The Best Pellet Ice Maker Option For Your Home

The other day I purchased the very popular Opal Nugget Ice Maker or pellet ice maker. I wanted to enjoy nugget ice at home and looked over my options coming to the conclusion that the Opal Nugget Ice Maker was the best choice.

In this article, I wanted to walk you through my research, and why I believe I made the best choice for making pellet ice at home.

Note: Pellet ice, nugget ice, pebble ice, hospital ice, and sonic ice are the same kind of ice.

MY SEARCH FOR THE BEST PELLET ICE MAKER FOR MY HOME

There are many options out there for nugget ice.

The Scotsman Commerical Nugget Ice Machine seemed to be overkill for what I would ever need. It produces 340 lbs of ice each day and has an 80 lbs storage bin. I don’t think that I would ever need or use that much ice.

I read a story the other day of a 60-year-old Chinese man that broke the world-record by submerging himself in ice for 113 minutes and 10 seconds. This is a classic story of someone that has way too much ice.

The Scotsman Commerical Nugget Ice Machine ice maker would be perfect for a small business, restaurant or bar, but wouldn’t be necessary for home use. Also, it costs just under $4000 which is a little more then I would want to spend on an ice maker for my home.

I also did some research on the Scotsman SCN60PA1SS Brilliance 15″ Stainless Steel Under-the-counter ice maker which is a smaller unit then the one above. This ice maker produces 80 lbs of nugget ice each day. The downside of these types of ice makers is they require a drain and waterline, so unless you’re a plumber, it would have to be professionally installed.

This under-the-counter ice maker is a solid ice maker with an elegant finish and would fit nicely under my kitchen counters. The problem is it’s a little more than I would like to spend and it would be nice if I could get an ice maker that I could take with me on trips or special occasions. Obviously, an under-the-counter-ice maker isn’t going anywhere once it’s installed.

I also took some time to research the Ice-O-Matic GEMU090 nugget ice maker. This ice maker is good mid-range unit. It produces 85 pounds of ice each day with a great air-cooled, self-contained condenser.

This too is a sharp-looking ice maker and would look great in my kitchen, but it costs just over $2000. I’m not saying that this ice maker isn’t worth the investment – it absolutely is. I just believe the units I listed above aren’t the best option for pellet ice for your home. If you are planning of redesigning your kitchen and plan on plumbing in some water and drain lines – by all means – choose one of these under-the-counter units. For the rest of us who don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on an ice maker – what’s the best option for pellet ice?

Before I jump into why I choose the Opal Nugget Ice Maker for making pellet ice at home, I wanted to take a moment and explain why I like nugget ice over all the other options.

WHY I LIKE USING PELLET ICE

Nugget ice, sonic ice, or pellet ice is perfect for my beverages because it is porous and absorbs the beverage into the ice. This means when I am done drinking the beverage I can eat the ice and it still has all the flavor.

• Absorbs the Flavor of Your Drink into the Ice
• Is Chewable Ice
• Small Pieces of Ice Allows You to Fill Your Glass
• Allows You To Create Great Frozen Treats
• Great For Preserving Food

Also, the ice is soft and chewable. Ice chewers will agree with me that pellet ice is great for chewing because it doesn’t hurt your teeth. Regular ice freezes water directly where pellet ice is ice shavings compacted into a pellet-shaped nugget. This is why it’s so easy to chew and soaks up your beverage.

I find that pellet ice is perfect for mixed drinks, cocktails and making fancy drinks that are always the talk of any party or gathering.

The bottom line is pellet ice is pretty great. If you are looking for an ice maker, I suggest or strongly encourage you to purchase a unit that produces pellet ice.

Again, all of the units above are excellent units and will last you a long time. If you are looking for a built-in unit than I would suggest you click on the links and head over to Amazon to find out more about them.

For me, they are too large and produce too much ice. I’m looking for a smaller, compact unit.

WHY I CHOOSE THE OPAL ICE MAKER FOR PELLET ICE

This is why I choose the Opal Nugget Ice Maker. The decision to choose the Opal Ice Maker came down to serval reasons. The first reason is its price. This unit costs about $500 which is a bargain compared to the other options for pellet ice.

Small commercial pellet ice makers can cost between $200-$5000. The Opal Ice Maker stands tall at only $500.

The second reason I choose the Opal Nugget Ice Maker is that it’s portable. We had a family gathering the other day and I was in charge of ice. I loaded the Opal Ice Maker into my car and my part was done. This ice maker produces 24 pounds of pellet ice each day which was plenty for my family.

It’s a classy-looking unit as well. The stainless-steel front panel and the LED-lit transparent bin add some sophistication to my kitchen.

Another reason I chose the Opal Ice Maker was because of the simple installation and maintenance. You don’t have to have it professionally installed. There are no water lines or drains attached to the unit as the melting ice water is recycled to make more ice.

I put the ice maker on my countertop and there is always fresh ice available to us. Also, the Opal Nugget Ice Maker has an auto-cleaning feature that ensures you are always serving clean ice.

This ice maker has Bluetooth technology as well which is convenient for turning the unit on or off wirelessly. You can also create a schedule for when you want the ice maker to begin making ice.

There are a lot of great options for enjoying pellet ice at home, but I recommend that you take a look at the Opal Nugget Ice Maker. We love this ice maker at our house and enjoy all the different beverages we can create.

We love it and I know that you will love it too.

Take some time and ask your questions below. Tell me how you like your Opal Ice Maker. Take some time and read my full Opal Ice Maker review for more information.

Click on the link below and get the best price on Amazon for a brand new Opal Nugget Ice Maker.