Newair Countertop Ice Maker AI-100R

By Tony Casas | October 3, 2024

As summer is winding down we are bringing you one more product that can make those warm afternoons and evenings just a bit more comfortable. Newair’s countertop ice maker. I have taken a look at a few different variations of these products as I REALLY put my ice makers to good use so I can’t wait to see how this one stacks up. A little information before we get started:

This Newair Countertop Ice Maker keeps you in a steady supply of ice for entertaining at home or everyday use. This compact ice maker looks great in your kitchen, but is also versatile enough to make 3 sizes of ice for any occasion. This NewAir Countertop Ice Maker produces 28 pounds of bullet ice each day and keeps it cold in a well insulated storage compartment. Choose from four stylish colors: black, red, stainless steel or silver.

– Newair’s website

You can purchase your NEWAIR COUNTERTOP ICE MAKER AI-100R using the following link and if you use our code CASAS_10 you will receive 10% off your total purchase!

Shipping / Box Opening:

As always, Newair ships quick. The AI-100R Ice maker showed up at my door via FedEx 3 days after my order was placed. The box is very thick and showed no signs of damage from the outside.

Inside the box the ice maker is surrounded completely with a layer of thin plastic wrap to avoid any scratching, then a layer of very thick foam, as well as plastic corner supports on all 8 corners.

The Ice Maker slides right out of the package and showed no signs of scratching or damage. One thing Newair has always done is made sure their products are shipped in the best possible way.

The exterior paint is just incredible looking with a candy-apple-red with an awesome light flake metallic in it. One thing I noted right way is that there is some yellow discoloration on the top part of the inside lid. It doesn’t make a difference to me and didn’t wipe away with cleaner. But it’s worth noting that it was there:

Setup / Product Quality:

There are a few areas of tape that needs to be removed to allow the machine to be opened. Inside you will find the removable basket and the included ice scoop.

Once you completed taking all the packing components off the machine, place it on the counter of choice. One thing to note is that there is a very large exhaust fan on the left side of the machine that you want to make sure has ample room to breath as this fan is in charge of removing all the heat from the inner-workings of the machine and expelling it into the open air.

After placement, simply plug the machine in, fill it with water and hit the power button. Within a few seconds the machine fires up and starts its freezing process. One thing I want to note here is just how quiet this machine is in comparison to others I have used. The water pump is extremely quiet and very quick while the actual freezing process gives of no audible noise at all outside of the quiet exhaust fan.

Settings / Features:

There isn’t a lot to tell here. The Newair AI-100r ice maker has only a few settings to it making it extremely easy to use. Outside of the power button there are 3 main size settings. These allow you to set the desired size of your ice nuggets and not a feature that I find on my ice makers. There are three settings: small, medium and large. A green LED light indicates which selection you have enabled. The results are basically ice cubes that are similar in size, except the density of the walls.

There is also two convenience features added that will make your ice making procedures even easier. There are two red LED lights that indicate when the ice maker is full, and one that will light up when the machine needs more water to create ice. Both make operating this machine even easier.

There is also a convenient little drain on the bottom left of the machine. If you need to clean it or power it down and still have water in the reservoir you can easily pop the drain open to remove the excess water. You can see the drain in one of the photos earlier in the review.

Ice Quantity:

First, let me touch on how this thing works. First, there is a pump at the bottom which takes in the water from the inside of the machine and moves it to a tray at the top of the machine that is hardly visible without looking underneath the lid. There are 9 freezing rods inside that tray which transform the water around them to ice. Depending on your size setting the machine decides when the ice is at the size needed an kicks it out into the tray below before starting the process all over again. For size reference, the image below is on the “Small” setting.

As for the quantity, I decided to start this machine off warm. That means, it has been disconnected for longer than 24 hours and freshly filled. This way I can get a full idea of what it’s capable of without the cooling rods being pre-chilled. The image below shows just how much ice this machine developed over a 1 hour test at the “Large” setting. Honestly the quality of ice produced is quite impressive and the AI-100r is probably the fasted ice-creating machine I currently own.

Ice Quality:

There isn’t too much to say here. The ice is thick and heavy. While some machines create softer ice, this machine specializes in very dense, hard ice which tends to last longer in drinks. The ice is not very clear at all which doesn’t bother me. I just know its work mentioning as some people really enjoy the look of clear ice. The image below is at the “Large” setting.

Final Thoughts:

The Newair AI-100r is a great machine if you are looking for an ice maker that can create large ice cubes at a very high rate. If you are looking for something to host a small get together, or just be sure to not run low on your drink-cooling measures, this is a perfect machine. I also need to note how quiet it is without harping on it too much. Other machines I have used can be a bit distracting. The only faults I see here is the discoloration in the plastic and the color of the ice, which let’s be honest, isn’t much of a downfall at all.

Don’t forget, you can purchase your NEWAIR COUNTERTOP ICE MAKER AI-100R using the following link and if you use our code CASAS_10 you will receive 10% off your total purchase!