Quick Overview
FEATURES
DURABILITY
MATERIALS
AFFORDABILITY
Pros
Cons
Imagine being a host at a party in the middle of a hot summer day, and then running out of ice. What a stressful time that will be! You will have to run to your local store to buy ice cubes, which can ruin the fun. What’s worse is if your local store is out of ice cubes. It can be extremely frustrating.
Is there an easy solution to this? Thankfully, yes. All you need is a high-quality ice maker. This features a fast-freeze technology that enables you to make ice quickly.
Today, we review the Opal Nugget Ice Maker in detail to help you decide if this is indeed a good addition to your kitchen. Let’s find out more about it below.
Opal Nugget Ice Maker
The Opal Nugget Ice Maker is a product of the company FirstBuild. This brand is a co-creation community that has changed the way products come into the market.
What do we mean by this? You see, they let the community influence the product from the start. They then quickly deliver products that are much better and which can improve the lives of their customers. The company is backed by GE Appliances, which means that they have access to world-class design and engineering talent.
In terms of this company’s products, all of them are made using only high-quality materials, which means that they not only work well but also guaranteed last for a very long time. Furthermore, the company is well-known for its excellent post-sales service too. You can be assured that your money is being well spent when you buy one of their products.
Features
Back in 2015, there was a pitch for a specialized ice maker, and it raised over $2.5 million on Indiegogo. That product was the Opal Nugget Ice Maker.
While most ice makers will only freeze the water into a regular ice cube, this ice maker takes it one step forward by scraping flakes away from the inside of a chilled steel cylinder and extrudes it through a round hole. This results in a bunch of ice nuggets, which is from where it gets its name.
This type of ice is not only aesthetically pleasing but also great for several recipes such as for iced coffees, desserts, and more.
- Compact Size
Not only is the Opal Nugget Ice Maker stylish but also the perfect size. This ice maker’s dimensions are 15.5 x 10.5 x 17.2 inches. Being so compact in size makes it easy to store it.
You can also conveniently place the ice maker on your kitchen countertop, which will allow you to access it quickly. Do note though that, in addition to its sizing, you will also need an added three inches of installation clearance space on the machine’s sides and its back.
- Powerful and Quick
What’s great about this ice maker is that it can make soft and crunchy ice, exactly like the ones you get in your favorite restaurant, in just 20 minutes. Furthermore, this ice maker is capable of making up to 24 pounds of ice in a day, and its bin is capable of holding roughly three pounds of ice at one time.
- Portable
One of the most interesting things about this ice maker is that it is completely portable. There is no need for you to have any water inlet valve attached to this machine.
All you need to do is plug the ice maker into any 120V grounded electrical outlet and then fill the ice maker’s reservoir with water. As the ice melts, the water will return to the reservoir, and it will simply be used again to create more ice.
What we also liked about this machine is that it does not heat up too much. Its operating temperature range is between 55°F and 90°F. It is also important to note that you need to use potable water only, which is 12 gpg (205 ppm) or less mineral hardness.
- Smart Device
The Opal Nugget Ice Maker comes equipped with Bluetooth technology. This means that you will be able to set up the ice making schedule right on your smartphone by using the free FirstBuild app. The machine also has sensors to realize when the bin is filled with ice so that it does not overfill.
- Warranty
When you purchase the Opal Nugget Ice Maker from its website or from authorized sellers, you will receive a limited one-year warranty on it.
Summary of the Features
The Opal Nugget Ice Maker is an excellent machine that can make soft and crunchy restaurant-like ice in just 20 minutes. Its dimensions make it perfect to even place it on a kitchen countertop, and its elegant design makes it good to look at too.
The ice maker also does not require a water hookup. It can hold up to three pounds of ice at one time and can produce up to 24 pounds of ice in a day. Best of all, the ice maker is Bluetooth-equipped.
Comparison With Another Ice Maker
We compared the Opal Nugget Ice Maker to the Chilla Portable Ice Maker. Both of these ice makers work quite similarly and even have similar features. However, there are a few differences that make the former machine a better choice. Let us tell you why.
The Chilla Ice Maker’s build is not as durable as its counterpart. Furthermore, it does not come with any Bluetooth capability that would have made it convenient to use.
This ice maker also takes some more time to produce ice compared to its counterpart. For all these reasons, we recommend that you stick to using the Opal Nugget Ice Maker instead.
Conclusion
Ice makers are a great way to get quick, soft, and crunchy ice, and if you are looking for one, opting for the Opal Nugget Ice Maker is a smart choice. This ice maker will produce ice in just 20 minutes.
Furthermore, its Bluetooth technology makes using the machine more convenient. We can say with certainty that this is one product that you won’t regret buying.