Best NewAir Portable/Countertop Ice Makers (Review)

NewAir makes so many different models of portable/countertop ice cube makers it can be hard to choose which one to buy. To make this choice easier today we will find out which ones are the best!

#1 NewAir AI-215SS 50-lb. Ice Maker

Out of all NewAir portable/countertop ice makers AI-215SS is the one who outputs most ice but that’s not the only reason why it’s best.

NewAir AI-215SS makes up to 50 lbs of bullet shaped ice cubes in 24 hours – almost twice as much as most other countertop ice makers.

It makes 12 ice cubes per batch but since AI-215SS can make ice cubes of 3 different sizes time per batch depends on what size you have selected. A batch of 12 small ice cubes take about 6-7 minutes to be made, medium sized about 10 and large ice cubes about 13 minutes. The larger setting you choose the thicker ice cubes will be, the thicker they are the longer it takes for them to melt.

Ice cube quality is good but be aware that first 1-2 batches might output lower quality and smaller sized ice cubes as NewAir AI-215SS needs to run for a bit to cool down for optimal performance.

Ice basket is not refrigerated so made ice cubes will slowly melt if left there. Water for melted ice cubes will go back into water reservoir to be reused for following batches. If you need ice maker with refrigerated ice basket you will likely have to spend at least $300, one of the least expensive ice maker that is refrigerated is Whynter UIM-155 but it can only produce 12 lbs of ice cubes per 24 hours (which is not a huge issue as you can run it 24/7 and have 6 lbs of ice cubes in the ice maker at any time) however reliability issues with it are somewhat common.

Control panel

NewAir AI-215SS has LCD display that displays multitude on information and 4 buttons: “On/Off” button to turn the device on or off, “Select” button for choosing ice cube size, “Timer” button for setting up timer and “Clean” button for starting cleaning mode.

Features

NewAir AI-215SS has timer function that allows you to postpone ice production for 1-18 hours so you it can make ice cubes just before you wake up or arrive at home.

It also has cleaning mode – fill the water reservoir with 1:1 water and vinegar mixture and press the “Clean” to start cleaning mode. After 5-6 minutes drain the mixture through drain plug after it has completed cleaning process. Then fill water reservoir with water only and press the “Clean” button again to flush away vinegar or any other stuff that’s left inside. After it completes cleaning process drain the water and your ice maker is now fully cleaned! Just add water again and you can start making ice cubes again! If manual states different procedure follow it instead.

NewAir AI-215SS has sensors that detect when water reservoir is empty or ice basket full. If it detects either it will pause ice production and display warning on its LCD Display.

NewAir AI-215SS is made of BPA-free parts.

Portability

Since NewAir AI-215SS can output significantly more ice than most other ice makers it might not come as surprise that’s also heavier and larger than most of them making it less portable. It weighs 37.6 pounds with empty water reservoir and measures 17.2 inches deep, 15.3 inches wide (including the drain) and 16.5 inches tall.

On the upside it has two handles for carrying whereas most ice machines don’t.

Conclusions

Not only NewAir AI-215SS makes more ice than other NewAir ice machines it’s also the most reliable one and produces best ice. On the downside it’s larger, heavier and more expensive. Still, despite those drawbacks it’s overall the best ice maker from NewAir.

NewAir AI-215SS 50-lb. Ice Machine Specifications:

• Type: Freestanding / Portable / Countertop
• Ice cube production:
  • Ice output: up to 50 lbs per 24 hours
  • Ice cubes per batch: 12
  • Ice cube size settings: 3
  • Ice cube shape: Bullet with hollow middle
• Rated Voltage/Frequency: 115V / 60Hz
• Current: 2.1/3.2 amps
• Power consumption: 170 watts
• Weight: 37.6 lbs
• Water reservoir capacity: 1.5 gallons / 5.67 liters
• Dimensions: 17.2″ x 15.3″ x 16.5″ (D x W x H)

#2 NewAir AI-100BK 28 lb Portable Ice Maker

NewAir AI-100BK can make up to 28 lbs of ice cubes in 24 hours. It makes 9 bullet shaped ice cubes with hollow inside every 6-15 minutes (usually 10-15).

Ice cube quality is decent. They aren’t hard frozen so they are soft and nice to chew on (same applies to ice cubes made with AI-215SS). They do come out a bit wet which can be issue since ice basket is not refrigerated and they will freeze together if you store them in freezer for later use.

NewAir AI-100BK also offers 3 different ice cube size settings.

Control panel

NewAir AI-100BK has 2 buttons: one for starting/stopping ice making and the other one for selecting ice cube size.

It also has 6 indicator lights: Two of them are warning indicator – one illuminates to warn you that water reservoir is empty and the other when ice basket is full of ice cubes. Then there are three indicator lights to display which ice cube size setting has been selected – each size setting has its own indicator. The sixth and last indicator simply illuminates when ice maker is turned one and making ice cubes.

Features

NewAir AI-100BK is pretty basic ice maker so it doesn’t really have any features other than sensors to detect when water reservoir is empty or ice basket full.

Reliability

Although consumer feedback for the most part is positive some have complained about their units breaking after 6-12 months of use. It doesn’t seem like something that happens to most units but still seems somewhat common enough to pay attention to.

Conclusions

NewAir AI-100BK is pretty basic ice maker but it does a decent job.

NewAir AI-100BK 28 lb Portable Ice Maker Specifications:

• Type: Freestanding / Portable / Countertop
• Ice output: up to 28 lbs per 24 hours
• Ice cubes per batch: 9
• Ice cube size options: 3
• Ice cube shape: Bullet with hollow inside

#3 NewAir NIM033BK00 Portable Countertop Ice Maker

NewAir NIM033BK00 ice maker can make up to 33 lbs of ice cubes in 24 hours. It makes 9 bullet shaped ice cubes with hollow inside every 8-12 minutes. Quality is not terrible but it’s not great either – ice cubes come out a bit too soft, they should be slightly more frozen.

When you initially get NewAir NIM033BK00 it might produce ice cubes with a funny taste to them, that’s why you probably should add water, let the ice maker run for a while to flush away residuals from manufacturing process, drain water and discard the ice cubes. Only then start using it like you should.

NewAir NIM033BK00 can make ice cubes of two sizes. Ice basket is not refrigerated and the ice maker seems to be badly insulated as they do melt a bit fast if left there.

Control panel

NewAir NIM033BK00 control panel features 2 buttons (same as with NewAir AI-100BK – one is for turning device on/off and other for selecting ice cube size) as well 4 indicator lights: 2 of them for displaying which ice cube size setting has been selected and other 2 are warning indicator “water reservoir empty” and “ice basket full”.

Features

Just like nearly all portable/countertop ice makers NewAir NIM033BK00 also has sensors to detect when water reservoir is empty or ice basket full (however it does struggle to fill it up completely since ice cubes melt a bit fast in the basket).

One of the issues related to ice basket sensor is that water pump can freeze sometimes causing false alarm and making ice maker thinking ice basket is full when it’s not. If it freezes you have to turn off ice maker for like 30-60 minutes to let the pump unfreeze.

Conclusions

NewAir NIM033BK00 is a finicky ice maker that makes mediocre ice cubes. There are better ice makers that cost similar amount of money or less.

NewAir NIM033BK00 Portable Ice Maker Specifications:

• Type: Freestanding/Built-in
• Ice production capacity: up to 33 lbs/24h
• Ice cubes per batch: 9
• Ice size options: 2
• Ice cube shape: Bullet with hollow inside