So, you may be wondering . . . why is there an article about an ice maker on a beer site? Only monsters would put ice in beer. Don’t worry, I’m not going to talk about putting ice in beer. I don’t even drink beer from frozen glasses or mugs. But the reality is most beer drinkers also enjoy cocktails, mixed drinks, and other ice-friendly beverage. I’m one of those people so it only made sense to take the chance to try out the Newair 44lb. Nugget Countertop Ice Maker to see how it works in my home bar.
For me, I’ve been using ice cube trays for any drinks I make. This isn’t super convenient. Seems like I am always out of ice and it takes quite a while for new ice to freeze. Getting a dedicated source of ice without purchasing a new refrigerator made the most sense.
Before we talk about the ice maker; let’s talk about ice itself.
Types Of Ice
Just like any hobby, it is amazing how easy it can be to get wrapped up in the details. I guess that’s what makes it so much fun. For beer, I get excited to hear about new hops or yeast just as much as I do about trying a new beer.
Other drinks are no different and when it comes to cocktails and mixed drinks, ice is a big deal.
I haven’t gotten into the type or quality of water that I use to make ice but I have tried different shapes and sizes of ice. From standard cubes to large cubes, spheres, and crushed ice; there are certain drinks that call for a specific type.
When I drink a spirit neat, I prefer a large cube or sphere. For cocktails, I’ve used a wide variety of types of ice. And, of course, mules are bust with crushed ice. The bottom line is I’ve mixed and matched different types of ice to see what works best for me.
What I hadn’t tried was nugget ice. I’ve had it at restaurants and fast food spots but it hadn’t made its way into my home. It just isn’t an ice type that’s easy to create. That all changed with the Newair Nugget Ice Maker.
Nugget ice is really unique.
One of the things that makes it really popular is how much people enjoy eating it. It is just the right size and “crunchiness” and people crave it. It’s the type ice people just eat; no drink necessary. But I’d claim it is best in a good cocktail.
Nugget Ice In Cocktails
You can read more about the Newair Nugget Ice Maker below but I wanted to take a moment to share how I’ll be using it most often.
Next to craft beer, we make a decent number of cocktails at home. These are typically Old Fashioned or Manhattans. Both aren’t overly complicated but feel like you’re drinking something special.
As I mentioned above, large cubes or spheres have been my go-to but I’d occasionally use the classic cube from those trays. All worked really well. For Manhattans, I often use the ice in the shaker but every once in a while I’d haev it on the rocks.
After having success with other ice, I was a bit apprehensive to try the nugget ice. Primarily, I thought it would melt too fast and water the drink down faster than I’d like. But the reality is it held up really well. Nugget ice seems to chill it much faster too.
This is great in the shaker when making a Manhattan. It gets really cold, really fast.
Will I always use nugget ice in cocktails or mixed drinks? Probably not as there are times I want something a bit different. But I’ll use it more often than not.
Newair 44lb. Nugget Countertop Ice Maker Review
The specific ice maker I’m testing out is the Newair 44lb. Nugget Countertop Ice Maker (SKU NIM044BS00) and can be found here. (ProTip: There’s a discount code at the bottom of this article!)
Prior to this ice maker, my home bar didn’t have an easy way to get ice. While I had a refrigerator nearby, freezing ice in old school trays wasn’t much fun. And the large cubes or spheres aren’t always what we want. So having a nugget ice maker was a great fit.
But, I had never used an ice maker like this so I had no idea what to expect. Overall, this machine is awesome but there are a few things that caught me off guard.
The unit itself is about the size I thought it would be but it weighs about 4x what I envisioned . . . it is a tank. I have a feeling this thing is going to outlast everything else I own. It fits so well on a countertop (which makes since that’s what it is designed for). Visually, it is very sleek and the LED light adds a touch of class to it.
Right out of the box, the setup was super simple. Just add water, run a cleaning cycle and you’re ready to go. From there, just start making ice which is as easy as just adding water and hitting the Ice button.
The ice produced is exactly as advertised. It is perfect little nuggets that are crunchy and perfect for a wide variety of drinks.
Cool features:
- The reservoir for the water is directly below the ice container. What is genius about this is any melted ice returns to the reservoir to be made into new ice.
- To drain any unused water, there are two tubes on the back of the unit that you lead into a bucket or sink and let it drain.
- It is self-cleaning. At first glance, I didn’t realize how important this is but it really is nice to know that cleaning is as easy as hitting a button.
Details I wasn’t expecting:
- While the unit can produce 44 lbs. of ice a day, it isn’t immediate and you’ll want to get it started a few hours ahead of parties, etc.
- The unit doesn’t keep the ice frozen. It is well insulated and the ice will remain in there for hours, it melts slowly.
My First Party With The Newair Nugget Ice Maker
I got this ice maker just a few weeks prior to the “Big Game”, you know the one. It featured the Bengals & Rams this year . . .
Anyways, I had a large group watching the game with me so I fired up the ice maker while I set up for the game and by the time my guests were there, ice was ready.
It was great to have ice ready to go and easily available in my bar. It was a “set it & forget it” type thing too. Just had to make sure there was water in it and just let it go.
I didn’t have any issues but I can imagine a scenario where all the ice gets used and it would need time to “catch up”. It will be put to the true test when there is warmer weather and my guests will be craving more ice.
The only thing left is to determine if your home needs a Newair Nugget Ice Maker. I think it comes down to a few different factors. Is nugget ice something you’ve enjoyed in the past? How often do you entertain? Do you need an easy way to have an ice maker somewhere that isn’t by a refrigerator? Do you make a wide variety of drinks?
If you answered yes to any of these, then go check it out:
Newair 44lb. Nugget Countertop Ice Maker
Use Code JOE10 to save 10%!
