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NewAir NIM044BS00 vs GE Profile Opal 2.0
The one comparison where a challenger beats the Opal on the number that actually limits a countertop ice maker at home.
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Quick picks
| # | Machine | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No photo NewAir NIM044BS00 3.3 lb bin, 34.17 lbs, 2.7 A ice-making current. | Wins on bin and weight | |
| 2 | No photo GE Profile XPIO13SCSS Published hourly rate, clearance figure and a deeper support ecosystem. | Wins on documentation |
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Side by side
| Spec | NewAir NIM044BS00 | GE Profile XPIO13SCSS |
|---|---|---|
| Model | NIM044BS00 | XPIO13SCSS |
| Ice type | Nugget | Nugget |
| Rated output | 44 lbs/day [src] | 38 lbs/day [src] |
| Rated output per hour | Not published | 1.6 lbs/hour [src] |
| Bin capacity | 3.3 lbs [src] | 3 lbs [src] |
| Published power | Not published | Not published |
| Nameplate current | 2.7 A [src] | 3 A [src] |
| Voltage | 115 V [src] | 120 V [src] |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 9.75" W x 15.04" D x 16.54" H [src] | 16.5" H x 13.43" W x 17.5" D [src] |
| Weight, empty | 34.17 lbs [src] | 37.6 lbs [src] |
| Clearance required | Not published | 3" [src] |
| Operating range | Not published | Not published |
| Refrigerant | R600a [src] | Not published |
| Noise | Not published | Not published |
| Warranty | Not published | Not published |
| Max $/mo | $6.71(nameplate) | $7.78(nameplate) |
The bin, which is the point
Three pounds is the category standard and nobody moves it, so NewAir publishing 3.3 lb is genuinely unusual. At about half a pound per tall glass, that is roughly seven glasses against six.
One glass sounds trivial. In practice, the bin is what you actually run out of: every machine here is rated to produce far more ice per day than a household drinks, and none of them can hand you more than a binful at once. If your complaint about your current machine is waiting, this is the specification that addresses it.
A better-labeled current figure
NewAir does not print a generic rating. It prints Ice making current: 2.7A — a figure that describes the machine while it is running its ice cycle. GE prints Current: 3.0 A without qualification.
Neither is a consumption measurement, so both monthly figures are ceilings. But NewAir's wording tells you more about what the number describes, and at 115 V its 310 VA against GE's 360 VA is about a dollar a month less at the ceiling.
Where GE wins
- The hourly rate. 1.6 lb per hour is published by GE and by nobody else. It is the figure that answers "how long until I have a glass".
- The clearance requirement. GE publishes 3 inches. NewAir's specification table does not give one, so you are guessing at installation.
- Evidence quality on the headline number. GE's 38 lbs a day is in the spec table. NewAir's 44 lbs is in the manual's title. Both are manufacturer claims; only one is a specification.
- The ecosystem. Filters, cleaning solution, error codes, a documented normal-sounds page, and years of accumulated owner troubleshooting. That is a real asset in year three.
Running cost
| Machine | Rating | Nameplate | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| NewAir NIM044BS00 | 2.7 A at 115 V | 310.5 VA | $6.71 |
| GE Profile Opal 2.0 | 3.0 A at 120 V | 360 VA | $7.78 |
About a dollar a month apart, which is not the deciding factor. If running cost is genuinely your priority, neither of these is the answer: the Frigidaire EFIC255 publishes 185 W and lands near $4.00.
The picks in full
1. Wins on bin and weight
NewAir 44 lb. Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
The largest bin in this set and the lightest full-size body, with a current figure labeled honestly as ice-making current.
- Rated output
- 44 lbs/day
- Bin capacity
- 3.3 lbs
- Electrical
- 2.7 A at 115 V (310.5 VA nameplate)
- Ceiling at 4 hrs/day, $0.18/kWh
- $6.71/month (from the nameplate ceiling)
#ad We earn a commission on purchases made through this link. How this is funded. Prices last checked September 2, 2026.
3.3 lbs of bin capacity is the biggest here — a 10 percent edge over the 3 lb standard, which is one extra tall glass.
At 34.17 lbs it is the lightest full-size machine in this set, nearly 10 lbs under the first-generation Opal.
The specification table calls out 'ice making current' rather than a generic rating. That is a more useful number than a nameplate and we wish more manufacturers printed it.
Skip this if
You want the brand with the deepest support documentation. NewAir's manual is good on specs and thin on service procedure compared with GE's.
2. Wins on documentation
GE Profile Opal 2.0 Nugget Ice Maker
The machine everything else is measured against, and the only one whose maker publishes both a production rate and a per-hour rate.
- Rated output
- 38 lbs/day
- Bin capacity
- 3 lbs
- Electrical
- 3 A at 120 V (360 VA nameplate)
- Ceiling at 4 hrs/day, $0.18/kWh
- $7.78/month (from the nameplate ceiling)
#ad We earn a commission on purchases made through this link. How this is funded. Prices last checked September 2, 2026.
GE's owner's manual rates the 2.0 at 3.0 A, which at 120 V is a 360 VA nameplate — the highest here. That is a ceiling, not a running draw, but it is the ceiling you are budgeting an outlet for.
The 3 lb bin is not refrigerated. Ice melts, the meltwater drains back into the reservoir and gets re-frozen, so the bin is a holding tray rather than a freezer.
GE is the only manufacturer in this set that publishes an hourly rate as well as a daily one, which makes 'how long until I have a glass of ice' answerable from published data instead of guesswork.
Skip this if
You want the cheapest route to nugget ice, or a small footprint. It is the biggest current draw in this table and its 3 lb bin empties fast.
Questions people actually ask
Does the NewAir NIM044BS00 have a bigger bin than the GE Opal 2.0?
Yes. NewAir publishes a 3.3 lb bucket capacity against GE's 3.0 lbs. That is roughly one extra tall glass of ice, and bin capacity is the number that actually limits a countertop machine at home, so the difference is more useful than it looks.
Which uses less power, the NewAir or the GE Opal 2.0?
The NewAir, on the published ratings: 2.7 A at 115 V is about 310 VA, against GE's 3.0 A at 120 V which is 360 VA. Both are current ratings rather than consumption figures, so both of the resulting monthly costs are ceilings: about $6.71 for the NewAir and $7.78 for the GE at four running hours a day and 18 cents per kWh.
Which is lighter?
The NewAir, at 34.17 lbs empty against the Opal 2.0's 37.6 lbs. If the machine gets moved on and off the counter, that 3.4 lbs is noticeable.
Which makes more ice?
NewAir titles its manual as a 44 lb machine, against GE's published 38 lbs a day. But NewAir's figure appears only in the manual title, not in its specification table, while GE's is printed in the spec table along with an hourly rate. Same number, different quality of evidence, and our spec table says so.
Sources
- NewAir NIM044BS00 Owner's Manual, p.5 (specifications) (read 2026-09-02)
- GE Profile Opal 2.0 Owner's Manual 49-9000029 Rev. 6, p.17 (read 2026-09-02)
- EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, June 2026 (read 2026-09-02)
Read next
- NewAir NIM044BS00
3.3 lb bin, 2.7 A ice-making current, 34.17 lbs. The biggest bin published here.
- GE Profile Opal 2.0 (XPIO13SCSS)
3.0 A, 38 lbs a day, 1.6 lbs an hour. The best-documented machine in the category.
- The Best Nugget Ice Makers
Six machines ranked on published specs, each with a sourced monthly running-cost ceiling.
- How Much Ice Do You Actually Need?
Why rated output is the wrong number to shop on, and what bin capacity really limits.
- Frigidaire Gallery EFIC255 vs GE Profile Opal 2.0
185 W published versus a 360 VA nameplate. 44 lbs a day versus 38. A real contest.
- NewAir NIM030SS00
170 W published, the cheapest nugget machine on the site to run.