Product Description
You'll never run out of ice with the Insignia NS-IMN44BS4 Portable Nugget Ice Maker with Auto Shut-Off. This ice maker stores up to 3.5 lbs. to supply all the cold drinks at a large gathering. It creates small, chewable ice pellets in 12 minutes, letting you enjoy the restaurant-style ice you love right at home. An extra-large 2.3-quart water tank recycles melted ice, so you can refill it less often. A digital touch control panel makes this portable ice maker easy to operate, and the lighted bin makes it easy to see how much ice is ready to use. Match the ice maker to your kitchen décor with a black and stainless-steel design that will attract all your guests. Become the best party host with a portable ice maker that keeps up with the drinks and your guests' expectations.
Dimension
Product Height : 16.5 inches
Product Width :9.8 inches
Product Depth :16.1 inches
Product Weight :31.6 pounds
Features
Small, chewable ice pellets Enjoy ice pellets like those served in restaurants.
Removable basket Offers easy access to large amounts of ice.
Auto shut-off Ensures ice production stops when the bin is full to prevent overflow.
LED lighting Lets you easily see how much ice is inside the basket.
Fast-working system Produces your first ice in about 12 minutes.
3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) storage capacity Gives you plenty of ice for any occasion.
Digital touch controls Makes using this ice maker simple and easy.
Drip tray and ice scoop Makes it easy to pour ice into individual glasses and keep your countertop dry.
Extra-large water tank Holds up to 2.3 qt. (2.2 L) of water.
Self-recycling water system Filters and reuses melted water, eliminating the need for a drain.
Auto cleaning mode Keeps the ice maker in good working condition.
Textured top Provides convenient storage for glasses or bottles.
Stable standing design Four rubber feet keep the ice maker stable on your table or countertop.
Stainless steel and black design Easy to keep clean and looks great in any kitchen.
TUV certified Tested for safety complies with the requirements of national, regional, and international regulations.
What's Included
Insignia Portable Nugget Ice Maker with Auto Shut-Off
Ice scoop
Drip tray
User Guide
Reviews
-
Happier with this one v. GE opal junker
Haven't seen how it holds up past a year so giving it a 4. Our GE opal lasted barely over a year & was a piece of junk! We are much happier with the Insignia. Bonus being cheaper & on sale when we bought this 3+ months ago. Kept the side tank from the GE opal to hook up to this one but have found we really don't need it. There's still about half of the ice that hasn't melted overnight when I turn it back on in the mornings. It's making ice again within 10 or so minutes! Very happy with this nugget icemaker!
-
Nugget ice at a nice price
I already own a small Insignia ice cube maker that makes nine cubes at a time. I bought that three years ago. I kept seeing these nugget ice cube makers, and I really like nugget ice, so I finally got one. This one is larger than my little 9 cube maker, but not by a whole lot. This is a really nice looking unit, black and stainless steel finish, which matches my kitchen. It fits on my countertop, next to my refrigerator. The ice maker in that quit a long time ago. There’s 3 ½” of space between the upper cabinet and the top of the nugget ice maker. The power cord is decently long, which is nice because you need a good wall outlet to be able to plug into. This nugget maker is pretty simple to operate. I put filtered water in it to cut down on buildup. The maximum amount of water it holds is 74.4 ounces/ 2.2L of water. I happened to have an extra 2L slim pitcher, so I decided to use that as my dedicated water-pourer. The ice sort of forms slowly, it sounds like a cross between popcorn popping and a slow hail storm. The motor is not that noisy. Yes, I can hear it, and noises actually bother me a lot, but it’s not an annoying noise. There is an air vent fan on the right side of the machine. Be sure to keep that clear of a wall or refrigerator so the air circulates freely in order for the ice to be produced correctly. I just scoop out the ice after there’s a bit of it in the bin and put it in a large silicone bag and stick it in the freezer if we aren’t using it up as it’s being made. You do have to do a self-cleaning every three days, as stated in the instructions. It wasn’t that bad, and we didn’t have to carry the machine over to the sink, which was a relief as this thing is somewhat heavy and I don’t want to drop it by accident. It weighs about 31 pounds. For me it’s not the weight of it, but I’m short, that's the only problematic part for me. I think the self-cleaning instructions could be a bit more detailed, as it’s pretty important, but I think I “get it”. Especially since I have owned another electric ice maker, I know this is a step you shouldn’t ignore. The drain pipes, as they are called, are not hard plastic but I think they are silicone. So they won’t crack easily. You will have to detach those from the clip in order to do the self-cleaning but it wasn’t very hard to do at all. All in all this is a nice upgrade from my 9 cube ice maker! I can now enjoy my iced tea and other beverages with this wonderful little ice.
-
Solid Ice Maker with some Minor Flaws.
The Insignia Nugget Ice Maker is a product I’ve always wanted in my home, so I was excited to get my hands on one to see how it performed. The unit was easy to initially setup and the instructions were straight forward. The Ice Maker is heavy so I don’t really consider this to be a portable device, but I guess you could take it anywhere where you have an outlet and use it. Instructions require that you put the Ice Maker in a well-ventilated area so it can breathe as the side fan puts off some heated air. Once installed where you want it to go you must run a Vinegar/Water mixture through the unit to initially clean it, which takes about twenty minutes total and it advises that you clean it every 3 days. Afterwards I wiped down the inside with a Baking soda and water solution, and we were off and running ready to make some ice. The one thing that struck me as odd and a rather weird design choice is the placement of the water tank in the bottom of the unit to make the ice. My mother in law has a GE Opal Ice maker and their ice maker has a separate water tank that hangs on the outside of the unit and is easily accessible to refill. With the Insignia it’s at the bottom of the unit itself and the opening is not very big so when I’m using my Brita I had to tilt the unit back in order to fully empty my jug. I suppose going forward I could use a gallon water jug to pour it in, but to me it’s a poor design choice. The ice starts making producing quickly, about 10-12 minutes it will start producing cubes but they don’t come out particularly fast so if you’re planning on throwing a party and need a full tray of ice for it I suggest doing it about 2 hours ahead of time. There’s a blue light inside of it that adds a nice effect and you can watch the ice being made and a drip tray to keep any water from getting on the countertop. The nuggets are a nice small rectangular shape and perfect for mixed drinks, soft drinks, or someone who is looking for these small pellet ice cubes like Sonic and some restaurants have. The one other feature I wish it had is the ability to keep the ice cold after being made. Unfortunately, if you want to keep the ice for a long period of time it needs to be put in a Ziploc bag and moved to your freezer otherwise it will melt. In conclusion, the Insignia Ice Maker is a solid product, my wife and I are excited to have it in our home and will be using it daily for our drinks. The minor quibbles I have with the product don’t detract from the awesome ice it produces and I would recommend it for someone looking for a pellet ice maker in their home!
-
2nd times the charm. We hope.
This is our second one.. Truly hope it lasts longer. The first quit freezing in the first month. We had to package it up and take it to a store where they reordered another. Shipping was good. When the ice maker was working made really great ice. It is a little louder than expected. But we love it.
-
ICE ICE Baby!
Wife and I usually buy a bag of ice from that fast food restaurant with all the drinks once or twice a month because we LOVE the crunchy cube ice. So when I saw this Ice maker from insignia I was really excited to get my hand on it! Got it and could not wait to get it going. It’s the perfect size and produces a lot of ice in a pretty short period of time! It is pretty heavy but no heavier than a heavy mixer would be. We opted to put it on the ground next to a mini fridge in our kitchen, but it would fit on the counter no problem. I was worried about how to fill it with water if its on the counter under a cupboard or something, but the water is loaded in the front which makes it super easy to fill. I would recommend filtered or purified water for the clearest cubes. You have to run two to three batches of ice to make sure all the manufactures residue was cleared out of all the lines. Note: If for some reason the unit was shipped on its side or transported on its side the instructions say to let it sit vertically for 4 hours to allow the refrigerant to settle. Ran the two batches to clear the lines and then started on the first batch of ice! The unit makes some noise. I would not say it is loud per se but it kind of sounds like small hail hitting a window when the ice drops from the freezer to the plastic basket. It did not bother me or my wife in the least but just know that it is not whisper silent. It starts spitting the ice out quickly and can fill up the basket a lot faster than I thought it would. I love the light inside which can be turned off or on and the scoop it comes with is a nice touch! The size of the ice is perfect and if you like to crunch ice when you drink your favorite beverage it is the perfect density and size to crunch away!!! Something else though that I had not considered is that it is an ice maker and not an ice machine. I’m not sure what the distinction “officially” is but what I mean is that after it makes the ice you need to use it in a day or so or transfer it to a freezer for longer-term storage. It’s not like an ice machine like I have at work that continually has ice in it and continually makes the ice. The instruction says you should clean out and drain the water every 24 hours to keep the ice fresh. So we plan to use it for parties or for the weekend or to make ice and store it in the freezer so I don’t have to run to the fast food place to get the” good ice” anymore! Overall, I really love this little ice maker. It’s the perfect size for plenty of top-notch crunchable ice! Works great and looks great! If you are looking for more of an industrial ice storage/maker maybe you’d want another model. But for my house….PERFECT!
-
Great nugget icemaker at fraction of the cost!
Used both Opal and Insignia, while the Opal is great, I'm much happier with this one at a fraction of the price. Makes good solid ice nuggets. Machine is definitely louder than the Opal, but we live with a lot of highway noise, so it isn't an issue for us. Once we got used to the sound of the ice dropping, we don't notice it much, it reminds us that ice is being made. Solid product at a great price, especially if you catch it on a deal like we did, could be less than $300. Great deal! Thanks Best Buy!
-
Excellent ice maker
Excellent product, ice starts to fall within 10 minutes.
-
Good but not quite chewable
Pros Clean and simple design Blue light looks nice for gatherings Reasonably quiet for an icemaker Quick to make first batch Makes ice fast overall Easy to clean Right angle wall plug Makes semi chewable ice Reasonably easy to clean Cons Stainless steel gets fingerprints easily Front door can rattle Front door handle is fragile Using ice scoop is awkward No timer Still could be too loud for common areas Ice not as chewable as it could be Ice keeps melting causes bin to drip water when opening Drip tray shows water spots easily Requires frequent cleaning (every 3 days) The Insignia Portal Nugget Ice mater is a has a clean and simple design. It is a simple stainless steel and black plastic cabinet with just an on/off, clean, and light button on the front. The front has a viewing window which allows you to see the ice level with help of the blue light. The top has a ribbed storage area which could either hold the scooper or potentially glasses. On the right side near the back of the unit is an exhaust fan which you would want to give ample space to blow out the warm air. The left side near the back has intake vents. On the back are the two cleaning tubes that when not in use hang on the holder. The included plug is a right-angle plug but strangely the cord coming out of the back isn’t. If the cord coming out of the back was right angle to match, then the unit could be move closer to the wall. Included are an ice scoop and black plastic drip tray Performance and Usage Getting started out of the box is very simple. Just do a quick clean on the inside and toss out toss the first few rounds of ice and you are done. Once you press the on button there is a short delay before the compressor kicks in and a few minutes later the first batch of ice drops out. Sometimes we have started a batch it seemed like it was less than 10 minutes before we heard the first ice drop out. While not silent, it is reasonably quiet for what is essentially a compressor in a metal box. There is no padding or sound insulation, so you are going to hear the hum of the compressor. You will also periodically hear it pushing out a batch of ice and the ice dropping into the tray. If you are more sensitive to appliance sounds or want to place it in a small common room, it might get distracting. It would have been nice if Insignia included some sound insulation in it like larger appliances to keep the sound down even more. One thing that might not be obvious is the icemaker doesn’t keep the ice cold. After ice is made it drops into a bin that is not kept cold. This means that as the ice sits it begins to melt. The melted ice does drop back down into the water bin to be made into ice again, but it is a bit of a downside. When you open the ice bin there is usually some water in the bottom. It does have slots to drain out the water, but water does drip everywhere regardless. The solution is a black plastic drip tray. It isn’t attached or kept in place in any way. It also shows white stains as water evaporates leaving a white film. It would have been nice if the drip tray had slots to allow water to drip below and out of site. This way the white film would be hidden inside the base of the tray. Even better would be to have the ice bin hinge out so water would drip directly back into the reservoir when opened. Included with the icemaker is a small scoop which works but could also use some improvement. Compared to the ice bin the shape and length of the scoop means getting out ice feels awkward and often leads to dropping some even outside the icemaker. While these are mostly minor nuisances, they are areas where the design could be improved. The big question is how does it perform? First it must be said that the people like the blue light. It might not be quite as useful as a white light be for seeing ice levels, but it does get more attention from visitors. As for the quality of the ice it is very good. While the specs say it makes chewable ice, it isn’t quite as soft and brittle as the kind you would see at some restaurants and fast-food chains. It is a little more solid that that but much software than the cubes that come out of your fridge. Since the bin isn’t refrigerated, the nuggets get little softer as they melt and even more so in your drink, but it wouldn’t be a good idea to chew them if you value your teeth. They also sometimes refreeze and get harder as they sit. The big difference is in how well they cool your drink. If you are the type that likes your drinks, such as soda, nearly freezer cold this will do the trick. Even if the soda is room temperature it is nearly freezer cold by the time you finish pouring. That’s not something you are going to get from regular ice. Also, the ice doesn’t seem to water down the drink any faster. While using the icemaker is overall very simple the cleanup process is a bit tedious. That’s not because it is very hard. It’s because you are supposed to clean it every 3 days. The process involves filling it up, pressing clean, and then draining the water. It probably has something to do with either mold or calcium buildup but it’s worth noting you must take care of it frequently. While the stainless-steel sides make it feel like a higher quality machine, they also create a fingerprint magnet. There is no coating on the metal so if you touch the metal at all or drip some water on it you are going to see it until you clean it again. Something else worth considering is it doesn’t have a timer. Some units have a timer that you can set for the time of day you usually have ice they will turn on. This way you can always have fresh nugget ice ready at that time. Thankfully this unit is fast because the process is completely manual. You can save the ice and put in your freezer for later, but it doesn’t work as well. We even tried dumping the ice straight into our fridge icemaker but putting the ice in the freezer causes it to harden and combining into chunks negating the advantages. You are better off just turning it on when you need it and waiting the few minutes it takes to get a batch. Final Thoughts While the Insignia Portable Nugget Ice could use some further improvement it is still a nice unit. If you are in the market for a budget-oriented nugget icemaker, then the Insignia Portable Nugget Ice maker is worth a look.
-
Nugget (Chick-fil-A) Ice
We LOVE the nugget ice; this machine doesn’t disappoint!
