The Opal Nugget Ice Maker Review

If you are one that loves to use nugget ice, then you’re going to love the product that I am about to review.

FirstBuild innovative company that’s dedicated to making products that make our life easier. One terrific product made by FirstBuild, is a portable ice maker that has been super popular over the last couple of years and for a good reason.

Before their ice maker, you would have to purchase an expensive and large commercial ice maker if you wanted to serve sonic or nugget ice in your home. FirstBuild set out to change the game with their portable version of a nugget ice maker that sits on your countertop.

This ice maker is so small and compact, that it can be taken anywhere you have a power outlet and water. It’s truly groundbreaking.

You have come to this article today to answer an important question about this small, compact nugget ice maker – should you purchase it?

Nugget ice is very different then what traditional countertop ice makers produce. Regular countertop ice makers produce bullet-shaped or hat-shaped ice which is produced by freezing water around a cooled cylinder.

Bullet-shaped ice is often difficult to chew.

Nugget ice is produced by scraping ice and creating ice flakes then compressing those flakes into a nugget-shaped piece of ice.

This makes the ice soft, chewable and porous. Nugget ice is used for a variety of venues from bars to restaurants. It’s also the ice of choice for the elderly because it doesn’t pose as a choking threat. It’s soft and easy to chew, but soaks up all the flavor of your beverage so it’s delightful to use.

Before the Opal Ice Maker, it was impossible to get nugget ice from a countertop ice maker. The only options were large commercial units which would cost a lot of money. The innovation of the Opal Nugget Ice Maker cannot be overstated – it’s a first for portable ice makers.

If you don’t know what nugget ice is then you need to get into your car and head down to a local Sonic Drive Thru. There you will get first-hand experience of how wonderful sonic or nugget ice really is.

There are three main reasons why you should consider using nugget ice as your ice choice each day.

1. It’s soft, chewable and gentle on your teeth.
2. It’s a sponge for your beverage so even when you’re all done your drink you and still taste it as you finish off what’s left of your beverage.
3. It fills your glass because it’s small and compact.

Nugget ice is certainly my favorite type of ice.

The Opal Nugget Ice Maker looks great. It has a classy stainless-steel finish and a LED lit ice bin which will fit nicely into any kitchen. I’m not just saying this either – this ice maker looks great.

The other day I had someone over to my house and they saw the Opal Nugget Ice Maker on my counter and mentioned to me that it looked expensive.

I really like the look of this ice maker. It’s very boxy looking, but not in a negative way. It’s compact, and I do not think that you’re going to have a problem finding it a home.

There is one thing that you should be aware about this ice maker – It’s heavy. It weighs 44 pounds which is pretty heavy for a portable ice maker.

It’s not an ice maker that you’re going to want to carry around with you – you’ll want to find it a home and leave it there. If you are interested in purchasing a smaller portable ice maker for camping or your RV, then I would suggest heading over to icemakergeeks.com and take a peek at their top ice makers. They have a great selection of ice makers that they have reviewed, and they will be able to help you find the one that’s best for you.

The Opal Nugget Ice Maker produces 24 pounds of ice each day or 1 pound of ice every hour. It has a removable ice bin which makes scooping out your ice easy and convenient. As I mentioned above, the ice basket is also lit by LED and it’s helpful if you want to find it in the dark. The LED lit ice storage container looks great as well.

You need to remember that portable ice makers do not have built-in freezers so the ice will eventually melt. They have a great system though. The ice that melts in the ice bin will return to the water reservoir where it’s available to make more ice.

The Opal Nugget Ice Maker has a led light indicator ring that lets you know what the unit is doing. It also has self-cleaning features that make cleaning the ice maker a breeze.

I have to say, I enjoyed using this ice maker, and I found that the set-up process was easy and I was ready to make ice quickly.

The ice that this ice maker produces is excellent. It’s soft, porous ice that absorbs your beverage so that you can enjoy the flavor right to the end.

This ice maker also has Bluetooth Technology so that you can create schedules of when you want the ice maker to begin making ice.

The problem that I find with the app is that it’s Bluetooth and not WIFI which means you would have to be in the same house to use it. I find it is easier just to turn it on when I walk by then pulling out my phone and scrolling through the app.

This is just my opinion, and you may enjoy it. I think it would be cool if they had an ice maker that was connected to wifi so that you could start making ice anywhere! Now that’s an idea.

Again, I really enjoyed using this ice maker. It makes plenty of ice for my family of five, and the ice is perfect for any beverage.

I had the ice maker running in about 15 minutes and cleaning the unit doesn’t take long at all.

It is a little noisy, but comparable to other portable ice makers. It fits nicely on my countertop and the stainless-steel design looks elegant.

Overall, I am pleased with this ice maker. It works as advertised and produces nugget ice that is comparable to commercial units.

As far as price, it’s more on the high end for countertop ice makers. You’re paying for more than just a countertop ice maker, but the technology of producing nugget ice in such a compact unit. So, It is worth the price point.

You can now get a side tank for the Opal that allows you to have more water. This is a small step toward a water line, in my opinion, but it does give you the option of running to the sink and filling up the unit less often.

This ice maker has had a lot of attention over the last few months, but it’s worth the attention it’s getting. It’s a solid portable ice maker that produces excellent nugget ice at the fraction of the cost for commercial units.

The 1-year warranty helps you to buy with confidence, and FirstBuild is an honorable company to do business with.

If you are looking for a nugget ice maker for your home, but don’t want to spend thousands of dollars, then this is the unit for you.

Throw your review down below and let your voice be heard. If you have any questions or comments you can use the comment section below.

This helpful product will be a handy addition to your kitchen.