Antarctic Star Nugget Ice Maker Review

1. Verdict at a Glance

A good nugget machine for daily drinkers, less so for entertainers.

• Best for: iced-coffee and soda drinkers, small kitchens, home offices, anyone who chews ice.
• Skip it if: you need a big stockpile for parties, or you want the clear, hard cubes that suit whisky.
• Standout feature: one-touch dispensing. Press a button, fill the glass, done.
• Watch out for: limited storage and manual water refills from a 1.8 L tank.

2. Specs

The numbers from the manufacturer and retail listings.

Specs from Antarctic Star's product page and the Lowe's listing. Check the Amazon listing for the current model details before you order.

Product Photos

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Images: Antarctic Star.

3. The Ice Itself

Soft, airy and easy on the teeth.

Nugget ice is made by scraping thin flakes off a chilled cylinder and pressing them into small pellets. The result is porous. It soaks up a bit of your drink, chews without the crunch of a solid cube, and cools a glass fast because there's more surface area.

That's the whole reason to buy a nugget machine over a cheaper bullet-ice maker. Owners of Antarctic Star's nugget models generally praise the texture. One caveat from reviews across the brand's lineup: a few buyers say pieces came out more cube-like than the true "Sonic" pellet they expected. It's worth reading the latest Amazon reviews for this specific model before you order.

Where nugget ice falls short: it melts faster than dense cubes. Great for soda, iced tea and smoothies. Less great for a slow bourbon.

4. Speed & Output

Fast first batch, steady daily flow.

Antarctic Star lists 33 pounds per 24 hours, with the first ice arriving in 10 to 15 minutes after setup. That's a realistic number for a countertop nugget machine and plenty for a household of two to four.

Keep in mind that "per 24 hours" means the machine running all day with the tank topped up. You'll usually pull a few glasses at a time, not 33 pounds at once.

5. One-Touch Dispensing

The feature that sets it apart from cheaper models.

Most budget ice makers make you open a lid and dig with a scoop. This one dispenses into your glass at the press of a button. It's cleaner, since hands never touch the stored ice, and it's faster when you're pouring drinks for a few people.

• No plumbing: fill the 1.8 L removable tank from the tap and plug it in.
• LED display: shows ice status and alerts you when water runs low.
• Upright footprint: about 8.3 inches wide, so it fits beside a coffee maker. At roughly 17 inches tall, check the clearance under your upper cabinets.

6. The Small-Bin Catch

It makes plenty of ice. It just doesn't hold much.

The Lowe's listing puts internal ice storage at about 0.7 kg, roughly 1.5 pounds. That's typical for countertop nugget machines, but it matters. The bin is insulated, not a freezer, so ice slowly melts and recycles back into the tank.

For everyday drinks, that's fine. For a party, start the machine a few hours early and move batches into freezer bags as it goes. Owners of other Antarctic Star models report doing exactly that.

7. Cleaning & Upkeep

Self-clean mode handles most of it.

The machine has a built-in self-cleaning cycle. On Antarctic Star's nugget models, you usually start it by holding the ice/clean button for a few seconds and letting it run about 15 minutes. Check this model's manual for the exact steps.

• Empty and rinse the water tank every few days.
• Run the self-clean cycle weekly if you use it daily.
• Descale with a manufacturer-approved cleaner if you have hard water. Mineral buildup is the most common reason nugget machines slow down.
• Filtered water makes better-tasting ice and cuts scale.

8. Noise & Reliability

Mostly quiet, with a few caveats.

On Antarctic Star's own site, reviewers generally describe the 33-lb model as quiet, and one owner reports three years of daily use. Across the brand's wider nugget lineup, a smaller group of owners mention a buzzing or humming noise that can develop after a while.

All nugget machines make some noise. The compressor hums, and ice drops into the bin with a clatter. It won't bother you in a kitchen. In a studio apartment or next to a bedroom, it may.

Antarctic Star offers a 30-day money-back guarantee when you buy direct and sells extended warranties. On Amazon, standard return windows apply. Register the product when it arrives.

9. Price & Where to Buy

Amazon is usually the cheapest place to get one.

Prices move often, and Amazon runs frequent coupons on this brand. Check the current price before you buy.

10. Pros & Cons

The trade-offs in one place.

11. Who Should Buy It

Match the machine to how you drink.

• Buy it if you drink iced beverages every day, love chewable ice, or want a cleaner way to serve ice than scooping.
• Buy it for a home office, dorm-style setup or small kitchen without a fridge ice maker.
• Think twice if you entertain big groups often. A plumbed undercounter machine or a bag of store ice will serve you better.
• Skip it if you want clear, slow-melting cubes for cocktails.