Some smart home devices could be considered essential. A smart thermostat can save you money, and a smart lock can keep you from being locked out of your home. But unlike those devices, it's hard to argue against them. need the clever GE Profile Opal Ultra 2.0 Nugget Ice Machine ($579or $629 with the side tank). However, it is possible that want This gadget, because it makes good ice.
Nugget ice is a hill where many will die, including my family.
Yes, $630 is a lot of money for any tabletop appliance, let alone one that just freezes water. Spending that much on a connected appliance whose intelligence is largely limited to scheduling and asking Alexa to make more ice seems like an even bigger endeavor. But nugget ice is a mountain many will die for, including my family. It just makes drinks taste better, they cry. Anything that encourages my kids to hydrate is a big win in my book.
In case you're not familiar with nugget ice (aka chewy ice, Sonic ice, pellet ice, or as my family calls it, “good old ice”), it's tiny chunks of ice made from layers of flaked ice frozen together. It's really quite addictive and pairs well with everything from a tall glass of water to iced tea to lemonade. It's practically a must if you're making Tiki cocktails.
Nugget ice can turn a room temperature drink into a cold beverage in seconds and it doesn't melt as fast as crushed ice. It's also a lot of fun to chew on. My daughter likes to grab a glass full of ice and eat it.
Unfortunately there is no refrigerator that can produce real nugget ice. Samsung makes one which produces “ice bites”, which are small ice cubes, but these are Apparently it is not the sameSo, you can go to the counter or self-service.
In the week that I've had the Opal on my kitchen counter, it's become my family's favorite kitchen gadget. They love serving their delicious treats in a tall glass of lemonade or filling their Tervis tumbler before facing the summer heat.
Opal is very easy to set up, easy to use, and makes ice very quickly – up to 38 pounds per day. It requires no plumbing, just electricity, but you will need the optional water tank if you want a continuous flow of ice. We only have to refill it every other day on average and we have more than enough ice for the four of us.
The Opal is my family's favorite piece of cookware.
The biggest downside so far is that the Opal Ultra is loud. The tubes make a high-pitched noise when water leaks through, and the ice maker makes a soft clunking sound. But this is where those smart features come in handy: You can schedule when it makes ice in the Smart HQ app to keep it from interfering with movie time, or just tell Alexa or Google to turn it off.
The Opal was first launched in 2015 and the Ultra is the fourth version of GE Profile's popular nugget ice machineIt includes some internal improvements to make cleaning the unit easier. These include a new water filter that inhibits scale formation, a reusable air filter, and alerts that tell you when it's time to sanitize or descale (on the device and in the app).
All of these improvements translate, in theory, to more time between cleanings and descalings and should keep your ice tasting its best for longer. (The good news for current Opal owners is that the new water filter is compatible with existing models.)
He cleaning/descaling process It is long. It requires a Special solution (or vinegar, if you prefer) and up to a day of inactivity while the product does its job. And you have to keep it under control if you want it to keep producing fresh ice. In the short time I've been testing the unit, I haven't had any descaling alerts, but I have had the sanitizing alert, which appears after 25 hours of ice production.
The disinfection process was virtually painless and took about 30 minutes. However, combined with descaling (which you will need to do once) Every 2 weeks to 4 months Depending on the hardness of your water, this device requires a lot of maintenance. (GE Profile notes that if you use distilled water in the Opal, you probably won't need to descale it, but you will need to sanitize and clean it.)
The Ultra comes in new colors and with a magnetic spoon holder and a stainless steel spoon.
Other updates with the current Ultra amazon.com/GE-Profile-XPIO13SCSS-Stainless-Nugget/dp/B0964BF4N7?tag=theverge02-20″>Opal 2.0 The model includes new colors (black or white in addition to stainless steel) and an improved touchscreen for turning on and off, connecting to Wi-Fi, and checking status. Plus, there's now a magnetic spoon holder and stainless steel spoon, which makes it easier to store the spoon on the side of the unit and should help with cleaning.
If you can get it Opal 2.0 on sale That's probably the best option. Overall, the Ultra's improvements seem like cosmetic and quality-of-life tweaks. You still have to clean the machine manually, though possibly not as often. Plus, you can buy the new water filter and paddle holder separately starting in August and use them with the Opal 2.0, though that may negate most of your savings.
The Opal 2.0 Ultra is very expensive, requires a lot of work to maintain, and takes up a considerable portion of my kitchen counter. But it does an excellent job of producing fresh, chewy, crunchy ice that makes any drink taste better. It's also one of the few smart devices I've brought into my home that everyone in my family loves, which says a lot.
If you too crave good ice and go into it knowing the struggles you will have to endure to keep getting it, then you will be very pleased with this device.
Photos by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge