Everybody likes nuggets, don’t you? Imagine nuggets made of ice, they do sound ridiculous but is a very compact idea. Drinking a shake with small nugget-shaped ice that doesn’t bug your teeth when you chew on them seems interesting plus they keep your drink cold too.
Well if that sounds like a good idea then you will love what a nugget ice maker is. A nugget ice maker is a machine that makes and stores little chunks or nuggets of ice in a built-in container for you to use in whatever you think they can be used in.
You simply pour a small amount of water in it the machine acts as a freezer, it freezes the water on the walls and it scrapes the ice off the walls storing them in a container where they can be easily accessed. I personally think this is one of the most engaging inventions I have seen in a while.
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Best Nugget Ice Maker for home Reviews and Buying Guide
Storing ice in small containers that take a lot of space when you put them in your freezer is a hectic thing to do, gladly those days are gone. Brands are offering you the best nugget ice makers for home in the market, which will surely help you maintain your cool life in style.
These things are a bit expensive than your usual appliances but you know what they are pretty useful. Just place this thing on the center table in a party and chill out not thinking about getting people ice again and again, or running out of ice.
It looks cool and does a really effective job too, within a time span of 20 minutes at most your icy nuggets get ready for you to chew them or most probably put them in a drink. The best part is that they are not hard or savory, they have this crunchy soft texture that will not affect your teeth if you eat a handful of them raw.
In a Rush?
We have picked out the best nugget ice maker for you to buy without any senseless researching or studying the market. GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker Versions 2.0 is the best out there, no ice maker does its job better than this machine right here.
Best Nugget Ice Maker for home
We have hand-picked some of the best kitchen aid nugget ice makers in the industry for you to choose, which one will work out perfectly for you. All the advantages and disadvantages of the devices will be attached making it a lot easier for you to pick the one you think will be the best for you. I hope the guide help will help you.
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1. GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
Tired of rock-hard ice cubes that are hard to break stuck in your drinks? Well, the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker is the perfect choice for good quality nugget chewable ice that actually comes from compacting soft ice flakes, anytime anywhere!
The ice maker is an on-the-go, portable device that can be hooked up anywhere at any standard power outlet. It greatly saves you the chances of a mess or the hustle of water drainage as the water from melted ice just goes back to the reservoir to be made into ice again which is automatically detected as soon as the ice in the bin starts running low.
The device is super user-friendly and the chewy nugget ice is ready to go in just a short span of 20 minutes! It will get you 24 pounds of ice every day, 3 pounds in the ice bin, and an extra attachment that holds thrice the amount of ice already that can very simply be attached or removed from the main device at any time! All this can so very simply be controlled from an app downloaded in your smartphone connected via Bluetooth that will take all necessary commands of making the perfect ice even when you’re away from the machine!
- Makes nugget chewy ice
- Extra attachment to hold more ice comes with the main device
- Bluetooth function available
- Simple water drainage system
- Makes less total ice per day
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2. Frigidaire EFIC189-Silver Compact Ice Maker
The Frigidaire EFIC189- Silver Compact Ice Maker ranks in the top 10 on various best ice maker lists of 2021 and does not fail to impress its users.
Whilst impeccably doing its job and offering a very effective compressor cooling system, it further makes minimum noise (barely 38 DB) to ensure effective work without disturbing people nearby. When the ice is done, it flashes its light to tell you it’s done without making any noises that might be troublesome to people.
Giving you ice as fast as possible in just 6 minutes and a total of 26 pounds of ice in 24 hours, the ice maker gives you good value for money spent on this machine.
It also has a huge window designed exclusively to keep check of ice being made, levels of ice monitoring to make sure it doesn’t run out, and checking for when the ice is done being made. Its smart technology automatically starts making ice again if present ice levels fall low.
This latest technology ice maker does not only give you good quality ice that will last for long, it also gives you the option to choose two sizes of ice (small or large) to perfectly fit your ice requirements.
Its smart compact design makes it a good tool with maximum utility without taking much space either. Its long cord also makes it easier to keep it away from the electricity source and continue usage.
- Smart compact design
- Fast ice making and automatic refreshing technology
- Quiet machine avoiding noise pollution
- Presence of large window for view
- Availability of choice in ice sizes
- Total ice produced is relatively less
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3. Frigidaire EFIC103 Ice Maker Machine
Another product from Frigidaire does not fall behind in satisfying its customers and aiding eloquently to their precise needs. This product will you a good batch (9 pieces) of big, long, and thick ice in just 6-8 minutes time and a solid amount of 26 pounds of ice in one day. The ice made is typically hard and bullet shape and does not melt easily so it fulfills its purpose to the best of its abilities.
It leads the way in increasing choice diversity for customers by giving them three different ice size options of either small, medium, or large to perfectly fit the exact needs of the product at hand. It’s also user-friendly and keeps quiet during most of its works so as not to cause any inconvenience to users nearby so it can be put to good use when lots of guests are over and speedy batches of long-lasting ice are needed.
The machine is also super easy to use with a basic control panel, the addition of water that accounts for roughly 12-14 cups to fill the entire water reservoir, and simply plugging in until the work is done!
A window is present for viewing and keeping in check the ice levels and the rest of the product is good quality stainless steel. The machine is portable and is relatively light even when the generously sized ice basket is full of lots of chunky ice so it makes it easy to carry around if required.
- Makes big, chunky ice
- Has options of three different sizes of ice
- Works quietly without making noise
- Makes ice fast
- Machine is portable
- Water drainage system can be tiresome
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4.IKICH Portable Ice Maker Machine for Countertop
This portable ice maker machine is an amazing choice for any impromptu summer trip to the beach, desert safari, or just a casual picnic on a hot Sunday afternoon. The size, weight (of only 17 pounds), and compact shape (measurements: 8.7 x 12.3 x 12.6 inches) make it super easy to carry around and on top of it, doesn’t even make much sound when at work so comfort isn’t even the least bit compromised.
Simplest of the simple, this ice maker machine gives you 9 pieces of ice in just 6 minutes, and in a day, you get 26 pounds of ice, each cube bullet-shaped as it has a huge water reservoir capacity of 2 liters!
The maker is super easy to use. The panel is not complex at all with basic usage functions of adding water, size selection, and then the device is at work. It also has a drain plug at the bottom which is the outlet for draining out any excess water when the device is done being used so while putting it to use, there is no need to have any water drainage source nearby to prevent spills.
You have two options to choose the size and shape of your ice, large or small, as per requirement. The product is good quality ice that will stick to each other and will easily fit in small holes of water bottles so no need to break larger pieces of ice to make it more feasible.
There’s also a large enough window to look at the ice being made and keeping in check the ice left so once doesn’t run out, making this product a good home nugget ice maker, an extraordinary addition to your tools in the kitchen making your life easier than ever.
- Simple to use
- Easy cleaning/drainage
- Relatively fast making of ice
- Less weight and compact making it easy to carry around
- Window to view ice
- Good monetary value
- Does not make chewable ice
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5. Igloo ICEB26HNAQ Ice Maker Machine
The Igloo ICEB26HNAQ Ice Maker machine is a smart and soft-looking device that scores remarkably well in its convenience-based making. Starting off, it has a good compact design that isn’t too bulky and comes in different colors to match any theme in your kitchen as it does not stick to the traditional steel-colored kitchen appliances. It also has a handle attached that makes it easy to pick up and move the unit as per requirement.
One of the best features this product has to offer is the availability of an automatic five cycle self-cleaning function which super effectively prevents the formation of black mold that can often appear on other water settling appliances.
An auto-cleaning feature makes sure to give you clean ice every time and saves you a lot of time and energy to simply maintain the device. Water drainage is further simply done by a drainage plug and that can be taken on and off so does not require much effort.
Talking about how user-friendly and diverse this ice-making machine is, it has an easy-to-read control panel that’s also illuminated with LED lights. The panel offers you to choose between small or large ice sizes and the smaller ice made has also been reported to be chewy from customers so there is the diversity present to make hard or soft ice as per requirement. The work of the machine is fast: giving you a batch of 9 small cubes in just 7-8 minutes.
It will also give you up to 26 pounds of ice in a day and will store 1 ¼ pound of ice in its ice basket which also has a transparent lid to let customers keep a check of the ice levels available. This spacious ice basket can also easily be removed to transfer the ready-to-go ice wherever required.
- Automatic 5 cycle self-cleaning cycle
- 2 sizes available
- Quiet machine
- Removeable ice basket
- Portable
- Slower made ice as compared to other devices
- Ice basket capacity relatively less
- Ice melts in basket if left for too long
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6. New Air Portable Ice Maker 28 pounds
New Air appliances are a lifesaver any given day and they have certainly taken the lead in making the most precise of ice-making machines to suit the customers’ needs as precisely as possible. These 28 pounds per day producing ice-making machine does not fail to impress either.
Each batch of bullet-shaped ice fresh and ready in just 10 minutes, it doesn’t keep your guests waiting for long. What’s better, is that it lets you choose between three ice sizes like all other ice makers from this company. Small, medium, large? All available and no compromise required!
The appliance is as user-friendly as can be with a very simple two-button function of simply powering it on, picking the necessary size, and having your ice fresh and ready in no time! Unlike most ice makers, this machine has a drainage plug to its side so it saves you the tiresome effort to pick the entire device and drain it over a water source so simplicity is increased even more! The smart LED functions will also always let you know when a refill is required or whenever you need more ice.
But even if you end up missing this indicator and do not take your ice out, no need to worry because the well-equipped thick insulation of the ice bin will keep your ice frozen for a long time and not melt!
The compact countertop design is ideal for being a portable device and yet it also uses no plastic in its building so environment and health always come first! The device is also available in four vibrant colors to perfectly match your tastes in both its outlook and impeccable function!
- Good capacity of ice produced
- 3 ice options
- Insulation of ice basket
- Side plug drainage
- LED light indicators
- BPA free parts
- Self-cleaning function not available
- Ice making cycles longer than other ice making machines
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7. Igloo ICEB33BS Ice Maker Machine
Sometimes what you need is a large amount of good quality ice, as fast as possible, to entertain you’re waiting guests and beat the heat with some refreshing drinks to bring the life back to your party. Right here is the perfect use for the Igloo ICEB33BS Ice maker machine that will give you a humongous generous amount of 33 pounds of ice in just 24 hours.
The water reservoir, filled up to the brink, is 2.5 quark and even the ice basket will at a time hold 2 bounds of ice! Making more ice per day but our ice maker does not fall behind in time- it makes sure to deliver you a fresh batch of small or large, as per convenience, cylindrical ice in just up to 7 minutes!
The design of the ice maker is compact and smart. It gives you not only a larger capacity of ice produced but is also small in size as to making it easily portable. The control panel is simple to use and LED lights to give it a chic design and a much more user-friendly feel.
- Much larger ice capacity and compact size
- Fast making of ice
- Options to choose ice size
- More pricy than other ice makers
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8. New Air Portable Ice Maker 50 pounds Nugget Maker
This New Air Ice Making machine is a perfectly advanced absolutely perfect pick of a portable machine which it’s extremely advanced features that make it better than all available in the market.
For starters, with its smart, compact design that already makes it portable, this ice maker gives you 5o pounds of ice in 24 hours! It also wins the speed race by making you a batch of 12 pieces of ice in less than 7 minutes! That’s not all, this advanced machine also gives you the option of choosing between 3 different ice sizes which include also picking the thickness of your ice needed in comparison to most ice-making machines that just let you choose between two.
The technology used to make this device just keeps getting better and better. Its smart system will indicate you via LED light when the water reservoir runs out and needs to be refilled but its automatic check and balance system has a premium overflow protection so the device will automatically shut off when required and start working again if it detects ice levels falling low.
The same panel will notify the user of anything that needs to be done instantly so there is no requirement to check the container over and over again. The ice per batch keeps getting better and better as the ice maker gets inflow as the evaporating cooling system makes thicker ice. The machine also saves you the tiresome effort and already offers you a self-cleaning function to save so much time and energy invested in its up to just 5–6-minute cycles whenever needed.
- Self-cleaning function
- 50 pounds of ice being made
- Smart features available
- Fast making of ice
- More ice produced per batch
- 3 sizes of ice
- Heavy appliance
- More expensive than others
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9. Luma Comfort Portable Clear Nugget Ice Maker
This ice maker distinguishes itself from other ice-making machines by producing clear ice that is completely pure of any possible impurities and without any gas at all as it freezes its ice in a systematic layer by layer manner in a supercooled built-in ice tray.
The impeccably made clear ice is a huge game changer and is hands down always preferred over other types of normal, hard, or chewy ice. It tastes much better and does not melt easily in drinks either so prevents the taste of your drinks to be ruined. It even avoids fizzing in carbonated drinks so spilling or half-filled glasses in hurried downpours are always prevented.
Another quality it has is being environmentally friendly alongside eliminating all possible carcinogenic hazards since the building materials of this machine do not have any trace of plastic in them. It is also super effective in its work and has a special extra thick insulating system that keeps the produced clear ice in the bin cool for long so ice will not melt even if not instantly utilized.
Even if the ice is left inside for long and does end up melting, it will automatically end up back in the water reservoir and be converted back to the ice in the next cycle so no water is wasted.
The ice maker is super easy to operate and is essentially functional by the press of just two buttons and the made ice can then be seen from the transparent lid above. After turning the device on and picking the ice size required, it is a simple process that ensues and the indication lights let the user know of any instruction of adding water or ice being ready in just 10 minutes!
- Clear ice being prepared
- Size options available in clear ice
- BPA certified parts to avoid usage of plastic
- Extra thick insulation
- Automatic systems
- Simple functioning of machine
- Clear ice takes longer to make
- Self-cleaning function not available
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10. NOVETE Portable Ice Maker Machine
The NOVETE Ice maker is good for use portable device smartly designed to serve customers well. Without compromising on durability that is built to last a long time, the device also consists of smaller dimensions and a compact design to make it easy to carry and be a good addition to kitchen countertop devices without taking up too much space.
The high efficiency of the machine is foremost proven by the fact that it runs on just 1kWh of power for a good 10 hours which basically means that its power consumption is cut down by a solid 40% from other appliances of the same category.
Over and above, the machine also does a good job at cutting down on any possible noise pollution produced by its spoiler in the machine to make the sound of the ice-making at a maximum 43dB.
Not falling behind in its true purpose, this unit will give you 9 ice cubes in 6-7 minutes but will give you up to 13kgs of ice per day. The water reservoir can be filled to 1.85 liters and the ice basket will hold 800g of ice at a time which is a pretty generous holding capacity.
The ice produced is already of good quality that does not stick together and will be chewy but the cyclo-pentane foam layer provides excellent insulation to the ice present in the basket that it won’t melt for 7-8 hours even if it is left there. The machine is also of advanced technology that notifies the user through IR detecting diodes of ice being ready, the requirement for the addition of water, etc.
- More ice produced
- More water capacity of reservoir and ice basket
- Noise reduced
- Good insulation of ice basket
- Fast production of ice
- Smart notification system
- Self-cleaning not available
- Can leak if water not drained properly
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Honorable Mentions
- NewAir Portable Ice Maker
- Frigidaire EFIC115 Extra Large Ice Maker
- Whynter UIM-155 Stainless Steel Built-In Ice Maker
- NewAir Countertop Clear Ice Maker Machine
- Countertop Digital Ice Cube Maker
- NutriChef Countertop Ice Maker
Best Nugget Ice Maker for home Buying Guide
Finding a good quality product is hard nowadays, but we are willing to ease that burden off your weary shoulders by providing you with this guide.
Countertop and under counter
The main difference between the countertop and under the counter is the conventionality and size, the countertop ice maker is a bit smaller than the rest of the devices available in the market which inevitably means they store small ice but are portable if one is living in a small compact home. They can be easily carried from one counter to another without any ambiguity.
On the other hand, the under-counter beats the countertop on the features it has, it continuously produces ice and is able to store a lot of it which the countertop cannot but the under-counter is unable to store ice for long periods of time.
Size
As I stated before, the main difference between the countertop and the under-counter is the size. The countertop is useful when you are relating to the portability of the device whereas the under-counter is not portable due to its mundane size. You would have to keep it in a corner, but you can travel with your countertop ice maker or you can easily shift it from one part of the kitchen to another making them an efficient portable nugget ice maker.
Durability
Both of the aforesaid types are durable, although the ice in the under-counter cannot be kept for long tenures of time because it starts to melt. But the advantage of the best under-counter nugget ice maker is that they can store more amount of ice as compared to the normal countertop ice maker. The design of the countertop is more compact and sleek whereas the under-counter is said to have a fridge-shaped phenomenon going on. But they are both durable and are made of high-quality materials, so one doesn’t have to worry about them breaking or malfunctioning anytime soon.
Ice shape
Ice makers can produce ice in various shapes and sizes with versatile textures. I mean there are dice shapes or cube-looking ice, they can produce crescent-shaped ice or the good old nugget-shaped chunks. They are all delightful and look stunning when you want the representation of your drink to be attractive. You may have seen diversity in the ice shapes at a bar or a stall where someone would go to buy a drink and enjoy, they serve you in sleek glasses with different shapes of ice involved. The main thing is that they are not hard and easy to eat so brush off your stress and have some vague ice which will surely get you back on track.
Energy Efficiency
Most reviews say that the said best nugget ice makers help a lot when you want to conserve energy and the environment to be safe. They will surely no become an unnecessary burden upon your bill, and obviously, they are used in the summer season so when it comes to your electricity bill they will surely look out for you.
Price
Let us talk about the main thing when it comes to buying such appliances, the price tag. The under-counter ice makers are a bit expensive than the countertop for obvious reasons but I personally recommend you to buy a countertop because of its affordable price and the working the brands have put in them. They are some of the best nugget ice makers for home out there. The under-counter can surely withhold more amounts of ice but due to its large fridge-shaped design, it is not recommended by some percentage of the buyers.
FAQs
Why are nugget ice makers so expensive?
The reason for the nugget ice makers being expensive is that they were launched as a commercial product at first, usually, products used in large scale commercial projects are expensive but when the smaller and individual variants were launched having the same traits and professional functionality as the commercial machines the price couldn’t be more compromised.
What is the best nugget ice maker for home?
GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker Versions 2.0, is considered to be the best nugget ice maker for home out there in the market. With tons of good reviews on various internet markets and commendable traits, it is as good as it can get.
Can you make sonic ice at home?
Yes, sonic ice can be developed at home but is a tiring task and the results are not always 100 percent accurate. The ice gets dissolved or doesn’t have the same texture as the professional ice maker produces for you. This kind of ice is greatly inclined by people everywhere in the world but the products that manufacture it are expensive so after trying a lot it is made possible to develop sonic ice without an ice maker in any ordinary household.
Which are the 5best nugget ice makers for home?
We have chosen the products according to the recommendations of the buyers that have tested them so far. Countertop ice maker or under-counter; these are some of the best nugget ice makers for home in the market.
- HomeLabs HME010019N
- Vremi VRM010636N
- IKICH Electric Ice Maker
- Euhomy IM-02
- Scotsman CU50GA-1A
Conclusion
In the end, the truth eventually finds its way out in the open. These appliances are made for the convenience of us people, the world is changing at a really fast pace and one must camouflage with the surrounding each and every day in order to survive it. And in order to withstand this modern age, we must equip ourselves with the best tools out there. If you want to become an ice connoisseur or you enjoy your drinks with various chunky-shaped ice you have to look into these products at least once.