Written for the buyer done with refilling a tank. Five plumbed-in nugget machines, judged on cabinet fit, drainage and daily output rather than marketing numbers.
Updated October 2026 · By Stephen V.
For a home bar the Mojgar undercounter nugget machine is the one to buy: it makes 80 lb a day, and it ships with the drain pump — which is the part that decides whether you can install it where you actually want it. If you need a true 15-inch built-in, the Coolake is the pick; the 70 lb commercial unit is the value option by a wide margin; the Electactic is the alternative commercial build; and the Avalon is the cheapest way to get nugget ice on a water line at all, because it is a countertop machine that plumbs in.
The reason you are on this page is almost certainly the tank. A countertop nugget machine is a genuinely good appliance that asks you to pour water into it every day or two, and after a year of that the appeal of a plumbed machine becomes obvious. Going undercounter solves refilling, and it introduces two new questions that matter far more than the ice: where the water comes in, and where the meltwater goes out.
Three numbers to have ready before you shop. Cabinet opening: the undercounter standard is 15 inches wide, and a 15-inch machine needs the opening to be a true 15 inches, not 14 and three-quarters. Water: a 1/4-inch supply line, the same fitting a refrigerator ice maker uses. Drain: either a gravity fall to a drain below the machine, or a drain pump that can push meltwater up and out.
We have not installed these machines. The ranking is built from published output, bin capacity, drainage method, dimensions and installation type, plus owner-review consensus reported as other people's experience — see how we pick. Prices come live from Amazon with the date we verified them.
The short answer
In a hurry? These are the picks we'd buy. Prices are live; tap a card below for the full reasoning.
80 lb a day of nugget ice with the drain pump included — the install-anywhere option, and the reason it wins over cheaper machines that assume a gravity drain.
A countertop nugget maker that connects to a water line — if refilling is the problem rather than the cabinet, this solves it for a tenth of the price.
Someone who wants the tank gone, not a built-in machine
80 lb a day of nugget ice with the drain pump included — the install-anywhere option, and the reason it wins over cheaper machines that assume a gravity drain.
Output
80 lb / 24h
Type
Undercounter nugget
Drainage
Drain pump included
Water
Plumbed supply line
Pros
Drain pump in the box — the single most useful inclusion in this category
80 lb a day is far beyond what a home bar can drink
Installs in cabinets where a gravity-drain machine simply cannot go
No tank to refill, which is the whole point of going undercounter
Cons
Needs a water line run to the cabinet, which is the real cost for most people
Drain pumps are an extra moving part and they are audible
Far dearer than any countertop nugget machine
Best for: A home bar with no floor drain under the cabinet.
A countertop nugget maker that connects to a water line — if refilling is the problem rather than the cabinet, this solves it for a tenth of the price.
Output
38 lb / day
Water
Connects to a water line
Type
Countertop, plumbable
Operation
One-click
Pros
By far the cheapest route to nugget ice without a tank to refill
Still works on the tank if you move house or lose the plumbing
Sits on a counter, so no cabinet modification at all
38 lb a day covers normal home bar use comfortably
Cons
Not a built-in — it occupies counter space permanently
Lower output than any true undercounter machine
Countertop machines are noisier at ear level than ones in a cabinet
Best for: Someone who wants the tank gone, not a built-in machine.
Skip this
The budget traps that look cheap and cost you twice. We'd skip these.
Buying a 15-inch built-in before measuring the opening
A 15-inch machine wants a true 15-inch opening plus the ventilation clearance the manual specifies, and undercounter cabinets in real kitchens are rarely the round number the plan said. Measure the narrowest point of the opening, including any face-frame lip, and measure the depth to the back wall where the water line and drain have to turn. A built-in that does not fit is the most expensive mistake available in this category.
Assuming you have a drain because there is a sink nearby
Undercounter ice makers shed meltwater continuously, and a gravity-drain machine needs the drain connection to sit below the machine's outlet so water runs downhill. A sink drain two cabinets over at the same height does not qualify. This is exactly the problem a drain pump solves, and it is why a machine with the pump included is worth more than its price difference suggests.
How to choose (and what to skip)
Sort the drain before you choose the machine
There are only two answers. Gravity: the machine sits above a drain connection and meltwater runs down to it. Pump: the machine pushes meltwater up and out to a drain at a higher level. Look under your cabinet and decide which one you have. If the answer is neither, buy a machine with a drain pump included and run the discharge line to the nearest sink tailpiece.
Then sort the water line
Nugget machines use a 1/4-inch supply line, the same fitting a plumbed refrigerator uses. If the cabinet backs onto a wall with a water supply, this is a short job. If it does not, running the line is usually the largest single cost of the project and worth pricing before you buy the machine.
Read the output number as a ceiling, not a rate
A machine rated 80 lb per 24 hours produces that under ideal conditions with cold inlet water and a cool room. In a warm bar in August it will make meaningfully less. The number that matters more for entertaining is bin capacity, because that is how much ice is ready at the moment guests arrive. Our guide to <a href="/guides/are-nugget-ice-makers-worth-it">whether nugget ice makers are worth it</a> goes into what the ratings mean in practice.
Decide whether you need nugget specifically
Nugget ice is softer and chewable because it is compacted flakes rather than frozen cubes, and that is why people fall in love with it. It also melts faster and dilutes a drink more quickly than clear cube ice. If the bar is mostly spirits served over ice, clear cubes are the better choice and the machines are cheaper — see our <a href="/ice-makers/best-undercounter-ice-maker">undercounter ice maker roundup</a> for the cube options.
Budget for a filter
Plumbed ice makers taste like the water they are given, and nugget ice has a lot of surface area, so off-flavors show up more than they do in a solid cube. An inline filter on the supply line is cheap and is the difference between ice that tastes of nothing and ice that tastes of the pipes. Some machines include one; most do not.
Undercounter or countertop with a water line?
This is the real decision, and most people asking for an undercounter nugget machine actually want the second thing. Go undercounter if the machine must disappear into a cabinet run, if you want 70 lb a day or more, or if the bar is somewhere a countertop appliance would look wrong. Go countertop-with-a-water-line if your complaint is purely the refilling, because that route costs a fraction as much, needs no cabinet work and is reversible. The Avalon exists precisely for that buyer.
What a 15-inch built-in actually requires
Three things, all of which are easier to check than to fix afterwards. A true 15-inch opening, measured at its narrowest point. Front ventilation clearance — built-in machines exhaust heat through the front grille because there is no air behind them, and blocking it shortens the compressor's life. And a service route: the machine has to come back out again one day, which means the water line and drain need enough slack to let it slide forward. Built-in installations that ignore the third point turn a filter change into a plumbing job.
Why drainage decides more than output does
Every ice maker melts some of its own ice, and an undercounter machine has to put that water somewhere continuously. If your cabinet has a gravity fall to a drain, almost any machine will work. If it does not — which is common, because bar cabinets are rarely plumbed — you need a drain pump, and retrofitting one is more awkward than buying a machine that has it. This is the single most common reason an undercounter ice maker install stalls after delivery, and it is why the Mojgar's included pump moves it to the top of this page.
How much ice a home bar really needs
Less than these numbers suggest. A party of a dozen people drinking spirits over ice gets through roughly 10 to 15 lb across an evening. A 70 lb-per-day machine with a 16 lb bin covers that comfortably, and the extra output on a 100 lb machine mostly buys faster recovery rather than more total ice. Where the big machines earn their price is a bar that entertains regularly, or an outdoor kitchen where ice disappears into coolers as well as glasses. For everything else, the value pick is the right pick.
Noise, and where you put it
Nugget machines run an auger that compacts flakes, and augers are not quiet — there is a periodic grinding sound as ice is made and a clatter as it drops. Inside a cabinet with a door, that is muffled to the point of being background noise. On a countertop at ear level in an open-plan room, it is noticeable. This is a genuine argument for going undercounter that has nothing to do with capacity, and it is the one people mention most after living with a countertop machine. Our nugget ice maker roundup covers the countertop options if that is still the better fit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best undercounter nugget ice maker?+
The Mojgar undercounter nugget machine, for most home bars — it makes 80 lb a day and includes the drain pump, which is what lets you install it in a cabinet with no gravity drain. If you need a flush 15-inch built-in for a finished cabinet run or an outdoor bar, the Coolake is the better fit at higher output.
Is there a nugget ice maker that connects to a water line?+
Yes, and it does not have to be a built-in. The Avalon is a countertop nugget maker that connects to a 1/4-inch water supply, so the tank refilling stops without any cabinet work. True undercounter machines are all plumbed by design. If your only complaint is refilling the tank, the countertop plumbed route is far cheaper.
Do undercounter ice makers need a drain?+
Yes. They melt some of their own ice continuously and that water has to go somewhere. Either the machine sits above a drain connection so it runs downhill by gravity, or it uses a drain pump to push the water up and out. Bar cabinets are rarely plumbed, which is why a machine with the drain pump included is worth more than the price difference suggests.
What size opening does a 15-inch ice maker need?+
A true 15 inches at the narrowest point, plus whatever front ventilation clearance the manual specifies. Built-in machines vent through the front grille because there is no airflow behind them, so that clearance is not optional. Leave enough slack in the water line and drain for the machine to slide out for service.
How much nugget ice does a home bar need per day?+
A dozen people drinking spirits over ice get through roughly 10 to 15 lb in an evening, so a 70 lb-per-day machine with a 16 lb bin is comfortable for most homes. Higher output mostly buys faster recovery rather than more total ice — it matters for an outdoor kitchen or a bar that entertains weekly.
Is undercounter nugget ice worth the extra over a countertop machine?+
If the tank refilling is wearing on you and the cabinet can take a plumbed machine, yes — and the noise moving inside a cabinet door is a bigger quality-of-life gain than people expect. If you mainly want the tank gone, a plumbable countertop machine gets you most of the benefit for a fraction of the cost and no cabinet work.
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