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September 2, 2026

Nugget Report

Reviews

NewAir NIM044BS00

The largest published bin capacity in the category, the lightest full-size body, and a current figure labeled more honestly than anyone else manages.

By Scooter M.Updated September 2, 2026How we work
A stainless steel countertop appliance on a kitchen counter

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Quick picks

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#MachineBest forPrice
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NewAir NIM044BS00

3.3 lbs published, the largest in this category, in the lightest full-size body.

Best bin capacity

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What NewAir publishes

NewAir NIM044BS00, from the owner's manual p.5, read 2 September 2026.
SpecNewAir NIM044BS00
ModelNIM044BS00
Ice typeNugget
Rated output44 lbs/day [src]
Rated output per hourNot published
Bin capacity3.3 lbs [src]
Published powerNot published
Nameplate current2.7 A [src]
Voltage115 V [src]
Dimensions (W x D x H)9.75" W x 15.04" D x 16.54" H [src]
Weight, empty34.17 lbs [src]
Clearance requiredNot published
Operating rangeNot published
RefrigerantR600a [src]
NoiseNot published
WarrantyNot published
Max $/mo$6.71(nameplate)
Every value is linked to the document it came from and the date we read it. "Not published" means the manufacturer does not publish that figure and we did not substitute one. Cost column is a monthly ceiling, not a measurement: 4 running hours a day at $0.18/kWh. Where a manufacturer publishes an actual power consumption we use it; otherwise we derive volts times amps from the nameplate, which is a ceiling the machine does not continuously draw. Here is the whole calculation.

"Ice making current" is a better label than anyone else uses

NewAir's spec table does not say "current" or "rated power". It says Ice making current: 2.7A.

That is a small piece of wording that carries real information: it tells you the figure describes the machine while it is running its ice cycle, not an abstract maximum. It is still a current rating rather than a consumption measurement, so the cost we derive from it is still a ceiling — but it is a better-specified ceiling than a bare nameplate.

2.7 A at 115 V is 310.5 VA. Four running hours a day at 18 cents per kWh gives $6.71 a month as an upper bound.

Why 3.3 pounds matters more than it sounds

Bin capacity is the constraint at home, not daily output. Every machine in this category is rated to make far more ice in a day than a household drinks, and every one of them holds about three pounds before it fills up and pauses.

A tall glass of ice is roughly half a pound. Three pounds is about six glasses; 3.3 pounds is about seven. If you have ever emptied the bin for a round of drinks and then waited, that seventh glass is the difference this machine buys. Full sizing arithmetic on how much ice you actually need.

A note on the 44 pounds

NewAir titles this manual "44 lb. countertop nugget ice maker", and that is where the 44 lbs a day figure on this site comes from. The specification table itself does not repeat it. That is a weaker provenance than the Frigidaire's printed 20 kg per 24 hours, and the spec table on this page notes it, because a number in a title is a claim and a number in a spec table is a specification.

Who should buy this

  • Buy it if you keep emptying the bin. The extra 0.3 lb is the only bin upgrade available in this category.
  • Buy it if you move the machine around. At 34.17 lbs it is the lightest full-size unit here.
  • Skip it if running cost is the priority. The Frigidaire EFIC255 publishes 185 W against this machine's 310 VA ceiling.

The picks in full

1. Best bin capacity

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.

No photoManufacturer photo not available from our data source
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)
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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.

Questions people actually ask

How big is the NewAir NIM044BS00 ice bin?

3.3 lbs, per the owner's manual specification table on page 5. That is the largest published bin capacity of any nugget machine on this site; the GE Opal 2.0, the original Opal and the Opal 2.0 Ultra all publish 3.0 lbs. The difference is roughly one extra tall glass of ice.

How much power does the NewAir NIM044BS00 use?

NewAir publishes an ice-making current of 2.7 A at 115 V, which is about 310 VA. That is more specific than a bare nameplate because it describes the machine while it is actually making ice, but it is still a current rating rather than a consumption figure, so the monthly cost derived from it is a ceiling: about $6.71 at four running hours a day and 18 cents per kWh.

How much does the NewAir NIM044BS00 weigh?

34.17 lbs empty, per the manual. That makes it the lightest full-size nugget machine in this comparison, nearly 10 lbs lighter than the first-generation GE Opal and 3.4 lbs lighter than the Opal 2.0.

Sources

  1. NewAir NIM044BS00 Owner's Manual, p.5 (specifications) (read 2026-09-02)
  2. NewAir NIM030SS00 Owner's Manual, p.5 (specifications) (read 2026-09-02)
  3. EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, June 2026 (US residential average price) (read 2026-09-02)