GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro ZDNET's key takeaways Govee's smart nugget ice maker makes 2.5 pounds of ice an hour
The bucket stores and keeps ice cool for hours
It has a premium price tag of $500. View now at Walmart
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Several years ago, I spent more than $500 on a countertop ice maker. (No, I'm not ashamed to admit this.) My refrigerator made perfectly fine ice, but it wasn't the good ice, the soft, chewable nuggets you find at many fast food restaurants. That ice maker is still one of my favorite kitchen appliances, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that I use it every single day I'm at home.
There are now several other entries in the "premium nugget ice maker" category, including an upgraded version of the one I have. A few weeks ago, though, I got my hands on the newest option -- the GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro.
Also: This portable ice maker makes ice so fast, I can't imagine living without it
Govee already has a countertop ice maker, but this version produces ice at a much faster rate, and, more importantly, makes the absolutely addictive nugget ice. Like similar products, it comes with a price that might make you pause at first -- $500.
The unit itself measures 16 inches deep, 17 inches high, and 10.5 inches wide, so it fits comfortably under my cabinets (the additional water tank adds approximately 3 inches in width). That is a relatively large footprint, but it's in line with similar products.
At first glance, from across the kitchen, I didn't think the design even resembled an ice maker. It's a large black box with a screen on top, a tinted window, and lights. It wouldn't be a Govee product, though, without the ability to customize those lights. A thin light runs across the top of the bucket to serve as illumination and to alert you if the bucket is full or the machine needs cleaning. You can choose how bright the light is, even turning it completely off, or choose from a preselected pattern. I selected a cool blue for standby and one called "cyberpunk" for ice production (a purple and red glow that bounces back and forth).
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