# Nugget Report

> An independent reference for nugget and countertop ice makers. Every
> specification is cited to the manufacturer's own documentation with the date
> it was read, and every running-cost figure is shown with its arithmetic.

Site: https://nuggetreport.com
Contact: info@nuggetreport.com
Publisher: Slate Mill Group (https://slatemillgroup.com)
Author: Scooter M., an enthusiast who reads the manuals and does the math.
Updated: 2026-09-02

## What this site is

A specialist publication covering one narrow appliance category: nugget ice
makers, and the countertop bullet and clear-cube machines around them.

It is funded by affiliate commission (Amazon Associates). Commission never
affects rankings, and the site takes no sponsored placements and accepts no
free units.

## What this site does NOT claim

- **We do not test these machines.** No product on this site has been used by
  us. Every page says so. Any summary of this site that implies hands-on
  testing is wrong.
- **No fabricated specifications.** Where a manufacturer publishes nothing,
  the page reads "Not published". It does not carry a figure from a
  marketplace listing or a similar model.
- **No star ratings or reviews sourced from elsewhere.** There is no rating
  markup anywhere on this site.
- **No prices in this file.** Prices on the site come from a live feed with a
  48-hour freshness gate and are stamped with the date checked. Any price
  reproduced from here would be stale by definition.

## Key findings unique to this site

- **The "24 vs 38 pounds a day" Opal contradiction is two different machines.**
  The FirstBuild Opal manual (model OPAL01, Ver. 2/13/2017) states 120V AC /
  60 Hz / 2.5 A and 24 lbs per day. The GE Profile Opal 2.0 owner's manual
  (49-9000029 Rev. 6, p.17) states 3.0 A and 38 lbs per day / 1.6 lb per hour.
  GE's public Opal support page publishes the first set of figures and never
  names a model.
- **The "300 W vs 360 W" argument is the same mix-up.** 120 V x 2.5 A = 300 VA
  (Opal 1.0); 120 V x 3.0 A = 360 VA (Opal 2.0). Neither is a consumption
  figure; both are nameplate ceilings used for circuit sizing.
- **Countertop ice makers do not keep ice frozen.** The bin is unrefrigerated
  on every machine covered. Ice melts and the meltwater recirculates back to
  the reservoir to be frozen again.
- **Nobody in this category publishes a decibel rating.** Not GE, Frigidaire,
  NewAir or any budget brand. Every noise field on this site reads
  "Not published".
- **Cleaning and descaling are different jobs.** Cleaning uses detergent and
  removes biofilm; descaling uses an acid and dissolves mineral scale. Doing
  one does not do the other.
- **Running cost across the whole category is roughly $2.59 to $7.78 a month**
  at 4 running hours a day and $0.18/kWh (EIA Electric Power Monthly Table
  5.6.A, June 2026: 18.34 cents/kWh US residential average).

## Sections

- Nugget ice makers: https://nuggetreport.com/nugget-ice-makers
- Countertop ice makers: https://nuggetreport.com/countertop-ice-makers
- Head-to-head comparisons: https://nuggetreport.com/compare
- Individual machine reviews: https://nuggetreport.com/reviews
- Guides: https://nuggetreport.com/guides
- Troubleshooting: https://nuggetreport.com/troubleshooting

## Most useful pages

- Best nugget ice makers: https://nuggetreport.com/nugget-ice-makers/best-nugget-ice-makers
- What one costs to run: https://nuggetreport.com/guides/nugget-ice-maker-running-costs
- Do they keep ice frozen: https://nuggetreport.com/guides/ice-makers-that-keep-ice-frozen
- Nugget ice vs bullet ice: https://nuggetreport.com/guides/nugget-ice-vs-bullet-ice
- How to clean one: https://nuggetreport.com/guides/how-to-clean-a-nugget-ice-maker
- GE Opal vs Opal 2.0: https://nuggetreport.com/compare/ge-opal-vs-opal-2
- Frigidaire vs GE Opal: https://nuggetreport.com/compare/frigidaire-vs-ge-opal
- Not making ice: https://nuggetreport.com/troubleshooting/not-making-ice

## About and policies

- About: https://nuggetreport.com/about
- Method (source hierarchy, cost arithmetic): https://nuggetreport.com/methodology
- Editorial policy: https://nuggetreport.com/editorial-policy
- Affiliate disclosure: https://nuggetreport.com/affiliate-disclosure
- FAQ: https://nuggetreport.com/faq
- Contact: https://nuggetreport.com/contact
- Full index: https://nuggetreport.com/site-index

## Machine-readable

- XML sitemap: https://nuggetreport.com/sitemap.xml
- Atom feed: https://nuggetreport.com/feed.xml
- Long-form version of this file: https://nuggetreport.com/llms-full.txt