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Bullet Ice vs Clear Ice Makers
The third pairing in the countertop triangle, and the one nobody writes about. One mechanism is built for speed, the other for density, and they are bad at each other's jobs.
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Quick picks
| # | Machine | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No photo Frigidaire EFIC452 90 to 120 W published, 14.1 inches tall, and ice that survives a drink. | Best for clear cubes | |
| 2 | No photo Silonn SLIM21 The smallest machine here, with a full published spec table. | Best for bullet ice |
#ad We earn a commission on purchases made through this link. How this is funded. Prices last checked September 2, 2026.
This site already compares nugget ice against bullet ice and nugget ice against clear cubes. This is the third side of that triangle, and it is the pairing people actually face once they have decided they do not want chewable ice: fast hollow cylinders, or slow dense cubes.
The two machines, on published figures
| Spec | Silonn SLIM21 | Frigidaire EFIC452 |
|---|---|---|
| Model | SLIM21 | EFIC452 |
| Ice type | Bullet | Clear cube |
| Rated output | 26 lbs/day [src] | 39.7 lbs/day [src] |
| Rated output per hour | Not published | Not published |
| Bin capacity | 1.32 lbs [src] | Not published |
| Published power | Not published | 120 W [src] |
| Nameplate current | 1.5 A [src] | Not published |
| Voltage | 115 V [src] | 115 V [src] |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 8.7 x 11.4 x 11.6 in (axes not labeled in the manual) [src] | 11.3" W x 14.8" D x 14.1" H [src] |
| Weight, empty | 13.7 lbs [src] | Not published |
| Clearance required | Not published | Not published |
| Operating range | 50F to 90F [src] | Not published |
| Refrigerant | Not published | R600a [src] |
| Noise | Not published | Not published |
| Warranty | 12 months [src] | Not published |
| Max $/mo | $3.73(nameplate) | $2.59(published W) |
Two different machines, doing opposite things
| Bullet | Clear cube | |
|---|---|---|
| How it freezes | Water is frozen onto chilled metal prongs, then released | Water is frozen gradually in a tray, pushing air and minerals out |
| Shape | Hollow cylinders, small or large | Dense transparent cubes |
| Speed | Fast — a cycle in minutes | Slow by design; hurrying it destroys the clarity |
| Melt rate | Fast. Hollow means high surface area | Slow. Dense and low surface area |
| Buy it for | Volume, coolers, iced drinks, portability | Spirits, cocktails, anything where dilution ruins the drink |
The physics under that table is worth one sentence, because it explains every row at once. Ice becomes cloudy when dissolved air and minerals are trapped as the water freezes. Freeze slowly and those impurities are pushed ahead of the ice front and end up concentrated in the last part to freeze, which is why clear-cube machines are slow and why a fast machine cannot make clear ice.
Melt rate is the difference you will actually notice
Everything about the ice you get follows from surface area. A hollow bullet cylinder has an outside and an inside, so it presents a great deal of surface to a warm drink. That makes it excellent at chilling something quickly and hopeless at staying intact.
A dense clear cube is the opposite. Less surface for the same volume means slower heat transfer in, which means the drink cools more gradually and then stays cold without turning to water. For a spirit-forward drink that is the entire point, and it is the reason bar programs care about ice at all. More on that on nugget ice for cocktails, which reaches the same conclusion from the other direction.
Neither machine keeps ice frozen once it is made. Both bins are insulated and unpowered, both melt, and on both the meltwater drains back to the reservoir to be frozen again. That is universal in this category and is covered on do countertop ice makers keep ice frozen.
The counterintuitive part: slow is cheaper
Frigidaire publishes 90 to 120 W for the EFIC452, which is the lowest published draw of any machine on this site. Silonn prints a working power of 160 W maximum with an ice-making current of 1.5 A, which this site treats as a ceiling rather than a consumption figure because of the less-than-or-equal sign.
People assume the slower machine must be the thirstier one. It is not. Making ice quickly means moving heat quickly, and moving heat quickly is what costs watts. The clear-cube machine takes its time and draws less doing it, and it is rated for more ice per day than the compact bullet machine anyway: 18 kg against 26 lbs.
Height decides more purchases than ice type does
A standard gap between a kitchen counter and the upper cabinets is about 18 inches. The EFIC452 is 14.1 inches tall, which clears that gap with room to open the lid, and it is the only machine on this site that does so without argument. The Silonn is smaller in every dimension again, at roughly 8.7 by 11.4 by 11.6 inches and 13.7 lbs.
So the practical hierarchy is: if it must live under cabinets, both of these work and most nugget machines do not. If it must also be carried, only the Silonn qualifies. Fitting numbers across the category are on nugget ice makers for small kitchens.
Cleaning, where they diverge sharply
The Silonn documents a 30-minute self-cleaning cycle started by holding ON/OFF/CLEAN for five seconds, and recommends running it weekly. The EFIC452 has no clean control at all — Frigidaire documents hand cleaning only, with diluted detergent, warm water and a soft cloth, plus periodic cleaning of the water separator pipe and filters.
That is a genuine ownership difference and it runs against the price order. The cheaper, smaller machine is the one that can flush its own water path. Which machines have a cycle and what each cycle does is compared on the self-cleaning roundup.
Which to buy
- Buy clear cubes if you drink spirits, make cocktails, or simply resent watery drinks. The density is the product, and the low power draw and under-cabinet height are bonuses.
- Buy bullet if you want ice fast, in a small machine, that you can move. Hollow cylinders chill a glass of water or a soda quickly and nobody minds that they melt.
- Buy neither if what you actually wanted was soft chewable ice. That is a third mechanism entirely and it is on the nugget roundup.
The picks in full
1. Best for clear cubes
Frigidaire Countertop Clear Ice Maker
Clear cubes rather than nugget or bullet, the shortest machine here, and the lowest published power draw of anything on the site.
- Rated output
- 39.7 lbs/day
- Bin capacity
- Not published
- Electrical
- 120 W published
- Ceiling at 4 hrs/day, $0.18/kWh
- $2.59/month (from published watts)
#ad We earn a commission on purchases made through this link. How this is funded. Prices last checked September 2, 2026.
90 to 120 W published is the lowest draw of any machine on this site, and it is a published consumption range rather than a nameplate.
14.1 inches tall is the only machine here that clears a standard under-cabinet gap without argument.
Twenty-four cubes per cycle and 18 kg a day. Clear ice melts slowly and dilutes a drink less, which is the entire reason to choose it over nugget.
Skip this if
You want chewable ice. Clear cube machines are slow by design — the clarity comes from freezing water gradually.
2. Best for bullet ice
Silonn Countertop Bullet Ice Maker with Handle
The smallest machine on this site and the only budget-brand one whose maker publishes a real specification table, including a documented 30-minute self-clean cycle.
- Rated output
- 26 lbs/day
- Bin capacity
- 1.32 lbs
- Electrical
- 1.5 A at 115 V (172.5 VA nameplate)
- Ceiling at 4 hrs/day, $0.18/kWh
- $3.73/month (from the nameplate ceiling)
#ad We earn a commission on purchases made through this link. How this is funded. Prices last checked September 2, 2026.
Silonn publishes what almost no other budget brand does: voltage, ice-making and ice-harvesting current, working power, rate, basket capacity, weight and size, all in one table.
The self-clean cycle is documented in the same manual — hold the ON/OFF/CLEAN button for five seconds, run 30 minutes on plain water, weekly. That is a longer cycle and a clearer frequency than either GE or Frigidaire commits to.
Silonn advertises a '35db low-noise design' on its product page. There is no test standard or measuring distance behind that number, so it is not recorded as a specification here and the noise field still reads Not published.
Skip this if
You want nugget ice or a bin that holds more than a couple of glasses. It makes hard bullet cubes and the basket is 1.32 lbs.
Questions people actually ask
What is the difference between bullet ice and clear ice?
Bullet ice is made by freezing water onto chilled metal prongs and then releasing it, which gives hollow cylinders quickly. Clear ice is made by freezing water gradually in a tray so that dissolved air and impurities are pushed out ahead of the ice front, which gives a dense transparent cube slowly. The mechanisms are different machines, not settings, and no countertop machine does both.
Which melts slower, bullet ice or clear ice?
Clear ice, by a wide margin. It is denser and has far less surface area for its volume, and surface area is what governs melt rate. Bullet ice is hollow, which is exactly why it chills a drink fast and then disappears. If dilution matters — spirits, a slow drink, a warm room — clear ice is the answer.
Is a clear ice maker slower than a bullet ice maker?
Yes, and necessarily so. Clarity comes from freezing slowly enough to push air and minerals out of the forming ice, so a clear-cube machine cannot be hurried without losing the thing you bought it for. The Frigidaire EFIC452 is rated at 18 kg per 24 hours with 24 cubes per cycle, against faster cycle times on bullet machines.
Which uses less electricity?
The clear-cube machine, which is the opposite of what most people expect. Frigidaire publishes 90 to 120 W for the EFIC452, the lowest published draw on this site. Silonn's SLIM21 prints a working power of 160 W maximum with an ice-making current of 1.5 A. Freezing slowly is a low-power activity; the speed is what costs energy.
Sources
- Frigidaire EFIC452 Use & Care Manual, p.10 (product specifications) (read 2026-09-02)
- Silonn SLIM21 Instruction Manual, p.11 (PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS) (read 2026-09-02)
- Silonn SLIM21 Instruction Manual, p.9 (Self-Cleaning) (read 2026-09-02)
- EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, June 2026 (read 2026-09-02)
Read next
- Frigidaire EFIC452
90 to 120 W published, 14.1 inches tall, and clear cubes that melt slowly.
- Silonn Countertop Ice Maker (SLIM21)
26 lbs a day, a 1.32 lb basket, a documented 30-minute clean cycle, and a 50F to 90F operating window.
- Nugget vs Clear Ice Makers
Chewable versus slow-melting. How each is made and which belongs in your glass.
- Nugget Ice vs Bullet Ice
Two mechanisms, two products. What actually separates chewable ice from hollow cylinders.
- Nugget Ice for Cocktails
Where nugget ice belongs behind a bar, and where a clear cube is the right answer.
- The Best Countertop Ice Makers
The whole countertop category ranked by ice type, with sourced specs and running costs.