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stefaniwolff

undercounter nugget ice maker recommendation

last year

I am building a custom home and am looking for a recommendation for a built-in undercounter ice maker, preferrably with nugget/ chewable ice.

I'd like one that is reliable, quite and is less than $4K

Thanks

Comments (10)

  • PRO
    last year

    What size are you looking for? They come in different widths, usually 15 or 18" wide. Take a look at Ice O Matic is a good, reliable brand or Scotsman Residential, is also a high-end brand. You should find a few models under 4k.


    @Mark Bischak, Architect, For as long as it's not yellow ice LOL

  • PRO
    last year

    !!!!!!!

  • last year
    last modified: last year

    We did a bunch of research on this when we built our house in 2020 and Scotsman came up the very clear winner. :-) Can't remember all the reasons why though. Things might have changed since then.

    These are cylindrical cubes and surprisingly clear. Not sure how chewable.

    One irritating thing about ours is that it constantly makes ice. There's a hot plate in the bottom of the bin that slowly melts ice. This insures that the ice in the bin is always fresh but it also wastes a lot of energy and water. We put ours on a timer so that on weekdays it only operates from 2a to 6a which gives us plenty of fresh ice for the day.

  • last year

    As these are not refrigerated and cannot preserve the ice they produce, why are these superior to ice makers built into refrigerators? Are these for parties where lots of ice is needed rather than for daily use?

  • last year
    last modified: last year

    The primary benefit of dedicated ice makers is fresh ice that's free from contaminants. Ice from consumer freezers will often impart unpleasant tastes due to exposure to other stuff in the freezer and because the ice is often stale due to age (being preserved). Ice from a dedicated icemaker isn't exposed to the gook of a freezer and is usually only a few hours old rather than days or weeks old (eg, why the hot plate in the bottom).

    They produce more ice at a faster rate so you're less likely to run out.

    Many produce ice that is more clear compared to freezer ice.

    ---

    FWIW, for cocktails we make ice with Wintersmith's or Mooues top down molds. These produce much clearer ice and in various shapes.

  • last year

    I looked at both Scotsman units and settled on the cuber machine, Their machines do not have a heat plate in the bottom of the bin to melt the ice! All under counter ice machines are just a storage cooler. The ice is always melting and fresh ice is made but there is nothing that will melt the ice that is built in the machine. If you are concerned about energy or water usage do not get an ice machine. They at the top of the list for wasting energy and water. But if you use a lot of ice they are worth the investment. As far as noise go with the nugget machine with the gravity grain. When this machine is making ice you can barely hear it operating, if you need the pump for the drain it is still not that band when the pump is operating. Be ready to spend more than $4000.00, it will probably be close to $5000.00 by the time you get the machine and whatever front panel you need to finish it. You will need a simple water filter for the incoming water. The quality of the ice in the nugget machine will depend on the water. What ever comes in the machine will be in the ice, The nugget machine does not remove the impurities from the water like the cuber machine does. If you want crystal clear ice go with the cuber machine.

  • 11 months ago

    We've had 2 Iceomatic's GEMU090 and didn't have a problem with either one. The 1st one we had for 8 years and move. We then just remodeled our new house's kitchen and added one in that.

  • 11 months ago

    We had a Scotsman nugget ice machine in our last home. I loved it and the ice was chewable. Only problem we had was someone opened the door too hard and then it wouldn't stay closed. Warranty replacement covered. Cleaning was a pain, but maybe all brands are? You have to empty completely, have a special bottle with bended straw, remove parts, etc.

  • 11 months ago

    Placement in the home should also be considered. They are noisy buggers.