Accessory Reviews
NewAir Ice Maker – NCI080SS00
This week I am taking a look at a new addition to our back patio. NewAir has been kind enough to send us a NCI080SS00 under the counter/freestanding Ice Maker for review. As always I take great pride in everything I review and promise to give my unbiased feedback on this item.
During the pandemic my wife and I redid our entire back patio. We enclosed it, added a TV, dining area, couches, plants, lighting, and fans. Essentially we created an outdoor living room so that we could escape our house without ever leaving. The minute we’d get off work (we both still work from home) we’d venture out back and stay there until it was bed time. With the edition of the NewAir NCI080SS00 Ice Maker it makes our patio retreat more complete especially with the amount of drinking we do.
You can purchase your NCI080SS00 using the following link: https://glnk.io/zlkpm/tonycasas and if you use our code CASAS10 you will receive 10% off your total purchase!
Shipping/Box Opening
As always, shipping from NewAir was cake. I received a shipping notification from NewAir and my NCI080SS00 unit arrived 3 days later. The box was in great condition. Upon opening the Ice Maker is surrounded by a plastic protective bag which is then surrounded but 1 inch thick Styrofoam on the top, bottom and corners which provides ample protection to make sure the item arrived in one piece. After removing the shipping protection all stainless steel areas are coated in a film to protect any damage which was easy to remove. Something worth mentioning is that not only was it easy to remove, but it came off in one piece without leaving anything behind.
Setup/Product Quality
NewAir states that the steel is fingerprint resistant however I do feel like I was able to make quite a few smudges while setting up the machine. I have all steel appliances and this machine does produce fingerprints slightly less easily than my other appliances.
The setup process was pretty easy. First, I installed the rubber o-ring into the inside of the ice tray which allows any melted or excess water to dump out of the system. This then runs to a outlet host in the back of the machine (see example below this paragraph. I hooked this up to a line that feeds directly into my grass since I am using it outside, however I suspect you will hook this up to any drain feed you have under your sink if you use it in your kitchen. I then hooked up the water inlet using a quick release valve and waters supply from my outdoor faucet. If using a smaller one like I did this will connect directly into the back of the Ice Maker (see example below this paragraph). Then you open the water source and check for leaks. After this, you simply plug the machine in and it’s good to go.
The build quality is fantastic. The NCI080SS00 is solid, heavy, and very stable. I found that even the plastic components felt thick and durable. There is no double that this machine will last quite some time. One note is that the only item that I found that isn’t as durable as I would have hoped is the water inlet component in the rear of the machine. I am used to something a bit thicker, or even made of copper. I don’t think this will be an issue for most people, however if I ever decide I need to adjust the placement of my machine out back I will need to make note of completely removing the water source before doing so to make sure I do not tug and break anything there.
Settings
The settings on the NCI080SS00 Ice maker are pretty straight forward. There is an LED panel on the bottom of the machine which allows you to easily toggle any of these settings. First, there is a power button to toggle the machine on and off. Holding this button for a few seconds will actually keep the cooling on, but will stop the machine from producing ice. When the machine is processing ice a lighted image of ice cubes will appear. Every time the ice cubes drop a small stumble of what looks like ice in a can will display. I had to actually research what this was as it wasn’t too obvious, but this is the machine de-icing after each cycle so that it doesn’t freeze up. You can actually set the ice thickness on this machine which is a really cool feature by using the ”+” and “-“ symbols on the panel. Once the machine gets full a symbol of a can full of ice will appear and the machine will automatically stop producing ice. There is also a button that allows you to set a timer on when the ice machine will kick on, similar to a timer on a coffee maker. There is a secondary setting that you can also set which will allow you to adjust how long the ice maker will produce ice.
Ice Quantity
This is where the machine just completely excels. First, NewAir states that the NCI080SS00 will create 40 cubes in just 15-30 minutes. In my case it produced this in about 10 minute and kept churning out ice every 10 minutes or so after that. The entire basin was full within a single evening. For my personal use, I’d never have a use for that much ice, however in my case, this is perfect for those summer days when friends come over and we quickly need to fill up ice chests and keep them full. Now translated to a kitchen/restaurant environment and I personally think that this machine can probably keep up with a small full-service restaurant. I can honestly say I was impressed with the speed in which this machine created ice. I have a smaller table-top ice maker that we normally use and the NCI080SS00 blows it out of the water. The added ice scoop that the machine comes with is a bonus. Any smaller and it wouldn’t really be practical for single drink making, however a larger one would have been great for easily filling bags or ice chests.
Ice Quality
After I first started the machine, it created decently clear ice. It wasn’t the clearest, however it was clearer than any ice maker I have personally used. After the first 2 or so hours it produces much more cloudy, white ice. I figured it could be trapped air, so I let it run for a day however the longer it ran the more cloudy the ice became. It’s still not as cloudy as standard ice, but I do wish that it would have been closer to what the ice maker had promised. The picture below is about the average clarity I get from this machine. Note, I may be doing something wrong, or may just need to run the ice maker for a matter of a few days. This is a new machine and with that there may be a break-in period to get all the air out of the water lines. I will update this review should anything change.
Ease of Use
Really, there isn’t much you need to do once you get the NCI080SS00 ice maker up and running. It just does it thing. It will continuously pump out all the ice you need. There isn’t much maintenance, at least not yet. Another add-on item here is just how quiet this machine operates. I have it outside in an open area so it doesn’t really matter how loud it is, however I can’t hear it at all. For the sake of the review I sat next to this machine for over an hour as it was filling and outside of the routine ice-dump sound, the machine itself made little to no noise at all. Perfect for a nice quiet kitchen.
Final Thoughts
Not only is the NewAir NCI080SS00 a machine, but it’s a stallion. This machine is probably a bit over-kill for my needs, however I know I can rest easy knowing that I will always have enough ice for any of my entertaining needs. It’s a simple installation, beautiful quality build, and carries just about any settings I feel I would need. While I do wish the ice produced was as clear as the pictures online suggested, I do know that operating temperatures, condition, and water treatment in my area could greatly affect that. This machine will be the staple for our summer evenings out back.
Keep in mind you can purchase your NCI080SS00 using the following link: https://glnk.io/zlkpm/tonycasas and if you use our code CASAS10 you will receive 10% off your total purchase!
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