Specification: Frigidaire EFIC452-SSBLACK XL Maker, Makes 40 Lbs. of Clear Square Ice Cubes A Day, Black Stainless
Brand Name
FRIGIDAIRE
Model Info
EFIC452-SSBLACK
Item Weight
26.4 pounds
Product Dimensions
14 x 11 x 15 inches
Country of Origin
China
Item model number
EFIC452-SSBLACK
Capacity
40 Pounds
Installation Type
Countertop
Part Number
EFIC452-SSBLACK
Color
Black
Wattage
120 watts
Defrost
Auto Defrost
Door Material Type
Plastic
Ice storage
40 Pounds
Material Type
Plastic, Metal
Included Components
Ice Maker, Basket, Scoop
Batteries Included
No
Batteries Required
No
8 reviews for Frigidaire EFIC452-SSBLACK XL Maker, Makes 40 Lbs. of Clear Square Ice Cubes A Day, Black Stainless
4.3out of 5
★★★★★
★★★★★
3
★★★★★
4
★★★★★
1
★★★★★
0
★★★★★
0
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★★★★★
Rachel B. –
I’ll keep this updated if I can. This is my 3rd ice machine, and hopefully the one that will last. This machine is great. It has no moving parts (what broke machine #2), it makes a ton of ice, and has a great sized reservoir. It can be difficult to clean the reservoir as the hole to get into it is small. The machine is a bit loud, especially when it dumps the ice. The machine seems to get confused sometimes and needs to be turned off and on. It’s mildly annoying, but I’ve never run out of ice because of it. The ice takes a bit of man handling before you can use it. I found using a slightly pointy chop stick to work like magic at separating the cubes. All in all, if it doesn’t break down, it’s a fantastic ice machine
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★★★★★
Amazon Customer –
I really like this ice maker. It is very quiet and makes solid ice cubes. The one thing I would like is for the cubes to release as individual cubes and not as a slab of ice. I have to manually break the cubes apart. Otherwise it is a great ice maker. It keeps up with our needs… and we go through a lot of ice in an evening.
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★★★★★
Robert –
I searched for a counter-top ice machine when my refrigerator ice maker failed and I really didn’t like the ice it made anyways – half moon, cloudy, sediment filled soft ice. The choice became chewable nuggets, more half moons or cubes. Since I use ice primarily for iced tea, lemonade and cocktails, I wanted clear cubes. Hence, this was my choice and I picked Frigidaire for the brand. My choice was also influenced by the ratings. However, I read all the negative reviews as well. Unboxing: Mine arrived undamaged with no signs of prior delivery, unpacking or use. It was new. Unpacking was easy. It’s good looking. Manual: Poorly written, confusing, and only makes sense after playing with the machine. Plastic ice scoop: Awkward to use when retrieving ice and can’t break up the sheets of cubes. I replaced it with stainless steel ice tongs. Set-up: I waited the recommend hour of upright standing before I plugged it in. I filled the top tank with bottled drinking water – not distilled. I positioned it on my counter with plenty of breathing space behind it. It does put out warm air in the back when making ice. Sound level: Surprisingly very quiet. Also, the machine only runs when it is in the producing cycle. Ice product: It makes clear sheets of 24 ice cubes, each cube 7/8” square. The dimension of each cube remains constant, but you can change how full each cube is with a setting from -6 to +6. The +6 fills the cube completely but is a very solid sheet. The -6 you can poke your finger in the exposed, indented side (the only side that is not touching a cooling element). I chose +4 and like the result. Ice making is fast, about 15 minutes a sheet on +4. When the cycle completes, the sheets fall out of the freezing element into the bin (called harvesting) and generally remain intact, i.e., the cubes do not separate. The sheet of cubes, however, is easily broken with a small ice pick, knife handle or your ice tongs. The ice is clear and cold and does not rapidly melt. It looks great in your drinks. It lasts. Some people apparently just run the machine to make sheets of ice which they put in bags and put in their freezer and break up in the bag when they are going to be used. My intent is to keep the machine on and for it to constantly supply ice on demand. But I have also stored some sheets in my freezer in pint ziplocks. Issues: Sometimes the ice sheet does not fall all the way down if the bin is full or will trigger the “full bin” mechanism (stop making ice) even if the bin is not full. The mechanism is a lever the ice sheet is supposed to depress when it falls if the bin is full. This is easily rectified by just rearranging the ice in the bin. However, you do have to check the machine occasionally for this. I had one occurrence when the frozen sheet did not completely separate from the freezing element yet triggered the full bin lever. The machine stopped making ice and the ice in the bin melted overnight, leaving water in the bottom of the ice bin. Solution: move the partially melted sheet to the bin and the ice making resumes, quickly using all the water in the bin for fresh ice. Icons: There are 2 icons, one telling you the ice bin is full and that ice making has stopped and the other telling you to add water. The add water icon only goes on when there is no water in the back reservoir where you add water nor in the bottom tank. Melted ice water is recycled from the bottom tank to make new ice. Timer: There is a timer function, but I have no idea why anyone would use it. Ambient temperature: The displayed temperature is warmest when making ice and coldest when not. It has nothing to do with room temperature. Not sure what it is for. Useful life: I don’t see any indication of the machine being short-lived. But I bought the $20 four year warranty just in case. Bottom line: It makes cold, clear, cubed ice. The small inconveniences of having to break up the ice sheets or monitor the machine are worth it. Next best alternative: bagged Crystal ice from the grocery store.
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★★★★★
Abigail –
Bought this mainly to bag ice in bags and store in deep freezer. I have two kids in travel sports so we use a lot of ice. I’ve only had it for about a day now and this is my first ice maker to ever purchase so I can’t compare to others. So far… Pros: easy to set up and use, makes ice pretty fast, I preferred cubes/blocks of ice to freeze in ice bags to use for coolers and these seem to be perfect for that, makes a good bit of ice with one full tank of water, ice stays in the container without melting too fast. Left ice in there overnight and it’s basically all still there into the next day. Cons: ice comes out in sheets and but they break apart pretty easy using the ice scoop, If I was using this mainly for drinks I don’t think I would like it too much due to the ice in sheets, but like I said I’m using it to make ice to freeze for coolers and so far it seems like it’s going to be good for that. I filled a 10 lb bag of ice in one day. Could have been quicker if you really checked It and emptied it as soon as it filled up.
Overall: so far I think it’s worth the money for my particular use. I went with this one because of the brand name I am familiar with and had pretty good reviews. I’ll update later if I have any issues as I begin to bag the ice.
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★★★★★
Reyes Mendiola Cuervo –
La máquina funciona y hace hielo transparente y bonito, pero esperaba cubos sólidos no huecos, además toma más tiempo del que dice para hacer los hielos y pide estar a una temperatura de menos de 25 grados para cumplir con el tiempo establecido para hacer los hielos y si es mayor tarda más.
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★★★★★
Z. Syed –
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.
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★★★★★
Normand –
Made several batches of ice and I love this machine. The ice cubes are indeed clear and because of how they are made, these lasts much longer than “bullet” or the cloudy variety (those perform more like compacted slush). It does take longer to make the ice (about 15 minutes per batch) but well worth it. If we’re entertaining, I’ll start making ice at 3 PM and I’ll still have plenty in the machine at 9 AM the following morning. This is amazing considering the unit is not refrigerated nor a freezer. Eventually the ice will melt inside the machine but this water will get recycled automatically into new ice once you start it once again.
The machine is quiet but when the ice drops, it startles my dog. Funny to watch. I use an ice pick to break the slab of ice when it falls. The odd thing is that the machine displays ambient temperature in Fahrenheit only and there is no option to switch that to Celsius. I’m so not used to reading 76F and it annoys me a little bit (the Fahrenheit and ice slab needing breaking are why I gave 4 stars instead of 5).
I use distilled water only. There is a one sheet quick setup guide that says not to use distilled water. Distilled water has no minerals or very little of it. The water sensor could be fooled into thinking there is no water since it can’t detect minerals. For me this hasn’t been an issue whatsoever but should your machine not detect the water just add a bit of salt to your tank to “mineralize” it and it will work just fine.
Overall, I’m very happy with this purchase and it makes great looking, long lasting ice cubes.
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★★★★★
Grant –
This works as quoted. Tired of fixing or replacing fridge/freezer with broken ice makers. This produces ice fast. The ice basket is small so you need to empty it consistently to keep producing ice. The ice cubes come out attached in a rectangle, however they break apart fairly easily. These are the reasons for giving 4 stars. We started using spring water, but have since installed a Brita filter on the bar faucet. If the unit continues to work as it has, it will pay for itself by not having to purchase bags of ice.
Rachel B. –
I’ll keep this updated if I can. This is my 3rd ice machine, and hopefully the one that will last.
This machine is great. It has no moving parts (what broke machine #2), it makes a ton of ice, and has a great sized reservoir. It can be difficult to clean the reservoir as the hole to get into it is small. The machine is a bit loud, especially when it dumps the ice. The machine seems to get confused sometimes and needs to be turned off and on. It’s mildly annoying, but I’ve never run out of ice because of it. The ice takes a bit of man handling before you can use it. I found using a slightly pointy chop stick to work like magic at separating the cubes. All in all, if it doesn’t break down, it’s a fantastic ice machine
Amazon Customer –
I really like this ice maker. It is very quiet and makes solid ice cubes. The one thing I would like is for the cubes to release as individual cubes and not as a slab of ice. I have to manually break the cubes apart. Otherwise it is a great ice maker. It keeps up with our needs… and we go through a lot of ice in an evening.
Robert –
I searched for a counter-top ice machine when my refrigerator ice maker failed and I really didn’t like the ice it made anyways – half moon, cloudy, sediment filled soft ice. The choice became chewable nuggets, more half moons or cubes. Since I use ice primarily for iced tea, lemonade and cocktails, I wanted clear cubes. Hence, this was my choice and I picked Frigidaire for the brand.
My choice was also influenced by the ratings. However, I read all the negative reviews as well.
Unboxing: Mine arrived undamaged with no signs of prior delivery, unpacking or use. It was new. Unpacking was easy. It’s good looking.
Manual: Poorly written, confusing, and only makes sense after playing with the machine.
Plastic ice scoop: Awkward to use when retrieving ice and can’t break up the sheets of cubes. I replaced it with stainless steel ice tongs.
Set-up: I waited the recommend hour of upright standing before I plugged it in. I filled the top tank with bottled drinking water – not distilled. I positioned it on my counter with plenty of breathing space behind it. It does put out warm air in the back when making ice.
Sound level: Surprisingly very quiet. Also, the machine only runs when it is in the producing cycle.
Ice product: It makes clear sheets of 24 ice cubes, each cube 7/8” square. The dimension of each cube remains constant, but you can change how full each cube is with a setting from -6 to +6. The +6 fills the cube completely but is a very solid sheet. The -6 you can poke your finger in the exposed, indented side (the only side that is not touching a cooling element). I chose +4 and like the result.
Ice making is fast, about 15 minutes a sheet on +4.
When the cycle completes, the sheets fall out of the freezing element into the bin (called harvesting) and generally remain intact, i.e., the cubes do not separate. The sheet of cubes, however, is easily broken with a small ice pick, knife handle or your ice tongs.
The ice is clear and cold and does not rapidly melt. It looks great in your drinks. It lasts.
Some people apparently just run the machine to make sheets of ice which they put in bags and put in their freezer and break up in the bag when they are going to be used. My intent is to keep the machine on and for it to constantly supply ice on demand. But I have also stored some sheets in my freezer in pint ziplocks.
Issues: Sometimes the ice sheet does not fall all the way down if the bin is full or will trigger the “full bin” mechanism (stop making ice) even if the bin is not full. The mechanism is a lever the ice sheet is supposed to depress when it falls if the bin is full. This is easily rectified by just rearranging the ice in the bin. However, you do have to check the machine occasionally for this. I had one occurrence when the frozen sheet did not completely separate from the freezing element yet triggered the full bin lever. The machine stopped making ice and the ice in the bin melted overnight, leaving water in the bottom of the ice bin. Solution: move the partially melted sheet to the bin and the ice making resumes, quickly using all the water in the bin for fresh ice.
Icons: There are 2 icons, one telling you the ice bin is full and that ice making has stopped and the other telling you to add water. The add water icon only goes on when there is no water in the back reservoir where you add water nor in the bottom tank. Melted ice water is recycled from the bottom tank to make new ice.
Timer: There is a timer function, but I have no idea why anyone would use it.
Ambient temperature: The displayed temperature is warmest when making ice and coldest when not. It has nothing to do with room temperature. Not sure what it is for.
Useful life: I don’t see any indication of the machine being short-lived. But I bought the $20 four year warranty just in case.
Bottom line: It makes cold, clear, cubed ice. The small inconveniences of having to break up the ice sheets or monitor the machine are worth it. Next best alternative: bagged Crystal ice from the grocery store.
Abigail –
Bought this mainly to bag ice in bags and store in deep freezer. I have two kids in travel sports so we use a lot of ice. I’ve only had it for about a day now and this is my first ice maker to ever purchase so I can’t compare to others. So far…
Pros: easy to set up and use, makes ice pretty fast, I preferred cubes/blocks of ice to freeze in ice bags to use for coolers and these seem to be perfect for that, makes a good bit of ice with one full tank of water, ice stays in the container without melting too fast. Left ice in there overnight and it’s basically all still there into the next day.
Cons: ice comes out in sheets and but they break apart pretty easy using the ice scoop, If I was using this mainly for drinks I don’t think I would like it too much due to the ice in sheets, but like I said I’m using it to make ice to freeze for coolers and so far it seems like it’s going to be good for that. I filled a 10 lb bag of ice in one day. Could have been quicker if you really checked
It and emptied it as soon as it filled up.
Overall: so far I think it’s worth the money for my particular use. I went with this one because of the brand name I am familiar with and had pretty good reviews. I’ll update later if I have any issues as I begin to bag the ice.
Reyes Mendiola Cuervo –
La máquina funciona y hace hielo transparente y bonito, pero esperaba cubos sólidos no huecos, además toma más tiempo del que dice para hacer los hielos y pide estar a una temperatura de menos de 25 grados para cumplir con el tiempo establecido para hacer los hielos y si es mayor tarda más.
Z. Syed –
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.
Normand –
Made several batches of ice and I love this machine. The ice cubes are indeed clear and because of how they are made, these lasts much longer than “bullet” or the cloudy variety (those perform more like compacted slush). It does take longer to make the ice (about 15 minutes per batch) but well worth it. If we’re entertaining, I’ll start making ice at 3 PM and I’ll still have plenty in the machine at 9 AM the following morning. This is amazing considering the unit is not refrigerated nor a freezer. Eventually the ice will melt inside the machine but this water will get recycled automatically into new ice once you start it once again.
The machine is quiet but when the ice drops, it startles my dog. Funny to watch. I use an ice pick to break the slab of ice when it falls. The odd thing is that the machine displays ambient temperature in Fahrenheit only and there is no option to switch that to Celsius. I’m so not used to reading 76F and it annoys me a little bit (the Fahrenheit and ice slab needing breaking are why I gave 4 stars instead of 5).
I use distilled water only. There is a one sheet quick setup guide that says not to use distilled water. Distilled water has no minerals or very little of it. The water sensor could be fooled into thinking there is no water since it can’t detect minerals. For me this hasn’t been an issue whatsoever but should your machine not detect the water just add a bit of salt to your tank to “mineralize” it and it will work just fine.
Overall, I’m very happy with this purchase and it makes great looking, long lasting ice cubes.
Grant –
This works as quoted. Tired of fixing or replacing fridge/freezer with broken ice makers. This produces ice fast. The ice basket is small so you need to empty it consistently to keep producing ice. The ice cubes come out attached in a rectangle, however they break apart fairly easily. These are the reasons for giving 4 stars. We started using spring water, but have since installed a Brita filter on the bar faucet. If the unit continues to work as it has, it will pay for itself by not having to purchase bags of ice.