Nugget ice is the kind of ice that is chewable and small in size that began known for the ice that is served in fast-food restaurants in soft drinks.
It became popular after Sonic introduced it in its drinks. This kind of ice is mainly just ice that has been crushed and converted into little nuggets or pellets of ice.
But you might be wondering what’s the need for nugget ice when typical ice cubes already exist? There are two reasons why nugget ice is more popular than traditional ice.
The first advantage it has over ice cubes is that it is chewable. When you buy soft drinks from a fast-food joint you often find yourself munching on ice chips because it’s so irresistible.
Nugget ice has a mouthfeel to it that regular ice doesn’t have. The second reason is quite obvious: nugget ice is more convenient and faster than big blocks of regular ice.
Features of the GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
Nugget ice is a perfect addition to sodas, soft drinks, cocktails, and other refreshing beverages. Unlike typical big chunks of ice cubes, nugget ice can retail most of the flavor of the drink and lets you even much on it for a while until it melts in your mouth.
The GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker can make up to 3x more nugget ice when you add ice to its side tank.
In addition to this, it is portable and can be moved to any place you want to keep it. Also, you don’t need any water hookup for your ice maker.
You will only have to fill the reservoir by filling it with water from any type of 120v standard electrical outlet.
When the ice will melt, it will move to the reservoir and be converted into ice once again. This way, you will not be wasting any water when you’ll be making ice.
The GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker is quick and powerful and prepares the ice in only twenty minutes.
The result is restaurant-style crunchy and soft pellets or nuggets of ice. The ice maker can produce up to 24 lbs of ice in one day and its bin can hold about 3 lbs at a given moment. With Opal, you can have fresh chewable ice at your disposable any time of the day.
Moreover, what’s great is that the Opal has an inner Bluetooth connectivity system that allows you to directly order fresh ice from your phone. You can also monitor the ice maker’s progress and setting with the help of your smartphone.
SMART – Built-In Bluetooth Connectivity: Schedule fresh ice, monitor your ice maker’s status, and order accessories, all through the app on your smartphone.
What Customers Liked About the GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
Most buyers were really satisfied with the ice makers to crush and flake ice to create perfect chewable nuggets of ice.
Customers also liked the filter and UV light that aids in the creation of ice that tastes clean and fresh.
With regular refrigerator ice cubes, you’ll generally have a weird tasting smell and taste to it but Opal creates clean-tasting ice with its UV technology.
The ice will taste crisp and clean with the Opal ice maker. Customers in forums and Facebook groups even on Amazon reviews section said they were glad that they paid a lot of money to get the UV technology to create sweet-tasting clean ice.
The mouthfeel of the chewable ice will keep having you ask for more because it tastes that good. You can enjoy munching on the ice until it melts in your mouth.
The automatic refill function in the GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker is loved by the buyers. The reservoir technology is responsible for storing water to be converted into ice and then when the ice has melted it is sent back to the reservoir for storage.
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This stored water is then converted to ice once again and that is how no water is wasted in this ice maker. The Opal is also great for making ice for large gatherings such as parties and celebrations.
One customer tested the Opal by leaving it open one weekend and after they came back they found that the ice maker’s bin was full.
However, it was observed that the ice was sitting for 48 hours and during this time the ice cubes started to clump. This means the water needs to be replaced every day and consumed the same day to prevent clumping.
Nonetheless, the customer wasn’t bothered by the clumping and loved the overall results.
The smart features and the side tank add to the greatness of the Opal. The GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker also has a light that can be turned on and off and is ideal for fetching ice for late-night snacking.
This makes the Opal a perfect companion for summer nights when you just want to grab something clean and refreshing.
In addition to these features, the GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker has its own app that customers have claimed comes in very handy when there is very little time to monitor the ice-making process.
However, you can also use the SmartHQ app and connect to all Haier and GE smart appliances. In case you weren’t aware, Haier is the parent company of GE and Opal and its apps are compatible with all current-generation appliances.
The app lets you monitor the status of the machine and also allows you to schedule the time you want the ice maker to start making ice.
The light can be controlled by the apps offered by the company as well. With the addition of the side tank, you can make up to 3x more ice than a regular ice maker.
Moreover, the GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker can also hold extra water so you can have a large supply of ice.
Because of this side tank, you can have three times more ice. The side tank can be filled under a faucet and sticks itself magnetically to the side of the main unit.
What Customers Don’t Like About the GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
The most common complaint buyers had was the fact that the GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker is too expensive for an ice-making machine.
The price of the Opal ice maker is $469.00 on Amazon but when it first came out it was around $600. That is still a bit too much for an ice maker.
The ice maker by Newair produces much more ice and is less expensive than this one. However, it also lacks smart features and the automatic refill function.
Buyers also reported that the GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker was a bit slow when it came to producing ice. It produces around one pound of ice every hour.
This is quite slower than most of the ice makers on the market these days. In case you are someone who has a lot of time on your hands, you will be able to produce a lot of ice for a gathering.
However, it was observed that the Opal ice maker is ideal for family and personal use as compared to other ice makers.
The GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker has garnered amazing customer ratings on Amazon.
However, buyers have agreed that the machine’s operations and setup are quite easy to use. What they didn’t like about the ice maker was its slow rate of producing ice and the price tag. These two factors had a great effect on customer reviews.
You should buy the GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker if you’re looking for a fancy addition to your kitchen space. It is the cost of the ice maker that makes buyers doubt its worth as a fruitful investment as most reviews have claimed.
They complained that the Opal ice maker did not have the best support and made a lot of noise while it is running.
There are plenty of ice makers on the market that are just as competent, even better when compared to the GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker.
There is one thing that is unique about the Opal that cannot be attained with other ice makers. The ice that it produces has a crisp and clean taking feel and taste to it which is something that is much appreciated by ice enthusiasts.
Here are some of the popular alternatives:
Euhomy Ice Maker Machine | CROWNFUL Ice Maker Machine | |
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Can prepare 9 Cubes of ice in 6-8 Minutes | Can make 26 lbs of ice in 24 Hours, 9 Cubes in 6 Mins | Can make 9 Ice Cubes in 7 Minutes, 26lbs Bullet Ice Cubes in 24H |
Image credit: Reviewed.com