We all love crunchy, fluffy, tasty ice nuggets. But most of us can only make traditional, old hard ice cubes that can’t absorb the taste of our drink. And of course, we can’t chew ice cubes.
Luckily, lots of commercial nugget ice makers have recently appeared on the market. Yes, they are bulky and heavy, but they do the trick. Well, most of them. This is a relatively new technology, and some of these ice machines are not as efficient as we would have expected, especially considering their prices.
So, we’ve done our homework and tried some of the most popular ice makers of 2021. But before we review them, let’s find out what these devices exactly are and how they work.
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How Does a Nugget Ice Maker work?
We know how ice cubes are made. You pour some water into an ice tray, put them in the freezer until they become solid, and then pour them into your drinks.
With nugget ice, the “cubes” are really tasty and everyone loves to chew them. The process of production is quite different though.
Nugget ice maker devices direct the water into cylindrical pipes and cool it until thin layers of ice form. Then the ice gets crushed and turned into ice flakes – a structure similar to snowflakes. The ice flakes are then compressed into larger pieces shaped like nuggets (hence the name). This structure allows the ice to break easily when consumed.
Now, let’s have a look at 5 devices that make this kind of ice.
1. Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
This elegant Opal nugget ice maker looks great on any countertop. Its dimensions are 15.5 x 10.5 x 17.2 inches, and it requires an additional 3 inches clearance on both sides and behind the ice maker.
The ice that it makes is soft and crunchy. You’ll have the first portion of ice within 20 minutes of turning it on. After that, you’ll have 3 lbs of ice available anytime. The maximum quantity of ice per day is 24 lbs. When the ice reservoir is full, it will stop making new ice nuggets until some are removed.
You don’t need a water hookup for this ice maker, so it is easily portable. Just fill the reservoir, plug it into a standard 120V socket, and enjoy your ice. The capacity of the water reservoir is 2.5 quarts (2.36 liters). Melted nuggets turn back to the water reservoir automatically, and the water is reused to create new ice.
The Opal ice maker supports a Bluetooth connection, and you can control it by using the manufacturer’s FirstBuild app on your phone.
The manufacturer recommends using filtered or demineralized water. Water with a high level of minerals may cause the forming of calcium carbonate deposits, which then affects the performance of the ice maker.
Even though other manufacturers may forget to mention this fact, it is generally recommended to use “soft” water in these and similar devices. Also, the working temperature of this ice maker should be between 55°F – 90°F.
The seller offers limited 1-year parts and labor warranty.
Specifications
- Brand Name: FirstBuild
- Model Info: Opal01
- Item Weight: 44 pounds
- Product Dimensions: 15.5 x 10.5 x 17.25 inches
- Capacity: 3 Pounds
- Installation Type: Counter Top
- Form Factor: Stand Alone
- Color: Stainless Steel Wrap with Black Accents
- Voltage: 120 Volts
- Connector Type: Portable Ice Maker; Self Contained
- Door Material Type: Plastic
- Material Type: Stainless Steel, Plastic
- Included Components: Opal Icemaker, Ice Bin, Ice Scoop, and Drip Tray
2. GE Profile Opal | Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
The GE Profile Opal ice maker is a portable, countertop device that makes the finest nugget ice from compressed ice flakes. Unlike the traditional hard ice cubes, these nice and chewy ice nuggets retain the flavor of the beverage.
Like the previous model, this one also produces 24 lbs, and the capacity of the ice bin is 3 lbs. Unlike the previous model, this opal nugget ice maker has a side tank that triples its capacity and can be attached if needed.
The side tank is included in the package. Also, like the previous model, the water that appears as a result of ice melting simply returns to the reservoir and serves as a basis for new ice cubes.
While you need a 120v power source to make this ice maker work, a water hookup is not needed. You can move the ice maker whenever you like: just make sure you have access to electricity.
This device has an integrated Bluetooth device, and you can control it remotely from your smartphone.
Specifications
- Brand Name: GE
- Model Info: OPAL01GEPKT
- Item Weight: 47 pounds
- Product Dimensions: 17.5 x 13.43 x 16.5 inches
- Item model number: OPAL01GEPKT
- Capacity: 3 Pounds
- Noise: 53 dB
- Installation Type: Countertop
- Part Number: Opal01
- Color: Stainless Steel Wrap with Gray Accents & LED Lighting
- Voltage: 120 Volts
- Connector Type: Portable Ice Maker; Self Contained
- Door Material: Plastic
- Ice storage: 3 Pounds
- Material Type: Stainless Steel, Plastic
- Included Components: Opal Icemaker, Side Tank, Ice Bin, Ice Scoop, and Drip Tray
3. Euhomy Ice Maker Machine Countertop
Euhomy’s ice maker device will supply 24 ice cubes per 15-minute cycle. In other words, if you let it work for 24 hours (and remove the already made ice each cycle), you’ll get nearly 40 pounds of ice a day.
The device has an automatic self-cleaning feature, which helps you to have clean, uncontaminated ice that is safe to use. The cleaning function is turned on easily by long-pressing the timer button.
This ice cube maker has an LCD display and digital controls that are easy to use. You can set up the timer to produce ice whenever you need it within 8 hours of activation. Also, ice cube thickness is easily adjusted.
The indicator on the display will warn you when there’s not enough water available. Likewise, once your ice cubes are ready, the indicator will signal that it’s time to remove them.
On a full reservoir (2.2 liters) the device can make 120 ice nuggets in 5 cycles. The melted water can be returned to the reservoir and reused for ice cube production, but it won’t happen automatically. You need to open the cover and pour in the melted water.
Besides being efficient, this nugget ice machine creates minimum noise; it is one of the quietest ice makers on the market. This is possible thanks to advanced cooling technology and high-quality compressors. However, keep in mind that this machine creates hard cubes, not the fluffy ones – and the process of making the other kind of ice is a bit noisier.
This ice maker is portable, but if you’re moving it, make sure it stands upright for about 24 hours before the next use.
Specifications
- Brand Name: E EUHOMY
- Model Info: IM-F
- Item Weight: 33 pounds
- Product Dimensions: 14.1 x 11 x 13.7 inches
- Item model number: IM-F
- Capacity: 2.2 Pounds
- Installation Type: Countertop
- Part Number: IM-F
- Color: Sliver
- Material Type: Stainless Steel
- Included Components: Ice Maker
4. KBice Self Dispensing Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
The KBice Ice Maker is a self-dispensing nugget ice device. It is completely safe, has no traces of BPA or other harmful substances, has a self-cleaning feature, and is environmentally friendly.
The design of this nugget ice maker is compact with measures of 12” x 16” x 17.5” inches, perfect for almost any countertop.
To ensure that this device works properly for a long time, the manufacturer suggests that you should only use soft water – either distilled, bottled, or filtered in any way.
It takes 30 minutes to produce a round of ice nuggets. In 24 hours, it can make about 30 lbs. of ice.
The structure of the ice nuggets are crunchy and soft. The ice quickly gets the taste and flavor of the drink that you pour over it.
Since there’s no need to have a water hookup, this ice maker is portable. It only requires clean, soft water and a 120v electrical outlet.
The seller offers a 1-year warranty on this product. Also, you can return it within 30 days if you’re not happy with it.
Specifications
- Brand Name: KITCHEN BASICS 101
- Model Info: FDFM1JA01
- Item Weight: 40 pounds
- Product Dimensions: 16 x 17.5 x 12 inches
- Item model number: FDFM1JA01
- Noise: 52 dB
- Installation Type: Counter top
- Part Number: FDFM1JA01 6135-081
- Special Features: Nugget /Pellet / Crunchy / Soft /Pebble Ice Maker
- Color: Black
- Voltage: 115 Volts
- Ice storage: 1 Pounds
- Material: Plastic with metallic silver front and gloss black body
5. FRIGIDAIRE EFIC235-AMZ Countertop Crunchy Chewable Nugget Ice Maker
Just like the models above, this nugget ice maker has a compact design that fits most countertops. Since there’s no water hookup, it is also portable. All you need is electricity.
The kind of ice that it makes is soft and crunchy, with air pockets. It takes this device 15 minutes to make the first portion of ice nuggets.
The capacity of the ice bin is 3 lbs. It can produce up to 44 lbs of ice in 24 hours. Melted water returns to the water reservoir automatically and is used to produce more ice.
Specifications
- Brand Name: FRIGIDAIRE
- Model Info: EFIC235-AMZ
- Item Weight: 19 pounds
- Product Dimensions: 12 x 17 x 19 inches
- Item model number: EFIC235-AMZ
- Capacity: 44 Pounds
- Installation Type: Countertop
- Part Number:EFIC235-AMZ
- Voltage: 120 Volts
- Connector Type: Portable Ice Maker; Self Contained
- Door Material Type: Plastic
- Ice storage: 3 Pounds
- Material: Stainless Steel, Plastic
- Included Components: Icemaker, Side Tank, Ice Bin, Ice Scoop, and Drip Tray
Buyer’s Guide
These are all great machines that make tasty, well-structured ice bullets. Some of them work faster than others. Their capacity differs as well as their prices. We’ve even included a device that makes harder cubes, in case you’re interested in having lots of these – which can be handy during hot summer days.
So, here are our winners:
Best nugget ice maker overall: GE Opal Nugget Ice Maker
Best solid ice cubes maker: Euhomy Ice Maker Machine
The fluffiest ice structure: FRIGIDAIRE EFIC235-AMZ
We hope you found these reviews useful, and get ready to make your summer sweeter and crunchier. While you’re enjoying a glass of your favorite refreshment with a bunch of lovely ice nuggets, check out the other reviews on our website. We’ve prepared plenty of informative buying guides for you.
