We're building a house and debating on nugget ice makers. My wife wants to rough in a drain in the pantry for a larger built-in style ice maker. It seems like the technology for the portable, countertop makers has improved a lot, plus they are a fraction of the price. I like the idea of being able to have it in the garage, back porch, or kitchen counter depending on the occasion.

Seeking opinions of TexAg folks who have already been through this debate and are happy with their decision!

Might be worth the rough-in to give you options in the future if you opt to try a countertop and it doesn't work for you.

We went with a built-in and are really happy we did. We've got 5 kids though and go through a lot of ice and it keeps up great. Ours is a scrabble-tile style ice-maker. My research at the time led me to believe the failure rate on the soft nugget machines was higher (and they're pricier). Maybe they've improved, but it's something to look for.

I'd also recommend RO water. The ice is clearer, it tastes better, and the machine stays cleaner much longer. Probably improves the reliability of the machine, too. You've got a couple of options. If you are planning RO water at your sink, just run a tube over. Or you can buy a dedicated unit. We've got one at our sink that was pretty reasonable and is great for drinking and ice water - Link - iSpring 6 Stage. I did buy a second 3.1 gallon tank to upgrade our RO capacity.

You both are correct and boy have we been through all that, from 4 kids to parties, EZ to pickup ice to not so much, etc.

The countertop is a must, whatever you do b/c of price and could be in pantry but best near a water source since YOU must fill it all the time. This ice is best on teeth if a chewer, since it is soft and only ~32F or so. It makes ice faster than the refrigerator but melts faster since ref ice is "less than 32F" others have measured - not I. When all ice makers fail you needing repairs, this one saves the day, else a new one replaces the broken one faster than repairs on the others. You must CLEAN it to stay healthy.

Always get a refrigerator ice maker, even though replacement range is 2-5 years, some have been DIY.

Scotsman Ice Dispensers are the gold standard in all things ice.
There is some health cleaning required BUT the old ice at bottom that may be suspect is melted down the drain.
The top ice maker cells fill themselves & since the water sprays into upside down cells, only the purset water sticks & becomes ice while the suspect water goes down the drain. Not any more wasteful - to be healthy - than an R.O. water filter system ... that might be hooked up to serve. Indeed 20 minutes is not the speedy 9 minute table top race car but this bin is huge serving many for hours whlle table top serves a party of two continuously.

Bottom Line:
1. Countertop a must (serves 2)
2. Rrefrigerator ice maker - no excuse (serves 3-4)
3. Scotsman IF there's no store bought ice within 2-3 minutes drive and a huge ice chest on wheels to hold it all.

BTW the more you own, the more they own you in time, repairs, first & running costs ....
but ice is worth it!

We have a built in nugget icemaker and it is fantastic. We had 8 people over yesterday in addition to our family of 4 and 10 of those were drinking cocktails and we never came close to running out of ice.

We are 22 miles from the nearest gas station so go is built in was a convenience decision. We ALWAYS have ice and it's been great. My ONLY complaint is I have to make the bourbon ice cubes in the refrigerator freezer but that is 100% first world problems.

We put in an under kitchenaid. We had a sink in the bar and took that out, used the drain for the icemaker. Previously we had a bin style that filled and stopped with the arm, the kitchenaid is cycling so always making new. I like it, a lot of times I fill up a few extra bags and keep them in the freezer to take up space and provide more mass. The biggest drawback is noise, a lot louder than I imagined it to be. I'd look at reviews on whatever brands you are evaluating.

We have an under counter Hoshizaki and love it. It is great to always have plenty of ice to fill an ice chest. It is very noisy though. I would do the plumbing and electricity but try a countertop version first.

Built in ice machines are awesome. The Scotsman nugget ice machine is very popular. Just know that maintenance and cleaning is vital to their long-term performance, so you must be committed to doing this yourself or hiring a service to do it regularly. Unfortunately, if a service problem arises, the first question asked will be if the unit has been cleaned, which can impact your warranty and claims.

We've had a Maytag for over 10 years. Once a year a wire breaks. The repairman comes and fixes it, and we're off again. Unfortunately, I've been told that Maytag no longer makes ice machines.

The secret to happiness with a built in is the extended warranty. It is worth every penny.

One suggestion is to make sure the HVAC guy knows you are putting an ice machine inside. Lots of heat needs to be removed from water to make it freeze and the heat has to go somewhere.

~egon