Frigidaire EFIC122-BLACK bullet ice maker review

The Frigidaire EFIC122-BLACK is a manually filled countertop maker for hollow bullet-shaped ice, not a nugget machine. Its exact product page calls for a 1.3-quart water reservoir and advertises up to 26 pounds in 24 hours; the linked Black-model manual explains a two-size control, a 30-minute cleaning program and the daily care around it. The useful question is whether that hands-on routine and small collection arrangement suit your serving pattern—not whether a headline daily total means a full basket is waiting.

Start with the exact black configuration

Curtis International's Frigidaire page lists the EFIC122-BLACK finish as UPC 058465830977 under the EFIC122 product family. The English manual linked from that same page has EFIC122-BLACK on its cover. That direct model-to-manual connection matters: this review uses the Black unit's own instructions rather than borrowing them from a similar-looking Frigidaire maker. The official product image also matches the black body, see-through lid and top control panel. The maker does not say whether that image is a photograph or rendering.

The page describes bullet-shaped ice and the manual labels Small and Large size choices. This is a familiar hollow, rounded form, not soft nugget ice or a clear cube. If texture is the decisive preference, compare the EFIC255 nugget family rather than treating the two makers as alternatives that produce the same ice. The manual lists nine pieces as its amount per ice-making time; that piece count is not a basket weight and does not translate into an exact glass-serving count.

Daily output is not collected storage

The product page states up to 26 pounds of bullet ice in 24 hours. The linked manual gives a 12-kilogram daily figure. These are maker claims, not independent production measurements, and neither source connects the daily ceiling to a particular room-air and water-temperature pair. The manual's recommended operating ranges—50°F to 105°F room temperature and 40°F to 90°F water—are not a test condition for the output claim. A household needing a guarantee at one exact temperature pair should not treat the advertised maximum as evidence for that scenario.

The 1.3-quart reservoir is a separate water figure. It is about 1.23 liters, enough to clear a 1.2-liter reservoir threshold, but it says nothing about how many pounds of ice fit in the removable basket. The manufacturer does not publish a basket-weight capacity in the exact page or manual. That missing number matters if you want to make one batch and walk away: the unit stops when the ice-full sensor detects a full basket, and you must remove ice for production to continue. Do not use 26 pounds per day as a substitute for the unlisted basket capacity.

A two-size routine with a compact footprint

For setup, the English manual calls for a level counter, protection from direct sun and heat sources, and four inches of clearance at the rear and both sides. It asks you to let the refrigerant settle for one hour before connecting power after unpacking. The listed body measures 8.7 inches wide, 11.6 inches deep and 11.4 inches high, at 14 pounds out of the box. The clearance allowance is important: the appliance's dimensions do not describe the full space it needs to breathe.

To make ice, open the lid, remove the basket, pour water into the tank below the marked level, reinstall the basket and start the machine. The manual gives an approximate six-to-thirteen-minute cycle depending on size selection and room conditions, and recommends the Small setting below 60°F room temperature to reduce sticking. It does not promise a fixed first-batch time or a particular harvest rate from those intervals. The control panel reports power, ice-full and water-shortage states, so you can see why the machine has paused rather than assuming it is still producing.

Cleaning is a cycle plus hands-on care

The exact manual documents an automatic cleaning program lasting 30 minutes. It is started by holding the ON/OFF button for more than five seconds, then draining water through the lower drain outlet when the program ends. That is useful but not a completely maintenance-free system: initial cleaning, wiping, rinsing, draining and drying still take time. The manual says to change the reservoir water every 24 hours and to drain and dry the interior before leaving the machine unused for a long period. It also warns against putting anything but water in the reservoir. Plan for a counter location where the lower drain is reachable and where cleaning water can be caught safely.

The manual lists a 115-volt, 60-Hz supply and 90-to-120-watt operating consumption. It does not establish an app, timer, water-line connection, powered frozen-storage mode or a basket-weight figure. Unknown is not the same as a confirmed feature: if any of those is essential, check the exact package instructions or choose a model whose manufacturer documents it. This machine has a removable basket, not a freezer compartment. Move ice to a freezer if you need to preserve it beyond the immediate serving routine.

Who should choose it?

Choose the EFIC122-BLACK if bullet ice is right, you are content to fill an internal reservoir, you want both Small and Large options and you will use the documented cleaning program. Treat 26 pounds per day as an unconditioned manufacturer ceiling, not a promise about a particular warm kitchen or a one-time amount on hand. Compare the Newair NIM026MS00 if a narrow body and a published 1.5-pound basket are more useful than this model's cleaning program; compare the EFIC255 if nugget texture and its separately documented three-pound basket are priorities. Those machines have different ice forms and their own maintenance tradeoffs, so check their exact reviews rather than assuming shared specifications.

Sources: Curtis International Frigidaire EFIC122 product page and the linked EFIC122-BLACK English/French manual. Specifications are manufacturer claims; this assessment does not report lab measurements, noise, taste, long-term reliability, current retail stock or price.