This ice maker doesn’t have an optional side tank, but it’s easy to fill the water reservoir from the front of the machine (just lift the ice drawer out) and the self cleaning function is less fussy than the Opal’s cleaning cycle.
What I didn’t love about the Newair Nugget Ice Maker
Aside from the fact that the ice texture wasn’t quite as nice as what the Opal 2.0 makes, the blue LED light that illuminates the ice drawer gives it a nightclubby vibe. Thankfully that light is optional.
Dimensions: 10″ W X 17″ D x 17″ H
Ice production: Up to 44 pounds of nugget ice in 24 hours
How I tested countertop ice makers
I mainly focused here on the two most popular types of countertop ice makers: nugget ice makers and bullet ice makers. Financially speaking, that translates to expensive ice makers and cheap ice makers—because the type of ice you get from a countertop ice maker is directly related to how much you’re willing to spend. And after testing ten different ice makers at various price points, I’ve learned that while all bullet ice makers are created almost too equally (more on that below), the same cannot be said for nugget ice makers.
In addition to assessing the standard unboxing, setup, and cleaning, of multiple nugget ice machines, I really focused on the chewability of the nugget ice they produced. After chomping lots of ice, I found that though the machines were similar in style, price, and function, the ice they produced varied in clarity and texture.
Conversely, after testing three bullet ice makers, I realized they were eerily similar in terms of style, size, price, and performance. Further research revealed that all bullet ice makers in the $75 to $150 range had the same body style, produced the exact same ice bullets in two marginally different ice sizes, and some even had identical control panels. That’s why I stuck with ice makers from well-reviewed brands we know and kept away from some of the random brands that primarily pop up on Amazon like Aglucky, Euhomy, or the Silonn ice maker.
What I looked for
Ice production
An ice maker makes ice. That’s it’s one job, so I looked at how quickly the ice machines started to produce ice and how long it took to make a full batch.
Batch size
I looked at how much ice the machine could produce in a single batch, which depended on how much ice the ice drawer or ice basket could hold. To be clear, that is not the same number as the “pounds of ice” listed on an ice maker’s product description—unless you’re trying to keep a body on ice or you’ve turned your spare bedroom into a speakeasy, you don’t need to worry about this number. That’s because all it tells you is what the machine could, theoretically, produce in 24 hours. And that kind of ice production would only be possible if you completely emptied the machine as soon as a batch of ice was ready and ensured the water reservoir was constantly filled. The chances you will ever bother with all that are basically zero, so it shouldn’t matter if you have a 24-pound ice machine or a 26-pound ice machine. The more important figure is the capacity of the ice basket, bin, or drawer.
Ice cube texture and clarity
I looked for machines that produced the best version of the ice they were supposed to, whether that was nugget ice (should have a nice chomping texture), clear ice (should be clear), or bullet-shaped ice (we’re less picky here).
Dispenser bin functionality
An ice drawer or basket isn’t an actual freezer, but it should be insulated enough to keep the ice cold for at least a few hours (the ice will eventually melt and the water drains back into the reservoir to form fresh ice). I found it was easier to get ice from machines with drawers on front versus baskets on top. A clear drawer or cover also makes it easy to see how much ice is in the machine without having to open it.
Machine size and appearance
Even the more compact portable ice makers are pretty bulky gadgets so I took into consideration the footprint, height, and overall appearance of the machine.
Ease of use
Each machine had a slightly different setup and some required intensive cleaning cycles before the first use while others had more simple requirements. I took into consideration how long it took to set up the ice maker, how intuitive the buttons and control panel were, and how much ongoing maintenance was required for each.
Noise
Most small appliances make at least a little noise but I did pay attention to how noisy or quiet the ice makers were when producing a fresh batch of ice. Some were quite loud.
Value
High-quality ice machines aren’t cheap so I looked for machines that felt worth the price based on the factors above.
Other specialty countertop ice machines I tested
GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice Maker with Side Tank
This is the newer, upgraded version of my top pick, the GE Profile Opal 2.0. The ice quality is exactly the same as the previous model and it has some nice features, including a stainless steel ice scoop (the older version has a plastic scoop), a magnetic scoop holder for the side of the machine, and a scale-inhibiting water filter for the water reservoir. But it’s just as noisy as the older model, and (save for the stainless steel scoop) the materials on the white Ultra that I tested actually felt less high-end than my earlier black model. My least favorite features on the new Opal Ultra, however, are the sanitize and descale indicator lights. While they could be helpful for the kind of person who always performs whatever maintenance is suggested by a machine’s manual, I’m a little more flexible with my schedule and I use purified water instead of tap water so I don’t feel like I need to perform the maintenance quite as often as the machine thinks I should. The sanitize light comes on after 25 hours of ice making and the descale light comes on after 100 hours of ice making. If your machine is always on like mine is, those lights come on quickly because the ice in the drawer eventually melts and puts water back into the reservoir and starts making ice again. I ended up putting tape over the lights because I felt like they were shaming me and they’ll stay on until the maintenance is actually performed.
Newair Portable Countertop Clear Ice Maker
Newair’s clear ice cube maker (formerly called the Luma Comfort) is the one ice maker I tested that didn’t make nugget ice or bullet ice. It makes clear ice cubes like you’d typically get in nice bars and restaurants. The Newair allows you to get those clear cubes at home without investing in a prohibitively expensive machine like something from Clinebells. Anything you have at home will be a compromise in quality compared to that, but you could consider this more diminutive clear ice maker from Newair. All clear ice machines work by building the ice cubes in layers to prevent air bubbles. Those bubbles are what make other ice cloudy, but also chompable. So clear ice, while beautiful, isn’t as fun (or safe) to chew as nugget ice or bullet ice. It’s also a more solid cube and so it won’t melt as quickly as nuggets. If you’re concerned with aesthetics and/or want an ice maker that makes cubes that won’t melt as quickly as pellets or bullets, this is a great option.
Newair 26-Pound Nugget Countertop Ice Maker Machine
If you want an even less expensive nugget ice maker than our budget pick, you can get a smaller (slightly less good looking, in my opinion) version of Newair’s nugget ice maker. This machine opens on top and resembles cheaper bullet ice makers, but it still produces Newair’s crunchy pellety nugget ice.
Whytner Nugget Ice Maker
I was excited to try this compact nugget ice maker from Whytner, which makes a great budget-friendly compressor ice cream maker. It’s considerably shorter than any other nugget ice maker I’ve used and could easily tuck under upper cabinets, even in small kitchens and RVs. Initially I had some trouble with setup because I couldn’t get it to run the cleaning cycle that’s required before making the first batch of ice. After multiple attempts, I realized I just needed to fill it with water past the max fill line until a little water drained into the ice basket area then it was smooth sailing from there. I like that the cleaning cycle calls for vinegar, versus the Opal’s bleach requirement, and because it’s so compact, it’s easy to move. The ice nuggets were nice (though not as nice as the Opal’s, a recurring theme here) but the biggest drawback is the small ice drawer. While you can’t expect a huge amount of ice from such a compact machine, you’ll empty the ice basket after two or three drinks.
Bullet ice makers
One interesting thing I learned diving deep into the world of countertop ice makers: If you’re not buying a specialty ice machine that makes nuggets or clear ice cubes, the rest are all pretty much the same. They’re all compact bullet ice makers with the same ice-making capabilities, nearly identical body styles, and they all cost less than $200—and often less than $100.