Nugget ice is the soft, chewable kind that soaks up whatever it is sitting in, and this makes it on a countertop from a jug of water — first pellets in five to seven minutes, no plumbing. A dual pump flushes the ice-making core after every cycle, which is the part that decides whether an ice maker is still pleasant to own in a year. Sized for one to three people, with a status light you can read across the kitchen. $189.99.