FRIGIDAIRE EFIC452-SS 40 Lbs Extra Large Clear Maker, Stainless Steel, Makes Square Ice

10/2025- UPDATED 5 year review!! (Probably the last unless it hits 10 years) Bumping to five stars as well due to longevity. Updated review of the update. I may have messed up my latest update so I guess I have to start over. Here we go. I’m one month shy of FIVE years, but due to the recent dramatic drop in price, I felt inclined to chime in. My experience is probably not the norm, considering all the horror stories I hear. But here we are. I recently experienced a scare after cleaning the unit and it acting strange. Left it unplugged for a couple of hours and it went right back to making ice! If I had to do it all again, only bottled water. My filtered tap doesn’t cut it. Cleaning is still a pain. Bought a cleaning kit and the brush pulled out some horrific stuff. Seriously, clean this thing like it’s a full time job! This thing just keeps on making the ice! I think that whatever machine you get, buy the insurance. Remember, my first machine leaked, and this one appeared used. Good, or bad, this ice maker has brought me more joy than just about anything else I own. Well, that’s all folks. Stay frosty! UPDATED 2 1/2 year review (7-23) I've now had my unit for just over 2 1/2 years and still going strong. It's used pretty much every day with a rare day off. One of the things I wanted to correct from my earlier review (that i realized shortly after and had a 'duh' moment) is that I was wanting a way to only make X amount of ice. I had been just adding X amount of water to achieve that and right after leaving the review realized I just kept over looking that timer button. DOH! Now, on to an update: It's still a pain to clean. I occasionally think that the bullet style makers would be better as the Ice sheets need to be broken up if using smaller glasses or cups. The thicker you make the ice the harder it is to break up, especially while still in the machine. Took awhile to figure out, but it seems the coating on the metal part that forms the cubes is flaking off and has to be cleaned out. Occasionally it needs to be unplugged to 'reset' as it will not respond every so often after clearing ice when it shows full. You also need to have it plugged in to fully drain all water in the reservoir. But these things are trivial, I only mention them so others have a full understanding and can compare accordingly. Overall, I still enjoy this machine very much. The minor annoyances are nothing compared to having fresh cold ice relatively quickly. I especially consider myself lucky when I see so many others have their units fail frequently, which is something that would make me consider a much cheaper unit. Also, consider getting a larger scoop that the one that comes with it. Also, remember the scoop is almost useless when the ice is still in thick sheet form, so maybe consider getting a pair of tongs to go with it. ------------------ I have now had this for 7 months and found a more than a few pros and cons. I'll get the company, and not the machine, related stuff out of the way right now. First unit I was sent leaked water from some spot and at first I wasn't sure if this was condensation or what. I returned the first unit because whether or not that was a defect I wasn't going to use a machine that leaked all over the counter no matter what. Second machine arrived and NO leaking at all. So the first unit was in fact defective. However, second unit was obviously a USED machine! I kept the second machine (maybe a poor choice) because it at least did not leak, and the 'used' factor was only noticeable really due to the water spots and a bit of grime in the reservoir. Nothing major, just a good cleaning before any real use, was required. Let's start with the pros: Clear ice (keep that machine clean though) Sheets of ice that last (melting is slow) Adjustable time to make thicker sheets (cubes) I run this a few hours every day. 7 months, every, single, day. Cons: Most noticeable is the cleaning factor. I have smallish hands for a guy and I still can't reach areas well enough to give this thing a deep clean. That's really it for cons I suppose. There are some things I can nit pick if anyone cares. Read on if that's the case. Included scoop is useless. This thing makes 'sheets' of ice that laugh in the face of this minuscule scoop thingy. (not a big deal, but if this kind of thing is important to you, maybe just buy one of those bullet ice machines) Other people seem to know how much ice this can make with X amount of water. I, however do not. So I would love an option to select X amount of sheets (this thing makes sheets of ice remember) to be made. Description says it runs on 120watts. Really? I didn't test this with a Kill-o-Watt yet, but I did try and use it with two different portable battery packs that could not handle the initial load. So this thing must spike well over 300watts (seriously, 120watts ??) and only consumes the stated 120 when it's in the 'hey, about to dump this sheet of ice out' stage, or they simply meant it runs on 120v. I'll need to test this for off grid use. Overall this is a great machine. I'm listening to it in the 'I'm about to dump this sheet of ice out' stage right now as I type. I did encounter a defective initial machine, then the 'here, have a used one' after that, but I am still happy with my purchase. I don't remember the exact reason I chose this over the 'bullet' style machines, but I think it was based on output(?). However, I think I would have been happy either way. Those bullet machines put out individual cubes, which would make the included scoop in this machine actually useful! This machine puts out 'sheets' of ice that you can break up if storing in your freezer or whatever. Personally, I use them in my tumblers. One sheet fits well when broken in half. Solid sheets seem to last longer when used in a cooler for other stuff. I think this all comes down to personal preference but honestly you could simply go with which ever unit was cheaper and be just as happy. Hope this helps someone reach a decision. Once I get my solar set up in place and see how this machine fits in I'll update my review.

Review is for the Frigidaire EFIC452-SSRED XL Maker, Makes 40 Lbs. of Clear Square Ice Cubes A Day So I just received this today....we have been using a Frigidaire brand "bullet" style ice maker and it just can't keep up with our ice consumption, this....despite a fridge/freezer with two ice makers....go figure. Got this, Red one....rinsed it out, cleaned everything, and filled all the way with water. I figured, since I had to wait at least one hour for the oil in the compressor to settle, I would give it a good cleaning, and run water through it. Put the end over the sink, removed the drain plug and ... NOTHING. No water is draining. NOTHING AT ALL, despite the reservoir being completely full of water. Must be clogged, or the tube from the reservoir must be blocked or pinched. Checked the manual. Nothing to do except take out the drain plug. (there is a screw on cap, then a silicone "plug"...yep I removed it) So, what to do. I figured it must be a twisted or blocked tube, SO I TOOK THE WHOLE BACK METAL COVER OFF, so I could take a look at the tubes and see if there was a block. Its not hard to take off the metal cover....10 screws and then shimmy it off. Be careful. The metal is thin and sharp. Looked around....NO water in any of the tubes, despite it being full. Checked the drain "filter" in the reservoir and took it out, just in case. Nope, no water coming out. Checked all the tubes. Not blocked. GUESS WHAT IT WAS?? I plugged in the ice maker, just in case....NOTHING is said in the manual. The pump started working right away, and VOILA! water started running out the back drain, which was still open. Apparently to fully drain this, you must have it plugged in...(I didn't turn it on, just plugged it in) I believe the pump will close the lines so it can't drain, once it is shut off. NOTHING IN THE MANUAL TELLS YOU THIS!!..So if this happens to you, don't return it because it won't drain. Just plug it in, and it will start draining after the plug is taken out. Hope this little trick helps you. Now onto the ICE. First batch set on +4 took like over 20 minutes, and it makes pretty thick ice at this setting. Changed it to 0 and it took about 15 minutes. We use chilled, filtered water in our fridge, since using cold water makes ice faster, so the machine doesn't need to chill it down as much. The way this ice machine works is the water from the reservoir is constantly dripped over the square metal grid, which is chilled by the ice maker. This means that the all the water in the machine is constantly "cycled" over this grid, bringing the temp down on all the water. Might as well start with chilled water to help the process. Even on a setting of 0 the ice coming out of this machine is thick and clear for the most part. Love it so far. Its not "loud" but its constant "on" like a mini fridge, until it cycles when the ice is ready. Because of the thickness of the sheet of ice that dumps out, its quite loud when it dumps. I love that it dumps in a sheet. This makes it super easy to bag it up in sheets for storage to use later. This ice is SOLID, and since its clear, it doesn't have hardly any air in it, unlike the bullet style ice makers. This thing is going to get a lot of use, so will see how long it lasts. The price is about double what you would pay for the bullet ones, but so far I think its worth it. Time will tell. *Update* 10/6/22 - well...its been a few days of almost constant use. The ice that this makes is almost clear....for the most part it is, and its SOLID ice, not full of air and cloudy. The bullet style ice makers, make ice with a lot of air in the ice, so that ice doesn't last too long, melts fast. This ice makers ice lasts a good long time, probably double the amount of time for the same "amount" of ice than the bullet ones. The only down sides I can see with this ice maker is...1. that loud noise when the ice "drops" out of the grids. Its pretty loud when it lands in the "bucket" when there is little to no ice in there. Once you get a couple of drops of ice in there, then its almost silent when it drops. 2. You could view this as a negative and or positive. The ice drops most times in a sheet, that you then need to break up. I don't mind this....makes for easy storage. To break it up, we put it in a zip lock bag and then just bash it. It breaks right away, and I don't mind doing this extra step, since the ice lasts so long, and you can get long strands of ice too that fit nicely in your flask or large cup etc. This machine is a little larger than the bullet type, so keep that in mind. I tried +4, 0 and -4 for ice settings, and didn't notice any difference in the ice made, so now just leave it on a default setting of 0. Plug it in, fill with chilled water, and hit the power button and thats it. You don't need to use chilled water, and often times I will put some ice in the water, just to keep it colder in the beginning, to speed up the first batch, which seems to take the longest. Recommended. We have lots of ice now, and with this running, can stock up. *UPDATE* - Love this ice maker. First batch takes a while to chill down the water, but the amount of solid ice you get out of this is a big WIN. Solid ice "cube sheets", but very easy to break up.The ice lasts a good long time in drinks, since the ice doesn't contain much air, since its clear. Just get this. I don't think you will be disappointed!! I still get startled when the ice drops....LOL! *UPDATE 12/12/22* Have had this a while now, and use this almost daily. This ice maker is a WIN! The ice lasts a good long time, and even if you let it run until the bin is full, not that much ice melts in the bin. We do this and then bag it, check the water - add whats needed and continue on making ice. Couple of TIPS- While the ice maker cycles all the water in the machine from the top reservoir where you add fresh water, drips over the grid, then drops into the bottom holding bin to be sucked up and cycled over the grid again, this ice maker will not pull water and empty the bottom holding bin. If you forget to empty the ice from the bottom, and all that ice melts into the bottom holding bin, I have found that it will stay full of water. So don't panic, just start scooping the water from the bottom bin, into the top bin manually to lower the level to under the Ice bin, then continue to make ice. Haven't had any issues with this ice maker yet. *time for another update* 10/26/24...wow its been over 2 years of use and still going strong. This machine makes a lot of ice, and we use it almost daily. I have been using filtered water always, but still clean it about every 6 months, if I notice the water leaving residue. Cleans up very easily with this product: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BCJQ5SZX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 This stuff is a win! Easy to use, I dump it in and let it sit a while, then just run the machine like normal, letting the water solution circulate and make ice. I make ice for a couple batches, and keep running water through the machine...once the ice becomes clear again, then I fill up the reservoir and empty from the drain plug. I do this a couple of times, then all done. Of course this type of ice maker is loud when the ice drops, but other than that, it has lasted very well for us in almost constant operation.

I bought this product over 3 years ago and it still works well. It can get quite noisy, which requires pushing the lid to the side to quiet. It does require cleaning, which is a bit of a hassle and something I don't do enough. However, I have no significant complaints about the ice it produces. It produces plenty of ice, and I can usually break it up easily with my hands, but when it needs more, I use this metal scoop: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0043XT466?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_15&th=1 I've had several ice makers over the years, and this one has lasted the longest, by far.

This is one of the best counter ice makers I’ve had. I holds more ice than other ice makers I’ve had in past and it makes real ice not those hollow bullet ice things that melt fast. The speed it makes the ice is impressive. I was so impressed I even bought another one in case anything happens to the one I’m using now. We only have been putting filtered jugs of water into n our to help keep it from calcifying due to our tap water being hard. Very happy with this one.

I had high hopes for this ice maker as a replacement for my freezer’s broken ice maker, but my experience has been far from ideal. Here’s a breakdown of the issues I encountered: 1. **Inconsistent Performance** – It does make ice… when it works. 2. **Excessive Moisture** – The ice comes out very wet. 3. **Constant Monitoring Required** – You either have to wait for ice to accumulate before transferring it to the freezer or move small batches when the bin gets full. At least twice if you fill thw water well. 4. **Freezer Dependency** – Since the ice is so wet, I have to solidify it in the freezer. I use metal containers (hotel pans) specifically for this purpose. 5. **Tedious Once solidified, the ice needs to be broken apart. I use a metal meat tenderizer for the task, but if done immediately after freezing, the chunks stick together and become difficult to separate. 6. **Problematic Ice Cube Settings** – The thick setting is too thick, while the thinner setting produces partial slabs. The "0" setting is somewhat effective, but it still requires hammering each batch. 7. **Lack of Cleaning Functionality** – Surprisingly, there’s no dedicated cleaning function—just instructions to wipe things down, which seems inadequate. 8. **Build Quality Concerns** – On its first use, the button panel started popping up, exposing the unit’s inner components. While I could press it back into place, this doesn’t inspire confidence in its durability. 9. **Deteriorating Performance** – After about ten uses, the machine began making unsettling noises and eventually stopped producing ice altogether. 10. **Inefficiency** – The entire process—from ice formation to freezing, transferring, and breaking—takes far too long. I could easily fill ice trays twenty times over in the time it takes to manage this machine. Ultimately, this ice maker demands too much effort for too little payoff. If reliability, ease of use, and efficiency matter to you, this might not be the best solution.

PROS Frigidaire's EFIC452 XL Maker is the perfect way to make large quantities of ice quickly and easily. Its 2.3 liter reservoir can produce up to 40 lbs. of clear squared ice cubes per day, making it ideal for parties or other events where you need a lot of ice. The high-efficiency design means that it can make 24 perfectly squared ice cubes in less than 15 minutes and stores up to 2.4 lbs. at a time. The first batch of ice will take longer because the ice maker refrigerant needs time to cool the water, but after that it will be much faster. The electric ice maker is also designed to be quiet and runs on just 120 watts, making it both energy efficient and unobtrusive. The user-friendly electronic controls make it easy to use, and the modern design with its large through-window lets you watch your ice being made at all times. CONS While 2.4 pounds of ice in one hour may seem like a lot, it can easily be depleted if there is a large demand for ice. The room's ambient temperature is important for the ice maker because it helps regulate how quickly it can produce ice. If the room is too hot, the ice maker will work slower. A consistent ambient temperature in the room will help ensure that the ice maker produces as much ice as possible in a timely manner. As we learned the hard way, running the icemaker on the countertop over a dishwasher is a bad idea because it will heat up the ambient temperature, making it difficult for the ice maker to produce ice. The dishwasher produces a lot of heat, making it more difficult for the icemaker to cool down and produce ice. Even though it can produce up to 40 lbs. of ice cubes per day, the EFIC452-SSRED XL Maker's reservoir only holds 2. 3 liters, so it fills up quickly. This means that you'll have to constantly monitor the ice maker to ensure that there is always a fresh batch of ice cubes being made. If the reservoir is full and there is no more room for ice, the machine will stop producing ice until space becomes available. What we find works for us is we start making ice a few days before a big party and fill up ziplock bags of ice. That way, we have plenty of ice on hand and don't have to worry about running out. Plus, it's really easy to just grab a bag of ice from the freezer when you need it. Overall, we think the Frigidaire EFIC452-SSRED XL Maker is a great ice maker for those who need a lot of ice, but just make sure to plan ahead.

I like clear ice. It doesn't melt nearly as fast. It looks better. It provides a host of sensations that are superior to that cloudy stuff we are all too used to. This makes clear ice. It doesn't make full, solid, six sided cubes. One of the six sides will be noticeably indented. A bit less so if you make heavier cubes. To make the heavier cubes, set the ice maker to add 3 minutes per cycle by holding the On Button down for 5-10 seconds while turning the machine on. The cubes come 24 per cycle in easily broken up slabs and after it has chilled the water you're using a bit, it starts delivering crystal goodness about a tumbler full at a time. A couple refills later I had enough to throw out the stale cloudy ice in the kitchen fridge's ice maker and fill it with some good stuff! I put a couple more gallons worth in big zip lock bags in the freezer. This type of ice machine makes shiny wet ice which will tend to freeze together when you take it out and put it in a freezer. It is, however, easy to bust back apart. If you plan to use your built in kitchen fridge ice maker to dispense this ice, you may want to freeze the wetness off of it first in a zip lock bag, then bust it back up by smacking the bag on something hard. Because this machine makes clear solid ice, it melts much more slowly. This means that once it fills itself, it cycles much less often. Far fewer falling ice noises in the middle of the night, and when it does fall, it is just one noise. Not dropping one cloudy bullet after another until all (only 8?!) fall off, like my old portable ice maker! This machine seems quite well built. Actual stainless steel that a magnet will stick to. Well insulated. Nice solid feeling door. More quiet in operation than the old style ice bullet makers. It uses 1.6 amps during freezing, and 2.6 amps for the much shorter heating cycle that frees a slab of cubes to fall into the basket. When full of ice, it stops pumping water over the ice tray and just sits quietly waiting for enough ice to melt or get used so it can start again. As your machine is making ice, check that the water is flowing evenly across the whole freezing metal ice tray part. You can (carefully) adjust the sprayer tube in its silicone fitting (above and to the right of the metal ice tray) to achieve this if needed. Mine was fine out of the box. 5 Stars.

A lot of people write reviews not long after purchasing a product, so you don’t really know if the item held up over time. I’m here to tell you that in general, countertop ice makers don’t last. I bought this ice maker two years ago. It worked great at first. Within the first year the backlight on the LCD panel stopped working so it became hard to read. Then the unit mostly worked but sometimes stopped making ice for no reason, requiring me to turn it off and on again, or fiddle with the float switch in the reservoir. Now exactly two years later, it died altogether. This is my FOURTH ice maker in five years. Two died afree about one year. The third died in six months. This one took two years to fully stop working. I’ve bought different brands, and models using both of the common methods for making ice. This particular one is branded “Frigidaire” but I’m quite sure that some manufacturer is just licensing the name from Frigidaire. One was Best Buy’s house brand and the others were from unknown names. They don’t last. Don’t expect them to. Maybe buy the extended warranty. All types of ice makers are difficult to clean, and they do get gross inside. Eventually the water gets slimy and the tank smells like an aquarium. Even the ones which are “self cleaning” need to be cleaned, if you’re using them constantly. They need to be emptied and the tank and other parts need to be cleaned with a dish sponge or similar. Most of the time it’s hard to access a lot of the parts which need cleaning. So be aware of what you’re getting into.

es practico para llevar y muy portatil... hace hielo cristalino

Al cambiar de ciclos tiene un ruido extraño que no hacía cuando recién empezamos a utilizar el producto.

It arrived on time and works great! The ice is crystal clear and tastes great! It comes out in sheet cubes and a little tap with a metal meat mallet after bagging works great to break up sheets, It arrived on time and great service from the seller. It made 40 lbs of ice in 24 hours as stated, Popped it in my freezer in ice bags.

Funciona perfectamente! Es eficiente y fácil de manejar.

I ordered the Frigidaire EFIC4520-SSRED XL Ice Maker which arrived next day - Oct./Nov. 2024. Great sale price! — (don’t be waiting around and end up paying 25 or 30 % more ! ! !). Factory packaged very well to prevent just about any damage. Much nicer appearance than I had expected - classy red wine colored stainless steel with Black accent trim which will look great in any modern kitchen or home bar. LED control panel. Unit might be ever so slightly larger than regular ice makers but is hardly noticeable, if at all. N.B. - *Check open lid height to ensure you will have needed clearance if being utilized under your cabinetry. For ease of filling and use, I think it is best placed in an open location without a close overhead cabinet or shelf. This machine utilizes a totally different process to create selectable sizes of square “Clear Ice”. It makes an ice that is clearer in your drink and, more importantly, is a very much harder and longer lasting than the usual bullet shaped, soft ice made by most regular ice machines. It also has a larger than usual water reservoir located at the back rather than right beneath the finished ice, as most machines do, therefore it won’t cause the ice to melt as fast. It also appears to have more insulation than other machines I have used previously, which generally have none at all. The ice is therefore able to last longer in the machine itself. It produces 40lbs a day versus the regular ice machine output of about 28 lbs. The noise level while making ice is similar to that of a home fridge, except that there is a louder “clunk!” when the ice block drops from of the evaporator. I do not find the noise level to be at all excessive or bothersome. The actual ice produced looks like a small slotted ice cube tray, requiring that you break it up a bit into 24 individual cubes which are about 3/4” square. Not fussy about having to do that however, thankfully, it’s quite easily done with any safe knife or metal scoop. I will gladly accept that one slight inconvenience in order to obtain the much better quality, and much longer lasting ice that this particular type of ice machine produces for me! The included instructions are an absolute embarrassment to Fridgidaire. Some Manager there should be fired! Thankfully, this ice machine is quite easy to use anyway. ( *N.B. - If machine shuts off as a result of insufficient water in the tank - After refilling, . . . turn power off, then turn it back on to reset ice making cycle. ) After using continuously, 24/7, for several weeks, not even one minor issue or failure of any kind to report. Comes with One Year Warranty. Very, very happy with this product so far. I just ordered a second one (to have as a spare) because this ice machine does such a great job and the price is so very good as I write. I want to be certain to have an identical replacement when this one, which I am using now, decides to pack it in !! If you want an abundance of real good quality ice from a stylish, easy to use, trouble free, machine you should check this one out. If you want the softer quicker melting bullet shaped ice don’t choose this ice maker. No fear buying here. Nice purchase for me. Good Luck!