If you’re familiar with Sonic Drive-In restaurants, you obviously know just how tempting Sonic ice is. This cold beverage addition is something Sonic aficionados rave about. This ice is a popular addition to refreshing limeades and fizzy sodas. Known as pebble ice, nugget ice, or pellet ice, this ice is small enough to easily chew on and also has a soft texture to it.
When you stop at Sonic and purchase your favorite Sonic beverages, you know this pellet ice will be included. For those who simply can’t live without their Sonic ice on a daily basis, the restaurant has even been known to sell the ice in bags to-go.
However, when you can’t get Sonic ice or simply don’t want to drive out to get a Sonic beverage every time you get a craving, you can make this Sonic-style ice at home.
Benefits of Sonic-Style Ice
There are many benefits to Sonic-style ice. Some of the benefits to this pebble ice or nugget ice include:
Pebble Ice Makes Drinks Cold Fast
With pebble ice, your drink gets colder faster than with regular ice cubes. The nugget ice distributes completely throughout your cup, making the liquid a pleasantly chilly temperature in no time at all. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about lukewarm soda. Simply add pebble ice and your drink is almost instantaneously cold.
Nugget Ice is Soft and Chewable
Another feature of nugget ice that draws people in is the fact this type of ice is soft and chewable. You’ll often find nugget ice being served to patients at hospitals. This is because the soft, chewable ice is easy for individuals to chew and swallow who may have recently had surgery and can’t handle larger ice cubes. This type of ice also keeps the drink cold so the individual can sip it slowly without worry that the beverage will get warm.
Nugget Ice is Quick Melting Without Diluting
Also, nugget ice is a quick melting ice which continues to keep your drink cold. As the ice melts, it does so in a way so as not to overly dilute the drink like some other ice cubes do. When you choose this type of pellet ice for your favorite drink, you can rest assured you’ll get a cold drink and your beverage will still retain its flavor even as the ice melts away.
Sonic-style ice is a type of ice you might think can only be purchased at Sonic restaurants. But, this is not true at all!
It’s easy to bring Sonic-style ice, and the convenience it offers, to your very own home. Nugget ice makers are available in many styles, sizes, and budget ranges. You can purchase one of these handy ice makers and make this pellet ice in your home on a daily basis.
Whether you live alone and love Sonic-style ice or have a large family where ice goes quickly and you need a backup ice maker, pellet ice machines are wonderful appliances to add to your home. These ice makers also make excellent additions to offices and entertainment venues of all sizes. If you want to add an ice machine to your home or commercial building, a pellet ice maker is an ideal choice.
Make Sonic Ice at Home with These Three Ice Makers
There are many pebble ice makers available on the consumer market these days. You can choose the ice maker that works best and bring this Sonic-style ice home with you.
Here are some of our favorite nugget ice makers to consider:
GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker
The GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker is a stainless steel and plastic combo ice maker with eye-catching LED lights. With a 3-pound bin capacity and 24-pound ice production capabilities per day, this pellet ice maker produces ice with ease.
Enjoy soft, chewable Sonic-style ice in the comfort of your own home with the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker. This ice maker weighs 47 pounds with 13.43” W x 16.5” H x 17.5” D dimensions, so it’s portable in nature. And this ice machine easily operates via a 120v plug.
With the GE Profile Opal ice maker you don’t have to worry about a water line hookup. All you have to do to make your ice maker work is fill the reservoir with water and it’s set to go. Best of all, when the ice melts in the bin, that water filters back through to make more ice.
As an added bonus, the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker comes with Bluetooth capabilities. You can use the helpful Opal app and schedule ice making sessions with a few touches of your smartphone buttons.
If you want restaurant quality ice, the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker deserves a closer look.
Frigidaire EFIC235 Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
The Frigidaire EFIC235 Countertop Nugget Ice Maker is another ice maker that produces Sonic-style ice for you to enjoy in your own home. This light, 19-pound countertop ice maker holds 3 pounds of ice and makes up to 44 pounds of ice per day.
The Frigidaire ice machine has a combination stainless steel and plastic body. With these materials included, you can rest easy with the knowledge that your ice maker is sturdy and won’t rust.
This nugget ice maker includes quite a few accessories with the product. When you buy the Frigidaire EFIC235 Countertop Nugget Ice Maker, you get the machine along with the side tank, ice bin, drip tray, and ice scoop. Once you purchase this item, you’re ready to take it out of the box and start making ice.
With the Frigidaire EFIC235 Countertop Nugget Ice Maker you don’t have to hook it up to a water line. Simply add water to the reservoir and let it work its ice-making magic. When the ice melts, it will filter through and make more ice, so you don’t have to constantly fill the machine with water.
The Frigidaire EFIC235 ice maker makes ice quickly. A lot of home ice makers take about 20 minutes to make ice. But with the EFIC235 ice machine, you can have cold, chewable ice cubes in 15 minutes.
As with the GE Profile Opal ice maker, the Frigidaire EFIC235 ice machine turns out pleasantly chewable and soft ice pieces. The nugget ice will keep your drink cold and it also tastes great, too.
If you want an extra light yet sturdy ice maker that makes ice fast, the Frigidaire EFIC235 has all these qualities and more!
Ice-O-Matic GEMU090 Pearl Self-Contained Ice Machine
The Ice-O-Matic GEMU090 Pearl Self-Contained Ice Machine is a larger, under-the-counter model with air cooled condenser that makes Pearl nugget ice to cool down your favorite beverage.
This stainless steel ice maker holds 22 pounds of ice and is ready and able to produce icy beverages whenever the mood strikes you. The Ice-O-Matic GEMU090 is 133 pounds with dimensions of 22.62 x 14.87 x 33.37 inches.
You can add this ice maker to your home, office, entertainment venue, or wherever else you’d like the convenience of freshly-made ice. As an added bonus, this ice machine is approved for outdoor use.
The Ice-O-Matic GEMU090 Pearl Self-Contained Ice Machine has a 115-volt plug design and is easy to install and operate. Add in the fact it offers quiet operation and you have a larger ice machine option to consider.
The Ice-O-Matic GEMU090 ice machine is an ideal ice maker if you want continual access to fresh nugget ice and have the right under-the-counter space to place it.
Make Sonic Quality Ice at Home
You don’t have to head to your nearest Sonic Drive-In when you crave fresh, pleasantly chewable nugget ice. And for those who don’t live close to a Sonic at the moment, you don’t have to be sad about this fact either.
There are many ice makers you can buy to put in your home and bring the ice-making convenience to you, including the three options listed above.
Whether you want a portable, countertop ice maker or desire an under-the-counter ice machine model, you have plenty of choices.
When you buy a nugget ice maker, you will be able to enjoy:
- Wonderful small ice pieces that are soft and chewable
- Ice that is ready for you whenever you want it
- An ice maker that fits in your home or office setting
- A sturdy, durable ice maker
- Sonic-style ice without leaving your home!
As you consider the ice maker options, here are a few factors to keep in mind when you review the product offerings:
- How much ice do I need daily?
- Do I want a countertop model or under-the-counter ice machine?
- What is my budget?
- Do I want a lot of accessories included with the product?
- Do I need a portable ice maker?
- What do the reviews say?
When you consider all of these important aspects, you can find your ideal nugget ice maker with ease.