Kismile Nugget Ice Maker Countertop, 35 lbs/Day, Stainless Steel

Why it's worth it

The Kismile K-IM44 is the most compact nugget machine here — barely a foot deep — and it's rated at 43 dB, quiet enough for a shared office. Output is rated at 35 pounds a day with first ice in about seven minutes.

Counter space is the reason to pick this one. At 12.2 by 11 by 8.3 inches, it's smaller than most bullet-ice machines, let alone other nugget makers. If your kitchen counter is already crowded or you're stocking a break room shelf, this fits where the Opal simply won't. It still makes real compressed nugget ice, not crushed cubes.

It's the quietest nugget option here by a meaningful margin. Kismile rates it at 43 dB, tested in a noise-controlled environment, against 46 dB for the Newair. That's the difference between background hum and something you notice mid-sentence. For an office where the machine runs all day near someone's desk, three decibels is not nothing.

From our review of 7 countertop ice makers, by Paul Evans, Technical Reviewer

What we like

• +Counter space is the reason to pick this one
• +It's the quietest nugget option here by a meaningful margin
• +Self-cleaning takes one long press of the power button and runs about 15 minutes, which is at the short end of the…
• +Owners who use it for cocktails and iced coffee are the happiest group — the pebbles are small, chew easily and melt slowly…

What to know

• –The 1.1-liter tank is the smallest in this guide
• –A recurring complaint involves a random screeching noise that shows up after a couple of months, sometimes tied to the ice…
• –There's no side tank, no app and no filter