Countertop Ice Makers: Litres, Wattage and Cube Sizes

Updated 11 October 2026 · 5 min read · 8 sections

A countertop ice maker is not a smaller fridge freezer. It makes ice on demand from a tank of water, and it does nothing else. NEWBULIG lists two models at $49.96 and $49.91, holding 1.5 litres and 1.2 litres, and both draw well under 150 watts.

Size sets the first filter

Neither machine is large, but depth is the number that decides placement. The taller of the two measures 12.32 inches deep by 8.58 inches wide by 11.61 inches high, which is 0.73 square feet of worktop.

The second unit is shallower at 11.1 inches by 8.9 inches by 11.8 inches, or 0.69 square feet. It trades 1.2 inches of depth for slightly more width and height.

Height matters because the lid lifts. Both machines open upward, so a wall cupboard set 12 inches above the worktop will block the scoop.

Weight is listed at 15.2 pounds for the larger model. That is light enough to carry between kitchen and garden, but heavier once the tank is full.

Cube size decides the pour

Bullet ice is the only shape either machine produces. That is a narrow, roughly cylindrical format, and it melts faster than a dense freezer cube.

Fast melting is not a fault. It is why bullet ice suits soft drinks, iced coffee and cocktails, where a quick chill matters more than a long stay.

For a whisky drinker who wants slow dilution, a countertop machine is the wrong purchase. A silicone tray in the freezer makes a harder, larger cube for less money.

Water capacity sets the refill rhythm

Capacity here describes the water reservoir, not the ice bin. The larger tank holds 1.5 litres and the smaller one 1.2 litres, a gap of 0.3 litres.

That gap translates into refills. A 1.5 litre tank carries a household through an evening of drinks, while a 1.2 litre tank asks for a top up partway through the second round.

Water quality changes the result more than volume. Hard water leaves scale on the evaporator fingers, the ice starts to taste flat within a few weeks, and the self cleaning cycle alone will not shift a heavy deposit.

Filtered or bottled water is the practical answer. The listing for the smaller model names mineral water in its guidance and warns against juice, coffee and soda in the tank.

Wattage and the noise floor

Rated at 150 watts, the larger machine draws about 1.30 amps at 115 volts. The smaller unit is listed at 112 watts, which works out at 0.97 amps.

On a 15 amp kitchen circuit neither appliance competes seriously with a kettle or a microwave, so a shared socket stays comfortable even when both run at once. The load is small, and the run time is short.

Noise is the real constraint. Compressor ice makers hum while a batch cycles, and an open plan kitchen will hear it from the next room.

Placement follows from that, because vents sit on the side and the back. A machine pushed against a wall muffles nothing at all.

A second countertop appliance raises the same bench question, and the cold press juicer guide works through the trade offs.

What the two listings cost

Read together, the two listings sit within five cents of each other. The larger reservoir and the higher rating cost $0.05 more, which is not a meaningful premium.

Per litre the arithmetic favours the bigger tank. At $33.31 a litre it undercuts the 1.2 litre model at $41.59 a litre by roughly 20 per cent.

Sales figures point the same way. The 1.5 litre unit records 497 monthly sales against 220 for its sibling, and it carries a 4.3 star average from 32 ratings.

The smaller model carries the deeper review base, with 90 ratings and a 4.0 average. A longer history at a lower score usually means honest feedback rather than a defect.

Cleaning and the pump warning

Neither machine is dishwasher safe, and the ice basket lifts out by hand. A rinse after each session stops scale from setting on the fingers.

The self cleaning cycle is worth running monthly. It circulates water through the evaporator and clears the loose mineral film that dulls the first batch of the day.

Sugar is the failure mode to avoid. Juice, coffee and soda leave a sticky residue that clogs the pump, which is why the smaller model’s guidance lists mineral water as the safe fill.

What a countertop ice maker will not do

It will not replace a freezer for bulk ice. Both bins are small, and a gathering that needs five kilos of ice will empty either one repeatedly.

It also runs on a cycle rather than on demand. Ice made overnight sits in the basket and slowly melts, so a full bin in the morning is not guaranteed.

Portability has limits of its own. The handle makes a machine easy to carry, but it still needs a level surface and a power socket wherever it lands.

Anyone who wants ice without any attention should look at a freezer tray or a plumbed appliance instead.

Checklist

1. Measure the depth, not the width.
2. Count the drinks a warm evening pours, because a 1.2 litre tank refills sooner than a 1.5 litre one.
3. Check the lid.
4. Confirm a socket sits near the chosen spot, since neither unit is plumbed and both need a live outlet within reach.
5. Decide whether bullet ice suits the drinks actually made at home.
6. Plan on filtered water.

Every figure above comes from the specification table on the two product pages. Read the capacity, wattage, dimensions and weight before ordering, then measure the worktop and the cupboard above it. If the lid has nowhere to open, nothing else on the list will help.

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