Nugget ice: If you don’t know what that is, you’re missing out. The GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Dispenser (available at Amazon for $699.00) is one of the most expensive top-of-the-line countertop ice makers on the market. So if you’re not willing to spend the big bucks, it’s not for you. However, if you have an endless appetite for chewable ice, this has everything you could possibly want. During our lab tests, we found the Opal Nugget Ice Dispenser to have a sleek user interface and fast ice delivery. If you’re constantly running out and getting nugget ice, save on gas and check this ice maker out.
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About the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Dispenser P4INDOS6RBB
What we like about the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Dispenser
What we don’t like about the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Dispenser
Should you buy the GE Profile Nugget Ice Dispenser P4INDOS6RBB?
The GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Dispenser makes high-quality product.
Within an hour of switching on the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Dispenser, we had a tall glass of chewable ice. This ice maker has a filter and a UV sanitizer. When you combine the two, you get very crisp and clean tasting ice without a hint of aftertaste. This is a great solution if you’ve ever had a cocktail or mix drink tainted by funny-tasting ice.
The mouthfeel of the ice is also spot-on. The individual nuggets have just enough bite to give a satisfying crunch before dissolving into fresh water. Ice chips sometimes grind against your teeth, giving that nails-on-a-chalkboard sensation, and hardened ice cubes are bad for your teeth. Crushed ice often feels like eating snow—it dissolves too quickly. The nugget ice that this GE Profile produces, however, provides that perfect balance.
Our first impression after unboxing the Opal is that it looks like it belongs in a restaurant or maybe a fancy hotel room. Most ice makers on the market, including the previous generation of this model, dispense all the ice they make into a bucket that you retrieve with a scoop. This new model is more like the ice maker on your fridge or a restaurant, pouring out into your cup at the press of a button.
We found some major advantages to this design during our lab tests. First is the insulation factor. With the ice reservoir placed inside the machine, the ice is shielded from direct sunlight and warm air. That means the ice lasts longer and, in turn, means less waiting in the long term.
The second reason we like this design is for sanitary reasons. We all know one guy at a party who reaches his hands into everything. The Nugget Ice Dispenser prevents questionable hands from touching your precious chewable ice.
The app lets you schedule or start making ice at your discretion.
The GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Dispenser is compatible with a smart app. It comes with a really handy scheduling feature. Imagine being at waking up and deciding to have a bit of a gathering in the evening. With a few taps on your smartphone, you can set your Nugget Ice Dispenser to start two hours before the party gets started so you have plenty of fresh ice when your guests arrive.
After filling the water tank and turning it on, we waited for about one hour and 10 minutes. We then dispensed all the ice and got about 795 grams of ice, or about one pound—enough to adequately cool 5 8-ounce drinks. That’s faster than some of the competitors that we’ve tested by about 27%.
The GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Dispenser takes up a lot of counter space. It’s over 15 inches wide and 17 inches tall. If you’re willing to lose some capacity, you can remove the side water tank and the unit will only be 12 inches wide.
So it’s about as wide as your toaster oven and as tall as your blender. The real downside is that it’s heavier than both of them combined. Tipping the scales at 45 pounds when empty and well over 50 pounds when full, this isn’t an appliance that you can move around with ease if you suddenly need more counter space. It will probably live full-time where you first set it up.
The dispensing feature isn’t super accurate
During testing, we tried just placing the cup on the tray and pressing the dispense button. This resulted in most of the ice filling the glass, but more than a few ice cubes missing entirely.
If you don’t want to make a mess, hold the cup up. It’s a minor annoyance, but an annoyance nonetheless.
If you’re in the vaulted nugget ice fan club, you already know if you want the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Dispenser in your house. For the tiny minority that is on the fence, go to your local Sonic and try some nugget ice before making your decision. But when you inevitably do fall in love, know that the Opal is a top-quality product. If you can find it on sale, even better.
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
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Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.
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