The GE Profile Opal 2.0 is the nugget-ice pick: soft, chewable, Sonic-style ice rather than the hard bullets or clear cubes the rest of this group makes. CNN Underscored ran it for two months and called it whisper quiet, and Reviewed rates the ice clean-tasting and the SmartHQ scheduling genuinely useful. It is the most expensive maker here and it needs regular descaling.
Full review
Fills the 3-pound bin in a little over two hours
Ice quality is the whole argument for the Opal 2.0. CNN Underscored, which ran it for two months, confirmed it produces properly chewable nuggets: soft, porous ice that absorbs flavour, which is a different product from hard bullet or clear ice.
Taste of Home found it takes about 25 to 30 minutes to start turning out solid cylindrical nuggets and fills the bin in just over two hours. GE rates it at up to 38 lbs a day with a first batch in 10 to 15 minutes and a 3 lb bin. Nugget ice is inherently slower to make, so the sustained rate trails the bullet machines.
SmartHQ scheduling is the feature owners keep using
Reviewed notes the SmartHQ app handles scheduling, filter status and the interior light over home Wi-Fi. Scheduling is the part that survives the novelty stage: set a full bin for before guests arrive and the machine starts itself.
The 2.0 generation adds a side water tank that stretches the time between refills, plus Alexa and Google voice control. Reviewed also reports the ice tastes crisp and clean, which points to the filtration working as intended.
Around 44 dB on a kitchen counter
CNN describes the Opal as whisper quiet, and at around 44 dB it is quieter than most countertop appliances at this output tier. That matters because an ice maker usually lives where people are talking.
The stainless housing is compact for a nugget machine, with a removable bin and a side tank that attaches cleanly. It is built to sit out permanently rather than be stored between uses, which at this price is how most owners treat it.
$450 to $600, and a cleaning routine
Price is the obvious objection: at $450 to $600 the Opal is several times what a bullet maker costs, and it only makes sense if you specifically want nugget ice and will use it often.
Maintenance is the other. Nugget makers are mechanically more complex, and reviewers are consistent that the machine needs regular cleaning and descaling to keep running well; some owners report sensor problems or falling output over time.
Against the budget nugget Frigidaire EFIC255
Its only direct nugget rival here is the Frigidaire Gallery EFIC255, which is louder, produces harder pellets and carries durability complaints, with a 3.1-star Amazon average behind it.
The bullet makers and the clear-cube EFIC452-SS are not substitutes, because they make a different kind of ice. If chewable nugget ice is the goal, the Opal is the benchmark and the premium is the cost of getting it right.
Strengths
- +Soft, chewable nugget ice that no other maker in this group produces
- +Around 44 dB, quiet enough to leave running in a kitchen
- +First nuggets in 10-15 minutes and up to 38 lbs a day
- +SmartHQ app schedules production and tracks filter status, with Alexa and Google support
- +Included side tank extends the run time between refills
Watch-outs
- −Expensive at $450-600, several times the cost of a bullet maker
- −Sustained output trails bullet makers despite the fast first batch
- −Needs regular cleaning and descaling to stay reliable
- −Some owners report sensor problems or reduced output over time
How it compares
The only premium nugget maker among the top picks, and a different product from the hard bullet ice of the Frigidaire EFIC189 and Magic Chef MCIM22SV or the clear cubes of the Frigidaire EFIC452-SS. The budget Frigidaire Gallery EFIC255 also makes nugget ice, but with noise and durability complaints the Opal avoids.
Rating sources
“CNN tested the GE Profile Opal 2.0 for two months and confirmed it's worth the hype; the machine produces perfectly chewable nuggets and is whisper quiet.”
“Ice from the Opal 2.0 tastes crisp and clean, with the SmartHQ app allowing you to schedule ice production, monitor filter status, and control the interior light.”
“It produces a substantial amount of ice in just over two hours, taking about 25 to 30 minutes to start producing solid, cylindrical nugget ice.”
Our 4.5 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
