Guides
Electrical Requirements for a Nugget Ice Maker
What the nameplate on the back is telling you, whether you need a dedicated circuit, and why the number is not what the machine uses.
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Quick picks
| # | Machine | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No photo NewAir NIM030SS00 170 W, the least demanding machine we can source. | Lowest published draw | |
| 2 | No photo Frigidaire EFIC255 185 W published against a 44 lb/day rating. | Lowest draw with full output | |
| 3 | No photo Frigidaire EFIC452 90 to 120 W published, though it makes clear cubes. | Lowest of any type |
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Every published electrical rating
| Machine | Published | Kind of figure | Approx. amps at rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| GE Profile Opal 2.0 | 3.0 A | Nameplate current | 3.0 A (360 VA at 120 V) |
| GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra | 3.0 A | Nameplate current | 3.0 A |
| GE Opal (OPAL01) | 120V AC / 60 Hz / 2.5 A | Nameplate | 2.5 A (300 VA) |
| NewAir NIM044BS00 | 115V/60Hz, 2.7 A | Ice-making current | 2.7 A |
| NewAir NIM030SS00 | 120V/60Hz, 170 W | Rated power | About 1.4 A |
| Frigidaire EFIC255 | 115V 60Hz, 185 W | Power consumption | About 1.6 A |
| Frigidaire EFIC235 | 115V 60HZ, 200 W | Power consumption | About 1.7 A |
| Frigidaire EFIC452 | 115V 60Hz, 90-120 W | Power consumption | About 0.8 to 1.0 A |
Nameplate versus consumption, one more time
This distinction runs through the whole site, and it matters here for a practical reason: a nameplate is exactly the right number for sizing a circuit and exactly the wrong number for estimating a bill.
- For wiring: use the nameplate. 3.0 A at 120 V is what an electrician wants to know, and it is what the number is for.
- For running cost: a nameplate produces a ceiling, not an estimate. The machine draws less while running and nothing while idle. The full arithmetic is here.
- Where a wattage is published, as Frigidaire and NewAir do, that is a consumption figure and it is the better number for both purposes.
The one thing nobody publishes
Compressor appliances draw a brief surge at startup that is substantially higher than their running current. No manufacturer in this category publishes a locked-rotor or starting current figure, and we are not going to invent one.
It matters in one situation: running the machine off an inverter or a generator. Size that supply for the surge rather than the running watts, with real headroom, because an inverter that cannot start a compressor will trip repeatedly rather than fail cleanly. On household mains, a 15 A circuit absorbs the surge without anyone noticing.
Placement is an electrical issue too
- Clearance. 3 inches for the Opal 2.0, 4 inches for the Ultra, 3 inches at the rear and sides for the original. A machine that cannot shed heat runs longer, which means it consumes more for the same ice.
- Ambient temperature. The original Opal manual specifies 55F to 90F. Outside that range the machine either cannot freeze effectively or is fighting the room.
- Extension cords. Manufacturers generally advise against them for refrigeration appliances. If unavoidable, short and heavily rated. Voltage drop makes a compressor work harder, which is the failure mode you are trying to avoid.
- Level. Not electrical, but it belongs in a setup checklist: the reservoir, bin drain and overflow all assume the machine sits level.
If it will not start
Before assuming an electrical fault, work through the basics: outlet confirmed live with something else, no extension cord in the path, and the machine given a few minutes if it was recently unplugged, since compressors need pressures to equalize before they will restart. Full checklist on the machine that will not turn on.
The picks in full
1. Lowest published draw
NewAir 30 lb. Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
The lowest published power draw of any nugget machine we could source, at the cost of the lowest rated output.
- Rated output
- 30 lbs/day
- Bin capacity
- Not published
- Electrical
- 170 W published
- Ceiling at 4 hrs/day, $0.18/kWh
- $3.67/month (from published watts)
#ad We earn a commission on purchases made through this link. How this is funded. Prices last checked September 2, 2026.
170 W published, like the Frigidaire, is a real consumption figure rather than a ceiling. It gives this machine the lowest sourced running cost on the site.
It is the deepest machine here at 17.64 inches. Measure your counter depth before the cabinet doors decide for you.
NewAir publishes the refrigerant charge (20 g of R600a), which almost nobody does. It is a small sign of a manual written by someone who expected it to be read.
Skip this if
Two people want iced drinks at the same time. Thirty pounds a day is the smallest rated output here and there is no published bin capacity to check.
2. Lowest draw with full output
Frigidaire Gallery Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
The only nugget machine here whose maker publishes an actual power consumption instead of a nameplate ceiling, and it is a low one.
- Rated output
- 44 lbs/day
- Bin capacity
- 3 lbs
- Electrical
- 185 W published
- Ceiling at 4 hrs/day, $0.18/kWh
- $4.00/month (from published watts)
#ad We earn a commission on purchases made through this link. How this is funded. Prices last checked September 2, 2026.
185 W published means the running-cost figure for this machine is not a derived ceiling — it is arithmetic on a number Frigidaire printed. That is the strongest cost data on the site.
It is rated at 20 kg a day, which is 44 lbs — higher than the Opal 2.0's 38. Both numbers are measured under ideal conditions the manual does not describe.
Ten inches wide and 16.5 tall makes it the narrowest full-size nugget machine in this set.
Skip this if
You need a manufacturer-published bin capacity. Frigidaire's specification table omits it, so the 3 lb figure on this page comes from a retail listing rather than the manual.
3. Lowest of any type
Frigidaire Countertop Clear Ice Maker
Clear cubes rather than nugget or bullet, the shortest machine here, and the lowest published power draw of anything on the site.
- Rated output
- 39.7 lbs/day
- Bin capacity
- Not published
- Electrical
- 120 W published
- Ceiling at 4 hrs/day, $0.18/kWh
- $2.59/month (from published watts)
#ad We earn a commission on purchases made through this link. How this is funded. Prices last checked September 2, 2026.
90 to 120 W published is the lowest draw of any machine on this site, and it is a published consumption range rather than a nameplate.
14.1 inches tall is the only machine here that clears a standard under-cabinet gap without argument.
Twenty-four cubes per cycle and 18 kg a day. Clear ice melts slowly and dilutes a drink less, which is the entire reason to choose it over nugget.
Skip this if
You want chewable ice. Clear cube machines are slow by design — the clarity comes from freezing water gradually.
Questions people actually ask
Does a nugget ice maker need a dedicated circuit?
Published ratings across this category run from 90 W up to a 360 VA nameplate, which is roughly 0.8 A to 3.0 A. That is well within a standard 15 A household circuit. Whether yours needs a dedicated circuit depends on what else is already on it, which is a question about your kitchen rather than about the appliance. Check your own manual, since some manufacturers state a preference.
How many amps does a nugget ice maker draw?
GE rates the Opal 2.0 at 3.0 A and the original Opal at 2.5 A. NewAir rates the NIM044BS00 at 2.7 A ice-making current. Frigidaire publishes watts rather than amps: 185 W for the EFIC255 nugget machine, which at 115 V is about 1.6 A. Those are ratings rather than measurements of continuous draw.
Can I run a nugget ice maker on an extension cord?
Manufacturers generally advise against extension cords for refrigeration appliances, and your manual will say so. If you have no alternative, the cord must be rated well above the appliance's nameplate current and as short as possible. A long thin cord drops voltage, which makes a compressor work harder.
Can I run a nugget ice maker off an inverter in an RV?
Electrically it is a modest load: published figures run 90 W to 200 W where a wattage exists, plus a compressor start surge that is briefly much higher than the running figure. Size the inverter for the surge, not the running watts. The other constraints matter more in an RV anyway: the machine must be level and must have its 3 to 4 inches of clearance.
Is 300 W or 360 W the right figure for a GE Opal?
Neither is a consumption figure. 300 VA is the original Opal's nameplate (120 V x 2.5 A) and 360 VA is the Opal 2.0's (120 V x 3.0 A). A nameplate is the maximum an appliance may draw, used for circuit sizing. A cycling compressor appliance draws less while running and nothing while idle.
Sources
- GE Profile Opal 2.0 Owner's Manual 49-9000029 Rev. 6, p.17 (3.0 A) (read 2026-09-02)
- FirstBuild Opal Use & Care manual, Ver. 2/13/2017, p.12 (120V AC / 60 Hz / 2.5 A, 55F-90F) (read 2026-09-02)
- Frigidaire EFIC255 Use & Care Manual, p.12 (115V 60Hz, 185 W) (read 2026-09-02)
- Frigidaire EFIC235 User Manual, p.9 (115V 60Hz, 200 W) (read 2026-09-02)
- Frigidaire EFIC452 Use & Care Manual, p.10 (115V 60Hz, 90-120 W) (read 2026-09-02)
- NewAir NIM044BS00 Owner's Manual, p.5 (115V/60Hz, 2.7 A) (read 2026-09-02)
- NewAir NIM030SS00 Owner's Manual, p.5 (120V/60Hz, 170 W) (read 2026-09-02)
Read next
- What a Nugget Ice Maker Costs to Run
Per-model monthly costs with the wattage sourced, the duty cycle stated and the arithmetic shown.
- The Best Portable Ice Makers
Portable machines ranked on published output and draw, with what portable really means.
- Ice Maker Will Not Turn On
No lights, no sound. The checks in order, including the one about waiting.
- The Quietest Nugget Ice Maker
No manufacturer publishes a dB rating. What to do about that, and what actually makes the noise.
- The Best Nugget Ice Makers
Six machines ranked on published specs, each with a sourced monthly running-cost ceiling.
- Are Countertop Ice Makers Worth It?
When one earns its place and when it does not, with the cost computed rather than asserted.