GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice Maker review: The coolest new smart kitchen gadget

Some good house devices could possibly be thought-about important. A sensible thermostat can prevent cash, and a sensible door lock can stop you from getting locked out. However, not like these devices, it’s onerous to argue you want the good GE Profile Opal Extremely 2.0 Nugget Ice Maker ($579, or $629 with the aspect tank). Nevertheless, you could need this gadget — as a result of it makes The Good Ice.

Sure, $630 is some huge cash for any countertop gadget, not to mention one which simply freezes water. Spending this a lot on a linked gadget whose smarts are largely restricted to scheduling and asking Alexa to make extra ice looks like a good greater stretch. However nugget ice is a hill many will die on — my household included. It simply makes drinks style higher, they cry. Something that encourages my kids to hydrate is a giant win in my e book.

In case you’re unfamiliar with nugget ice (aka chewable ice, Sonic ice, pellet ice, or, as my household calls it, “the nice ice”), it’s small items of ice constructed from layers of flaked ice frozen collectively. It’s actually fairly addictive and goes properly in every part from a tall glass of water to iced tea and lemonade. It’s virtually required should you’re making Tiki cocktails.

Nugget ice can flip a room-temperature drink into a chilly drink in seconds and doesn’t soften as rapidly as crushed ice. It’s additionally actually enjoyable to chew on. My daughter likes to get a glass stuffed with ice and chow down.

Sadly, there isn’t a fridge that may make true nugget ice. Samsung makes one which produces “ice bites,” that are small ice cubes, however these are apparently not the identical factor. So, it’s go countertop or go to the drive-in.

Within the week I’ve had the Opal on my kitchen counter, it has turn out to be my household’s favourite kitchen gadget. They love scooping its nuggety goodness right into a tall glass of lemonade or filling up their Tervis cup earlier than tackling the summer time warmth.

The Opal is tremendous simple to arrange, easy to make use of, and makes ice very quick — as much as 38 kilos a day. It would not require plumbing, simply energy, however you will have the non-compulsory water tank in order for you a continuing movement of ice. We solely need to refill that each different day on common and have greater than sufficient ice for all 4 of us.

The most important draw back to date is the Opal Extremely is noisy. The tubing makes a high-pitched whining noise because the water filters by way of, and the ice manufacturing clunks gently. However right here’s the place these smarts do turn out to be useful — you may schedule when it is making ice within the Good HQ app to keep away from interfering with film time — or simply inform Alexa or Google to show it off.

The Opal was first launched in 2015, and the Extremely is the fourth model of GE Profile’s widespread nugget ice machine. It comes with some behind-the-scenes enhancements to make cleansing the unit simpler. These embrace a brand new scale-inhibiting water filter, a reusable air filter, and alerts that inform you when it is time to sanitize or descale (on the gadget and within the app).

All of those enhancements add as much as — in principle — extra time between cleansing / descaling and may hold the ice tasting higher for longer. (The excellent news for present Opal homeowners is that the brand new water filter is appropriate with present fashions).

The cleansing / descaling course of is prolonged. It requires a particular answer (or vinegar, should you favor) and as much as a day of downtime because the stuff does its work. And it is advisable sustain with it in order for you it to maintain producing recent ice. In my brief time testing the unit, I’ve not had a descale alert seem, however the sanitize one did, which occurs after 25 hours of ice-making.

The sanitizing course of was largely painless and took about half-hour. Nevertheless, mixed with descaling — which you’ll have to do as soon as each 2 weeks to 4 months based mostly in your water hardness — this gadget requires plenty of upkeep. (GE Profile notes that should you use distilled water within the Opal, you in all probability gained’t have to descale it, however you’ll nonetheless have to sanitize and clear.)

Different updates with the Extremely from the present Opal 2.0 mannequin embrace new colours (white or black along with chrome steel) and an upgraded contact show for powering on/off, connecting to Wi-Fi, and checking standing. Plus, there’s now a magnetic scoop holder and chrome steel scoop — which makes it simpler to retailer the inside track on the aspect of the unit and may assist with cleanliness.

If you will get the Opal 2.0 on sale that’s in all probability the way in which to go. General, the Extremely’s upgrades really feel like aesthetic and quality-of-life tweaks. You continue to need to manually clear the machine, even when doubtlessly not as typically. Plus, you should purchase the brand new water filter and the brand new scoop with holder individually beginning in August and use them with the Opal 2.0, though that will cancel out most of your financial savings.

The Opal 2.0 Extremely may be very costly, requires plenty of work to take care of, and takes up a sizeable chunk of my kitchen counter. But it surely does a superb job of manufacturing recent, chewable, crunchable ice that makes any drink style higher. It’s additionally one of many few good devices I’ve introduced into my house that everybody in my household loves — which says loads.

If you happen to, too, crave good ice and go into this figuring out the struggles you’ll have to endure to maintain getting it, then you definately’ll be very happy with this gadget.

Images by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge