It’s one challenge knowing a good recipe for iced latte but without an understanding of the tech available that final iced latte won’t stand up to bistro iced lattes which is the purpose of making iced lattes at home. 3 important factors work symbiotically for good home lattes: good sized ice, good espresso and velvety cold froth. Best Ice Makers for Home Made Lattes (Milk Frother Friendly) should be well constructed, efficient and quicker than the norm at producing icy bullets.
Extra nuances we’ll take a look at are shapes of ice, even multi shaped ice which can be used and that old famous axiom, ‘value for money’. Firstly we’ll take a look at ingredients for cold latte to double down on whats required from the best ice makers, espresso machines and milk frothers.
Recipe For Ice Lattes
Too many times, I read so called aficionados claims that you should just use cold milk or cream at home because milk frothers produce hot froth. This isn’t true and without blowing our own trumpets, we have researched the tech as its our jobs. I’m sure you’ve never been to a good coffee shop and received an ice latte with out cold froth? Of course there are milk frothers that won’t break the bank and will deliver lashings of cold froth for you iced latte at home. Read my article here on the Best Milk Frothers For Cold Froth
Secondly, another mistake you’ll find so called aficionados making is showing you photos of ice lattes with more large ice cubes than anything else. No one wants to be constantly banging their nose on ice and sucking exhaustively, trying to extract some latte from an ice filled glass.
Ingredients For Latte at Home
- 2 shots of espresso, for a medium sized glass of iced latte. (15 oz iced latte)
- A third to a half a glass of small ice cubes (bullets or nuggets). Or a third of a glass of shaved ice.
- 5-8 oz of cold milk froth
- Optional: sweetener syrup such as vanilla syrup, brown sugar syrup.
Best Ice Makers for Home Lattes
1. Gevi Countertop Nugget Ice Maker Machine
Immediately what catches the eye about the Gevi are the shaped ices this stainless steel machine produces. Perfectly small nuggets (also known as pebble ice) are just the right size and shape without being an obstacle to swallow. at only a convenient 9.7 inches wide the Gevi doesn’t take up much of a footprint on your counter top. Available in all stainless steel or with a blue, top accent, the Gevi is a striking looking machine.
Ideal not only for household use, The Gevi could be used in a small cafe or at functions. With DBs of only 40 it’s easy to forget the Gevi is even there. So you can imagine 40db, libraries, bird calls and the lowest urban ambient sound make 40dbs too.
How To Clean The Gevi Ice Maker
Its ice production rate is a commendable 29Lbs per 24 hours. Approx 0.22 lbs of ice are required for an ice latte so that’s just about enough ice for 132 ice lattes in 24 hours. A 4.8 Lbs removable basket allows free ice consumption and slots in and out easily with a click.
For cafe owners, a great feature is you can connect the large 2.8 L reservoir to a dedicated water supply with the hose included. The instruction manual is easy to understand and the buttons themselves are fool proof. Another good feature is you don’t need to remove the ice when it’s made as when it eventually melts, the water sinks to the base and becomes recycled into ice again.
Pros
- Makes pebble cubes
- Made by Gevi – a company with a good reputation
- Automatic self cleaning function
- User friendly controls
- Infrared Sensor detects when the water is running low.
Cons
- The price is more than others but you get what you pay for.
We found the following good price on Amazon (We may get a small commission for purchases)
2. Prime Home Direct Ice Maker
When it comes to value for money the Prime Home Direct has many bells and whistles worth noting. Making 26 Lb of ice in 24 hours, its only 3 Lbs behind the much more expensive Gevi. Of only 9.5 inches wide, it too has a small footprint. A smart LED control panel actually allows you to choose the size of your ice cubes.
The Bullets of ice were small enough for lattes and could be used in a host of drink types, from cocktails to soft drinks. Just falling into the portable category the Prime could be put in the back of a car for BBQs or events. Prime Home Direct Ice Maker also has a self-cleaning system which works pretty well, though you’ll need to add detergent
and give it a scrub if you drop syrup in the ice box.
Pros
- It’s easy to use,
- 1 batch in 8 minutes
- Warning lights when more water is needed
- Stainless steel
Cons
- A little louder than the Gevi but not much
We found this great budget price on Amazon (We may get a small commission for purchases).
3. Wizisa Ice Maker Machine for Countertops
The nuggets of ice from the Wizisa come in 2 sizes large or small. The small which i prefer for lattes have holes in the centers which makes them stand apart from others. this means they invariably melt quicker which isn’t a problem as long as you serve your drinks quite quickly.
A production rate of 26lbs in 24Hrs is a great result for a machine that’s a fifth the price of the Gevi. However, there is no dedicated hose option. Handy sensors detect when the ice basket is full and stops production. With only 35dB of noise the Wizisa beats the more expensive machines hands down for noise pollution. At 10.5 inches wide
the Wizisa can still be called counter top friendly.
How to Use The Self cleaning System
Fill the water tank to the ‘MAX’ line, then press the ‘CLEAN’ switch for 5 seconds to start
the Self-cleaning mode.ress the ‘CLEAN’ switch for 5 seconds to start the Self-cleaning mode.
Pros
- Comes with an ice scoop
- Budget Price
- Clear window to see ice production
- 2 L reservoir
Cons
- Largely plastic materials
- No dedicated water system
- Ice tray does not hold much ice for larger gatherings
We found the following economical price on Amazon (We may get a small commission for purchases).
4. Euhomy Nugget Ice Maker Countertop, Ice Maker
Cubes, bullets or pellet ice can be programmed with this high end device. I like the tiny cube types that look novel in your iced latte. Designed to operate in a cafe, event or at home, the Euhomy os more expensive than the flotsam but comes with features worthy of its outlay such as a dedicated water hose, excellent ice quality and look.
A 12 month warranty offers assurances you’re not barking up the wrong tree. 26LBS can be made in 24 hours but does need you to remove the tray to start a new cycle. 3.3 Lbs of ice can sit in the ice basket at any time which is enough for about 15 lattes.
48 DBS aren’t the best on this list and should be less for the price though still won’t disturb baby nearby and perhaps is the price to pay for speedy ice production which is faster than most on this list.
The Euhomy is a compact and very efficient machine. It’s very easy to use; a great feature is it still continues to make ice even when you lift the lid to take ice out.
How to Clean
The Euhomy comes with a self cleaning system which is simple to run and works well. Simply press “Cleaning Program” for 5 seconds.
Pros
- It comes with a scoop
- Dedicated water supply option
- Lights tell you when its full
- Life time Customer service
Cons
- Pricey
We found the following good price on Amazon (We may get a small commission for purchases).
5. FRIGIDAIRE EFIC189 Silver Compact Ice Maker
Built buy the guys who specialize in refrigerators the name alone lends assurances the EFIC189 will be worth the modest outlay. Of stainless steel you can be assured the EFIC189 will stand the course. However, the limited 2 size ice cube options are somewhat limited compared with some on this list. Saying that the small nuggets of ice are good sized, white and nicely shaped for lattes and give an air of restaurant quality.
At 11 inches wide there are other machines that are more counter friendly if that is a consideration for you. The LED screen is a user friendly touch allowing you to check the ice level.
The Frigidare ice machine looks cool in its silver livery and curved lines. A sturdy plastic lid allows you to peer in and see the ice making in just minutes.
Pros
- Nice color and shape of ice nuggets
- Ice in less than 6 minutes
- Stainless Steel
- Budget price
- 26 lbs. of ice per day
Cons
- In practice slower than some on this list
- Small bin
- You have to unplug it to get it to recycle.
We found the following budget price on Amazon (We may get a small commission for purchases).
In Conclusion
The best ice makers for home lattes won’t leave much of a footprint so you aren’t forced into regularly packing it away into storage and bringing it out again; rather it can stay looking sharp on your counter and even be used on camping trips or at events. The good news is you can use them with your favorite milk tfrothierhough don’t overflow the ice.
The Gevi I would say is more than capable of working in a cafe or at parties with its 29 Lbs ice production in just 24 hours and great shaped ice.
However, the Prime Home Direct Ice maker is great for making lattes at home and with an outlay of a quarter of the price of the Gevi and with many similar features such as a self cleaning system and a small footprint on your counter top.
- You may like: What is a Milk Frother? (4 Ways to Add Foam to Beverages)
- If you missed it: Best Milk Frothers For Cold Froth
- Read our review of espresso machines: Best Budget Espresso Machines With 20 BARS
- Coffee article: Which Countries Beans are Best for Dark Roast?
