Ice-O-Matic Pearl Ice Machines

What is Pearl Ice?

Pearl Ice is Ice-O-Matic's nugget ice. The machine freezes a thin layer of ice inside a refrigerated cylinder, an auger scrapes it off, and the ice is pressed into small, soft pellets about 1/2 x 3/8 inch. Because it is made from compacted flakes, Pearl Ice has tiny air pockets. That gives it three qualities customers notice:

• It's chewable. Soft enough to crunch, so it's popular with people who chew ice and with patients.
• It takes on flavor. The pellets soak up a little of the drink, so the last sip still tastes like the drink.
• It chills quickly. Small pieces with lots of surface area cool a drink fast.

Pearl Ice, nugget ice, pellet ice, chewable ice and "Sonic ice" all describe the same style of ice. Brands just use their own names: Scotsman calls it Nugget Ice, Hoshizaki calls it Cubelet. See what nugget ice is and pebble ice vs nugget ice.

Every Pearl Ice machine we carry

Specifications from each product page. All five are air-cooled and use R290 refrigerant.

What stands out

1. Same cabinet, four outputs. All four GEM heads share a 21 x 24 x 27 inch cabinet. You can go from 415 to 1,306 lb/day without changing the footprint, which makes future upgrades simple.
2. Up to 700 lb/day on 115V. The GEM0650A90 makes 538 lb/day even at 90°F air / 70°F water on a standard 115V circuit. Above that, the GEM0956A90 and GEM1306A90 need 208-230V.
3. Very low energy use. At 2.37-2.50 kWh per 100 lb, the GEM heads use roughly half the electricity per pound of several competing nugget heads, which list 4.7-5.9 kWh. Compare them all on our nugget ice machine heads page.

What Pearl Ice machines cost to run

Take a GEM0650A90 making 500 lb of ice a day:

• Electricity: 500 lb x 2.5 kWh per 100 lb = 12.5 kWh a day. At an assumed $0.15 per kWh, that's about $1.90 a day, or around $680 a year.
• Water: 500 lb x 12 gallons per 100 lb = 60 gallons a day, or about 22,000 gallons a year.

A nugget head at 5 kWh per 100 lb would use about $1,370 a year in electricity for the same ice. Over a 7-10 year service life, the difference can exceed the price gap between machines. Our operating cost guide shows how to run the numbers for your rates.

GEMU09090: Pearl Ice under the counter

The GEMU09090 is the only undercounter model in the Pearl range we carry. It is built for places that want chewable ice without a modular system:

• 15 inches wide and 34 inches tall, low enough for many standard counters, in a stainless steel cabinet.
• 26 lb built-in bin with a reversible door and concealed hinges, so it opens the right way for your layout.
• 110 lb/day rated, 72 lb/day at 90/70. Plan around the warm-day figure in hot spaces.
• 1-year parts and labor warranty for residential or commercial installation, as listed on the product page. That's shorter than the GEM heads.

Typical uses: office breakrooms, clinics, nurses' stations, small cafés and home bars. Compare other compact chewable-ice machines on our undercounter nugget ice makers page.

GEM modular heads: Pearl Ice in volume

GEM heads make ice only and sit on a separate bin or ice dispenser. Features listed across the range:

• Water sensor that responds to water-supply problems instead of running dry.
• Non-contact ice detection that shuts the head off automatically when the bin is full.
• ENERGY STAR qualified, with R290 natural refrigerant.
• Warranty: 3 years parts and labor on the ice maker, as listed on the product pages.

Ice-O-Matic also describes the Pearl range as using stainless steel components and AgION antimicrobial protection to slow bacterial growth between cleanings, plus a SystemSafe load monitor that shuts the machine down safely if the gearbox is overloaded.

Sizing a Pearl Ice machine

1. Estimate peak-day use. In beverage service, ice makes up roughly 40% of each drink. Offices use about 1 lb per person per day. Hospitals plan per patient and per nourishment station.
2. Use the 90/70 column. That's the figure for a hot day or a warm equipment room.
3. Add storage for your rush. The head refills the bin over hours, so the bin has to hold your busiest stretch.

Bins and dispensers for GEM heads

A 21-inch GEM head can go on an Ice-O-Matic storage bin with the correct adapter, or on an Ice-O-Matic ice dispenser for self-service. Ice-O-Matic's slope-front bins include the B40 (30 in., 344 lb), B42 (22 in., 351 lb), B55 (30 in., 510 lb) and B110 (48 in., 854 lb).

Nugget ice packs densely, so check the manufacturer's approved bin and adapter for your head before ordering. See Ice-O-Matic ice bins and all ice storage bins. Our bin sizing guide shows how to size storage.

Where Pearl Ice works best

• Healthcare: patients find soft ice easier to chew and swallow. See healthcare ice machines and hospital ice chips.
• Convenience stores and QSR: chewable ice is a reason some customers choose where to buy a fountain drink.
• Cafés and juice bars: Pearl Ice blends smoothly and holds flavor in iced coffee and tea.
• Offices and schools: quiet, compact chewable ice for breakrooms.

GEM0650A90 or GEM0956A90?

These two are the most common choice for convenience stores and hospitals, and the decision usually comes down to power and peak demand.

If your site already has a 208-230V circuit where the machine will go, or your peak-day need is above about 500 lb, the GEM0956A90 gives 27% more ice in the same space. If adding a 208-230V circuit would be expensive and your peak is under 500 lb, the GEM0650A90 is the simpler install.

Pearl Ice in healthcare

Soft nugget ice is common in hospitals because it is easy for patients to chew and swallow, and it can be served as ice chips for patients who aren't allowed to drink. A GEM head on a dispenser at a nourishment station gives staff and patients enclosed, touch-free access. Read about hospital ice chips and nugget vs flake ice in healthcare.

Upgrading capacity later

Because all four GEM heads share one cabinet size, a site that outgrows a GEM0450A90 can step up to a larger GEM head on the same bin, provided the electrical supply suits the new head. Plan the circuit for the size you might need in a few years, not just today.

Five things to check before ordering

1. Peak-day ice, using the 90/70 output.
2. Voltage at the install location (115V or 208-230V).
3. Bin or dispenser approved for the head, with the right adapter.
4. A water filter with scale inhibitor.
5. Drain routing for both head and bin.

Installation notes

• Power: GEMU09090, GEM0450A90 and GEM0650A90 run on 115V / 60Hz; GEM0956A90 and GEM1306A90 need 208-230V. Use a dedicated circuit.
• Water: potable water through an Ice-O-Matic water filter. Nugget machines are sensitive to scale on the auger and evaporator. The GEMU09090 uses a 1/4-inch copper compression water connection.
• Drain: gravity drains for the head and bin.
• Air: these are air-cooled; keep vents clear and the room as cool as practical.

See our installation checklist.

Cleaning and maintenance

Clean and sanitize at least every six months, more often with hard water or in healthcare settings. Replace filter cartridges on schedule; scale is the main cause of lost output and auger wear in nugget machines. Our nugget ice maker cleaning guide walks through the steps.

How GEM heads compare at around 700 lb/day

The ITV IQN 700 makes the most ice on a hot day, and the GEM0650A90 uses the least energy, about half the electricity of the others per pound. If your ice room stays cool, the GEM's efficiency wins. If it runs hot, compare the warm-day figures and your electricity rate.

Pearl Ice for convenience stores

Chewable nugget ice is one of the reasons customers pick a store for a fountain drink, and many convenience chains promote it on signage. A typical setup is a GEM0650A90 or GEM0956A90 on an ice dispenser that feeds the fountain, with enough storage to cover the afternoon peak. Because GEM heads use about 2.4-2.5 kWh per 100 lb, a store making 600 lb a day spends roughly $800 a year on electricity for its ice at $0.15 per kWh. See best ice machines for convenience stores.

Pearl Ice vs other nugget machines

Browse every commercial nugget ice machine or the full Ice-O-Matic ice machine range.