I tested a ‘luxury’ nugget ice maker, and it’s an even better investment at this price

Follow ZDNET:Add us as a preferred source. And in the months I’ve had this machine, I’ve used it nearly every single day. So far, it’s surpassed my expectations.

Like its predecessor, the Opal is a countertop ice maker that promises to deliver munchable nugget ice right into your own home in a sleek, stylish package. But the 2.0 version adds many smart features to make getting it as easy as possible.

The unit comes in at 16.5″ high (meaning it fits under most cabinets), 16″ deep, and 13.5″ wide (additional waterside tank included). It takes up a hefty footprint on your countertop, but that’s true of most devices in this category.

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Setting up the machine was a little cumbersome, but wasn’t too terrible for a one-time process. It involved creating an account and password, verifying each, connecting to both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and entering codes from a label on the back of the machine.

While it’s running, the Opal 2.0 makes roughly a pound of ice an hour. There’s no cooler in the catch bin, so you make ice as needed. Any ice that melts in the bin is recirculated into the water reservoir below.

All the smart features for the ice maker live in the Smart HQ app, the current home of all GE smart appliances and products. With the app, you can control the bin light (off, dim, or on), turn on the maker, and set a schedule.

You’ll also receive 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 is about once a month for me, or if the ice bin wasn’t properly replaced.

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So far, the smart features have worked flawlessly. When I first got the device, I set up a preferred schedule, and for over a month, my ice maker has quietly whirred to life at 6 each morning Monday through Friday. The first nuggets hit the bin just before I wake up at 6:15 a.m. When I turned the schedule off for a week when I was out of town, the ice maker stayed silent.

The on/off feature works as intended, as I can toggle the power button in the app and the machine responds a few moments later. This is an especially useful feature when I’m around town, as I can turn the maker on when I’m headed home and arrive at my favorite ice waiting on me.

Of course, it’s also compatible with Alexa and Google Home.

Do you needyour ice maker to be Alexa-compatible? Well, it’s awfully handy sometimes, like when you’re in the living room, and you’d like a cold drink. You can simply speak the command, and ice is on the way. I’m a sucker for smart home tech, and asking Alexa to “make ice” and hearing the machine begin humming in the next room still makes me smile every time.

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Like a lot of smart home features, I questioned at first whether it would be an option I’d even use, but quickly found it becoming a part of my daily routine.