What is the deal?
He GE Profile Opal 2.0 Nugget Ice Machine It is on sale for $464 Amazon Prime Day – that’s a 23% discount on the regular price.
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Why does ZDNET recommend this offer?
- He GE Profile Opal 2.0 Nugget Ice Machine It is a smart kitchen appliance that sells for $599.
- If you want to enjoy those delicious ice balls that are usually served in fast food restaurants, this machine is perfect. It can also be used through a mobile app.
- It’s expensive, especially considering what it is, but I’ve found the machine to be worth the investment.
Whether you call it good ice, sonic ice, nugget ice, or pellet ice, there’s no denying that the small, chewy ice balls found at some fast food restaurants are seriously addictive.
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I count myself among those addicted to chewing ice. And while satisfying that craving used to mean going to a restaurant late at night, I’ve discovered that… that Ice is now available from the comfort of my kitchen with the Opal GE 2.0And for the month I’ve had this machine, I’ve used it almost every day. So far, it’s exceeded my expectations.
Like its predecessor, the Opal is a countertop ice maker that promises to bring nugget ice to your own home in a sleek, stylish format. But version 2.0 adds a host of smart features to make getting it as easy as possible.
The unit is 16.5″ tall (meaning it fits under most cabinets), 16″ deep, and 13.5″ wide (extra water tank included). It does take up a considerable amount of counter space, but that’s true of most devices in this category.
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Setting up the machine was a little tricky, but it wasn’t that complicated for a one-time process. It involved creating an account and password, verifying each one, connecting to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and entering codes from a label on the back of the machine.
While in operation, the Opal 2.0 produces approximately half a kilo of ice per hour. There is no chiller in the collection bin, so ice is produced as needed and the ice that melts in the bin is recirculated to the water tank below.
But where the Opal 2.0 shines above its competition is in its smart connectivity.
All of the ice maker’s smart features are located in the Smart HQ app, the current home of all your ice maker’s smart features. GE Smart Appliances and ProductsWith the app, you can control the container light (off, dim or on), turn on the maker and set a schedule.
You’ll also get app alerts when the unit needs cleaning and descaling (a process that just involves removing a filter, running a very diluted bleach solution through the tank, and draining the line), which happens about once a month for me, or if the ice bin wasn’t replaced properly.
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So far, the smart features have worked flawlessly. I set a preferred schedule when I first purchased the device, and for over a month, my ice maker quietly started up at 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, with the first nuggets of ice hitting the bin just before I woke up at 6:15 a.m. When I turned the schedule off for a week when I was out of town, the ice maker remained silent.
The on/off feature works as expected as I can toggle the power button on and off in the app and the machine responds a few minutes later. This is an especially useful feature when I’m traveling around town as I can turn the machine on as I head home and find my favorite ice cream waiting for me.
Of course, it is also compatible with Alexa and Google Home.
You need Do you want your ice maker to be Alexa compatible? Well, sometimes it’s very useful, like when you’re in the living room and would like a cold drink. You can simply say the command and the ice will be ready. I’m a sucker for smart home technology, and asking Alexa to “make ice” and hearing the machine start humming in the next room still makes me smile every time.
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As with many smart home features, I was initially hesitant to use this option, but quickly found it was becoming part of my daily routine.
The ice bin is removable for easy removal.
Artie Beatty/ZDNET
The GE Opal 2.0 has just one problem, and it may be a serious one. It is a heavy product, and I don’t mean its physical size. The price is $100. almost $600 (even more so with the additional side tank), which means it’s not a cheap ice maker. Yes, there are more affordable options, but none of them offer the smart capabilities of the Opal, which, in my opinion, is far superior.
GE does not promote the Opal 2.0 nugget ice maker As a budget option, it frankly costs more than twice as much as the cheaper machines, so it is quite expensive and that price will certainly be a barrier for some people.
ZDNET’s buying advice
This was a luxury purchase and I knew it from the start, but so far it has totally paid off. As well as running flawlessly on both the mechanical and technical side, it has also become a talking point as everyone who has ever seen it says something along the lines of “Oh, it does that ice!?”
So if you, like me, crave chewy ice and don’t mind spending a little to get it automatically on time or at the touch of a button on your phone (and impress your friends in the process), you won’t find a better option.