Is the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker Worth It?
By Maya Bennett, kitchen & home · updated 2026-07-27
Worth it if you actually chew your ice, not just look at it
Worth it, if you've got the counter space and the habit
around $550price at time of review — check Amazon for current
- Worth it ifyou host often or drink a lot of iced coffee and cocktails
- Skip it ifyour counter space is already tight
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Picture the moment at someone else's party when you reach into a cooler and pull out ice that gives instead of cracking under your teeth, soft little pellets that soak up whatever they're sitting in. You go home, open your own freezer, and it's back to hard cubes that just sit there being cold. That gap between the good stuff and the shelf tray is exactly what the GE Profile Opal nugget ice maker is built to close, and the real question is whether a dedicated countertop machine earns a permanent spot in your kitchen.
Here's the bit the listing buries: most nugget ice makers need a direct water line, which means installation or a spot near the sink. The Opal Ultra skips that with a removable side tank you fill by hand, and because that tank holds extra water separate from the machine's internal reservoir, it can run far longer between refills than a standard countertop unit, wherever your counter happens to be. Inside, the actual ice-making trick is the same clever process that makes nugget ice possible at all: water freezes into a thin sheet on a cold cylinder, gets shaved off in flakes, and those flakes are pressed together into soft, chewable pellets, porous enough to pick up flavor from whatever you pour over them. The WiFi side, controlled through the SmartHQ app or by voice through Alexa or Google Home, is less about novelty and more about timing: schedule a batch before guests arrive and the bin is already full when the doorbell rings, instead of waiting for cubes to freeze solid.
So you're not really buying an ice maker, you're buying continuous soft ice without being tied to a water line, on whatever counter you've got. The side tank is what turns this from a novelty gadget into something that can actually keep up with a full house.
Worth it if
- you host often or drink a lot of iced coffee and cocktails
- you have a few inches of spare counter space to give up permanently
- you want ice on demand without a run to the store
Skip it if
- your counter space is already tight
- you only use ice occasionally
- you don't want another appliance to descale and clean
Not for tight kitchens or occasional ice drinkers who don't need a machine running daily.
If you host regularly, drink a lot of iced coffee or cocktails, and have counter space to spare, this is a quiet yes, it'll earn its keep. If you live somewhere tight on counter space or only want ice occasionally, a bag from the store or a basic tray will cover you for a lot less hassle. Either way, you now know what you're actually paying for.
Check price on Amazon · around $550 or Add it to your Amazon cart to sit on it
Before you go
Is the GE Profile Nugget ice maker good?
It's widely considered one of the more reliable nugget ice makers you can buy, largely because of its compressor-based cooling and the simple flake-and-compact process behind the ice itself.
How long do GE nugget ice makers last?
With regular descaling and filter changes, these machines are built to hold up for several years of daily use rather than occasional use.
How to clean the GE Opal Nugget Ice Maker?
Run the included descaling powder through a cleaning cycle every couple of months and rinse the removable bin and side tank with warm soapy water between refills.
Full spec sheet
| Brand | Profile |
|---|---|
| Model Name | XPIOX3SZSS |
| Product Dimensions | 17.5"D x 13.43"W x 16.5"H |
| Capacity | 3 pounds |
| Wattage | 300 watts |