonic-style nugget ice for far less than the GE Opal
— High 44 lbs/day output with restaurant-style nuggets in ~15 minutes
— Clean, neutral-tasting ice from good filtration

Watch-outs

— Loud, with irregular growling operation noise
— Low 3.1-star Amazon average and notable durability complaints
— Nuggets are harder than the GE Opal's softer pellets

$288.97 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

Frigidaire EFIC452-SS Clear Ice Maker

The only clear-cube maker among these picks, producing presentation ice that differs from the bullet ice of the Frigidaire EFIC189 and Magic Chef MCIM22SV and the nugget ice of the GE Profile Opal 2.0 and Frigidaire Gallery EFIC255. It costs more and runs slower than the bullet makers but far less than the Opal.

Frigidaire Gallery EFIC255 Nugget

The budget nugget-ice maker, offering the same chewable format as the premium GE Profile Opal 2.0 but with harder pellets, more noise, and weaker reliability. Its higher daily output beats the Opal on volume, but it lacks the Opal's quiet operation and smart features. It makes a different ice type from the bullet Frigidaire EFIC189 and Magic Chef MCIM22SV and the clear-cube Frigidaire EFIC452-SS.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Frigidaire EFIC452-SS Clear Ice Maker	Frigidaire Gallery EFIC255 Nugget
Ice Type	Clear square cubes (2 sizes)	Nugget (chewable)
Output	Up to 40 lbs/day	Up to 44 lbs/day
Cycle Time	15-18 minutes	10-15 minutes
Water Tank	2.3 qt	—
Bin Capacity	2.4 lbs	3 lbs
Self-Cleaning	No (manual)	Yes (auto)
Noise	Quiet	Loud (growling)
Warranty	1 year	1 year
Dimensions	14"D x 11"W x 15"H	16.75"D x 11.75"W x 20.25"H
Wattage	120 watts	500 watts
First Batch	—	~15 minutes
Owner Rating	—	3.1 stars (Amazon)
Water Supply	—	Side tank + onboard reservoir
Footprint	—	Compact countertop
Controls	—	LED touch
Features	—	See-through lid, exterior drain

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