Black & Decker 26 Lb. Capacity Ice Maker

I keep a small stable of countertop gadgets in my test kitchen, and an ice maker is one of the few that can earn year-round counter space—if it’s quick, simple, and reliable. I spent a few months living with Black & Decker’s countertop ice maker, running it through daily lunches, weekend gatherings, and the occasional iced coffee binge. It nails the basics of rapid “bullet” ice and simple controls, but my experience raised serious concerns about durability and support.

Setup and design

Out of the box, the stainless steel panels look clean and understated. At 13 x 9.5 x 13.9 inches, it fits under standard cabinets without drama and doesn’t eat the entire counter. The catch is weight: at roughly 26 pounds, it’s heavy for a portable appliance. Moving it from a cabinet to the counter is doable, but it’s not something I wanted to do every day. Plan to park it near a dedicated outlet with a few inches of clearance on the sides and back for airflow.

The interior is the familiar bullet-ice layout: a small evaporator makes short, hollow cylinders that slide off into a bin. The bin holds about 1.76 pounds of ice. Because the bin isn’t refrigerated, ice gradually melts and recirculates into the reservoir. That’s normal for this class of machine, but it means you’ll want a small container in your freezer if you’re stockpiling.

The reservoir holds 0.58 gallons. In practice, that gave me roughly two to three hours of continuous production before the Add Water indicator lit up. For a small family or a couple of guests, that’s enough to get through lunch and a round of drinks without a refill.

Controls and usability

The interface is straightforward: a small LCD, a few buttons, and status indicators for Add Water, Ice Full, and what the display calls “Timing.” The three cube sizes—small, medium, large—are easy to toggle, and the screen is bright enough to read at a glance.

I appreciated the set-and-forget nature. Turn it on, pick a size, and the first tray of nine cubes drops in around 10 minutes at room temperature. Like most compressor-style ice makers, the first couple of cycles produce thinner, wetter ice as the system chills. After the third cycle, consistency settled in and output steadied.

The “Timing” indicator corresponds to a basic scheduling function. I used it a few times to run a production window ahead of guests arriving. It’s not especially granular, but it did the job.

Ice performance

Black & Decker rates the machine for up to 26 pounds per 24 hours, with a cycle of nine cubes about every 10 minutes at 77°F. My real-world results tracked with that spec within reason. In a 72–75°F kitchen, I averaged close to a pound of ice per hour once the machine warmed up. In a hotter setting (near a sunny window on a summer afternoon), cycle times drifted longer and the ice emerged a bit softer, which is expected—ambient temperature affects all small countertop units.

All three sizes share the same basic bullet shape with a hollow core. The small size is fantastic for quickly chilling water bottles and iced coffee; the wide center hole promotes rapid cooling and good liquid contact. The medium and large sizes last longer in mixed drinks but still melt faster than clear, dense cubes from a traditional freezer tray or a dedicated undercounter machine. If you love pristine, slow-melting clear cubes for cocktails, this isn’t that product class. If you want lots of usable ice quickly, it’s great—when it’s running well.

The 1.76-pound bin fills in roughly two hours. If you don’t offload the ice to your freezer, expect some of it to melt and cycle back through the reservoir. That’s normal behavior, but it also means the machine will keep running, creating a small loop of make-melt-remake unless you turn it off or empty the bin.

Noise and heat

Noise is noticeable but not disruptive: a steady compressor hum, a small fan whir, and the occasional clatter as a batch drops. In a quiet room it’s present; in an active kitchen it fades into the background. Like any compact compressor, it vents warm air. On a long run, it will slightly warm the immediate area, though not enough to be a problem unless your counter is already cramped and hot.

Maintenance

Routine maintenance is simple. I had the best results using filtered water to reduce mineral buildup and improve taste. A quick weekly wipe of the bin and scoop, plus a mild-vinegar rinse through the reservoir every few weeks, kept things fresh. There’s no heavy self-clean cycle to manage, so you’ll want to schedule that quick rinse occasionally. If your water is hard, plan to do it more frequently.

One note: the ice sensors and evaporator fingers benefit from staying clean. If the machine begins signaling “Ice Full” prematurely or output dips, a gentle clean usually brings it back.

Reliability and support

This is where my experience turned. After a few months of regular use, the machine suddenly stopped producing ice. The fan spun, the pump moved water, but the evaporator never got cold enough to form cubes. I tried the usual troubleshooting—power cycling, cleaning, room-temperature adjustments, switching cube sizes—with no success.

Seeking warranty support felt like a marathon of emails and waiting. Response times were slow, and getting a clear path to repair or replacement took far longer than I expected for a small appliance within its warranty window. In the interim, I was without a working ice maker for weeks. Ultimately, the lack of a quick, reliable resolution mattered as much as the failure itself.

Countertop ice makers are often built on a similar platform across brands. Many look alike and share comparable specs and performance. What separates them—in my view—is not just how fast they make ice, but how the company handles issues when (not if) a compact compressor machine sees a fault. On that count, my experience here was not encouraging.

Who it’s for

• Occasional entertainers who want fast ice on demand for a couple of hours.
• Offices or workshop break areas where ice supply is intermittent and convenience matters more than long-term storage.
• Anyone who prefers the chewable “bullet” style ice for daily drinks.

Who should look elsewhere:

• Daily heavy ice users who need a dependable, always-on solution. A plumbed undercounter ice maker or a refrigerator with a robust ice system will be a better fit.
• Cocktail enthusiasts seeking clear, slow-melting cubes.
• Buyers who value strong, responsive warranty service above all else.

What I liked

• Quick first batches; steady output close to a pound per hour in normal conditions.
• Simple, readable LCD with helpful status indicators.
• Compact footprint that fits under cabinets; stainless exterior looks tidy.
• Three size options provide flexibility for water bottles, iced coffee, and mixed drinks.

What held it back

• Heavy for its size, and the bin isn’t refrigerated—so ice melts unless you move it to the freezer.
• Reservoir requires refills every few hours during long sessions.
• My unit suffered an early failure, and the support experience was slow and frustrating.

The bottom line

When it’s working, this Black & Decker ice maker does exactly what most people want from a countertop unit: produce a steady stream of chewable ice with minimal fuss. The performance claims align well with reality, the controls are easy, and the form factor plays nicely with limited counter space. Unfortunately, my test unit’s early failure and the sluggish support experience overshadowed the positives.

Recommendation: I don’t recommend this model. The day-to-day usability is solid, but durability and support weighed too heavily in my time with it. If you still like the convenience of a countertop ice maker, buy from a retailer with a robust return policy, keep the packaging for an easy exchange, and consider brands with a proven service network. For anyone who depends on a reliable ice supply, a different class of machine—or a model with a stronger track record for longevity—will be a better investment.