Silonn Countertop Ice Maker SLIM01 In-depth Review

Silonn is an electronics manufacturer based in Hong Kong. They manufacture a range of countertop bullet and nugget ice makers. We bought the stainless steel model, while a similar plastic model comes in four colors and an app-enabled model is also available.

Key Specs

Where to Buy Price at publication $106.48

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Compared to Other Bullet Ice Makers

7.2 Performance

In the ice capacity test, the Silonn proved average at best. It took around 95 minutes to produce a basket full of ice and the capacity per hour was a rather low average. While not the lowest ranking machine, it puts out an estimated 14 lbs (6.5 kg) per day based on our testing criteria. Although the large ice bullets were weighty enough, the quality was inconsistent and not all bullets were smoothly shaped. There was also a noticeable amount of waste ice produced.

6.9 Ice Capacity Test: Average at Best

The Silonn, with its smaller basket, only produced around 15 oz (427 g) per basket while top performing machines like the Frigidiare could manage 19 oz (550 g). That’s almost 100 g less and the capacity per hour was also significantly less at 9.6 oz (273 g) compared to 11.4 oz (323 g).

We don’t test machines for 24 hours, but saw no indication that the ice production capacity would increase nor that the machine could produce the promised 26 lbs (12 kg) per day. 

What you really need to know about this machine is that it takes around 95 minutes to trigger the Ice Full alert and you get less than half a kilogram per load, or roughly 14 lbs (6.5 kg) per day.

7.6 Ice Quality Test: Could Shape Up

The average weight of a large ice bullet was 5.6 g—which is what you can expect. Usually, within eight or so rounds of ice making, your machine should consistently make large ice bullets of at least 5 grams, with 7 grams as the maximum you can expect.

The Silonn regularly produced net weights of over 6 grams per bullet, but there were significant cycles of poor ice making in between. Furthermore, the ice often came out looking like slugs rather than the longer, smoother bullets.

For these two reasons, the machine did not score so well in terms of consistently good ice quality.

8.3 Design

The Silonn is eye-catching for its more original design of wide triangular control panel which is slightly raised. Despite the large control panel, it still has a wide transparent lid for viewing inside. We liked the design overall, and the materials were average to good quality much like the performance of the machine.

In The Box

• One ice making machine
• One removable ice basket
• An included ice scoop
• One user manual

The Silonn portable ice maker came tightly boxed between two styrofoam holders and wrapped in plastic. The cord and the manual were neatly placed on the top. The ice basket and ice scoop were secured into place with a piece of tape. The ice scooping mechanism was also securely taped down and you need to remove this.

Dimensions

8.5 Build Quality: Solid Body

The build quality of the Silonn portable ice maker is average to good. The material doesn't offer the best in that the stainless steel body does gather fingerprints easily, the plastic of the lid is average quality, and the ice basket is nothing special. Overall, the build quality is a fair match to the average performance. If you like the design and don’t need the very best, the Silonn might be good enough for you.

9.5 Panel Design: Spacious and Appealing

The control panel of the Silonn countertop ice maker is one of its key design features that separates it from most other machines. It  is not small and cramped up but a wide V-shaped design and slightly raised. This larger size does reduce visibility of the ice rods somewhat, but overall it’s a refreshing design.

7.8 Lid Design: Insulation Satisfactory

Like the stainless steel body, we found that the plastic lid of the Silonn tends to smudge quite easily. The upper roof has good joinings and the insulation works well enough. We do an overnight ice test where we leave the machines running for an eight hour period and check on ice degradation the following morning. The Silonn’s ice preservation was not the best, but comparable to a number of similar machines.

7.0 Ice Basket: Generic Standard

The ice basket of the Silonn is a very generic type of basket. We determined it was a little small of comfortable ice scooping and the flimsy plastic is not so supportive. The basket is identical to that found in some other machines like the AGLucky ice maker.

Water Reservoir: Decent Volume

The water reservoir of the Silonn takes exactly 2 liters of 2.1 quarts of water which is a good average compared to other machines. With few exceptions, portable ice makers tend to have a white line marking the upper water level which is not so easy to see. When the machine draws water into the upper chamber, just make sure there is no water touching the base of the ice basket.

Drainage Plug

The drainage plug on Silonn is very generic and similar to most other machines. The plug itself is a soft silicone attached to a hard plastic tether. It can hook over the edge of the machine so it doesn’t interfere with water draining out.

Ice Scoop

Cord and Plug

The cord of the Silonn is 72 inches which is about an inch more than the standard 71 inches. Attached to the black electric cord is an earthed three-pronged plug. The machine is quite versatile in where you can put it.

8.0 Usability

The Silonn, much like most ice makers, is an easy to use and trouble-free machine. Its large view window and spacious control panel are two nice features. As an overall average kind of machine, it uses a standard generic ice basket that is a little small and flimsy, the stainless steel body tends to easily pick up fingerprints, and it’s slightly noisier than some other machines. General cleaning and maintenance is no issue and the water guard is very easy to remove.

8.0 Ease of Use: Satisfactory

We liked the wide transparent lid and the spacious control panel which is quite different from other machines. However, the traction of the two control buttons was not as good as some other machines, but everything worked fine.

The ice basket is a standard generic design seen in a number of other machines such as the AGLucky ice maker. It’s a little cramped so you don’t get such good leverage for scooping ice. Also, the flimsy plastic means the basket moves around when you’re trying to scoop out the last few pieces of ice.

8.0 Noise: Higher Than Average

We have never had any problems to date with excessive noise produced by a countertop ice maker. They are fairly quiet machines and generally produced between 67 to 69 decibels when making large ice bullets. This Silonn produced 68.2 decibels which was about 1 decibel higher than average.

7.8 Cleaning: Hassle Free

The Silonn has a nice stainless steel body, but since it is not so well-brushed it does tend to gather fingerprints. The large view window is a nice feature, but you still have to bend over a little to get a full view of the ice rods.

This is a minor issue and may only come up if you need to clean the rods due to limescale build up if you live in a hard water area or don’t use filtered water.

One nice thing about the Silonn is that the water guard in the right hand corner of the reservoir removes quite easily. It’s recommended to clean this regularly so as not to trigger a faulty Add Water alert.

The machine has a ‘self-cleaning’ function which you initiate by long pressing the start button. This is really just a flushing mechanism that runs water through the ice making apparatus. You still need to regularly wipe the interior of your machine with a damp, clean cloth. 

To do this, you first pull the plug at the bottom to drain the water. The Silonn has a soft silicone plug attached to a hard plastic tether and it is easy to insert and remove.