I am a sucker for ice and RGB lights, so you better believe I jumped at the chance to check out the GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro. Govee is a brand that makes a vast assortment of products, from heaters and speakers to, of course, its lighting systems, but out of all of that, the ice makers seem to get the most attention and are genuinely incredibly well thought out. After using the Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro for a few weeks, almost daily, it has become an invaluable addition to the CGMagazine office, even if it may be more than what most people need.
Unboxing the Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro for the first time, you may be surprised at just how much is packed into the box, and at the size of everything. I have used a few ice makers over the years, but the level of features in this one goes above and beyond. It includes a separate water tank, the usual assortment of accessories such as cleaning tablets, a special sponge, a cleaning brush, an ice bucket, a scoop, a drain extension and, of course, the machine itself. Thankfully, the setup is incredibly simple.
I was up and running in around 30 to 40 minutes after I went through the setup procedure, washed everything, got it all hooked up and had it produce the first ice of its new life in the kitchen at CGM HQ. I also made sure to get the RGB lighting up and running to add some ambience as I filled a glass with ice and got to enjoy the fruits of my labour.
The machine itself is relatively compact, but by no means small, and will take up a fair bit of counter space if you are worried about whether everything will fit in your kitchen. The machine itself weighs 19 pounds and measures 13.98 inches wide by 21.3 inches deep by 17.01 inches high, so it is not a lightweight device, and it offers the modern yet “appliance look” many smart appliances have.
“Unboxing the Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro for the first time, you may be surprised at just how much is packed into the box, and at the size of everything.”
It features a single screen that gives details about what the machine is currently working on, along with a few buttons for the main modes of the Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro, with the lighting as a subtle touch that shows through the main ice bucket. It is honestly minor enough that it should fit in most situations, and if you really are opposed to fun, you can turn the RGB lights off, and it will still deliver all its features sans lighting.
The Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro is also incredibly sturdy, something you would hope to see in a machine this heavy, and it feels built to last. It needs to be solid, since it boasts an ice bucket that can hold up to 3.5 pounds of ice and can produce 60 pounds of ice per day. To achieve this feat, it has a 2.2-litre main tank in the machine, along with a 4.9-litre side tank mounted on the side, with a little clip that keeps it in place and prevents it from moving around the counter. It also features 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, because of course it does.
The ice the machine makes is handy, small nugget ice, making it the perfect choice for when you are sitting at your desk drinking water as you write an article about an ice maker, or anything else that calls for that much-needed cooling-off feeling only ice can provide. It is incredibly easy to fill. You just pick up the side tank, fill it with purified water, drop it back in, and you are off to the races. It managed to make the first set of ice in under 20 minutes after everything was set up. This is fantastic and makes sure you are not left waiting when you really want your drink chilled.
Jumping over to the smart features of this ice maker, and I never thought that would be something I would say, the GoveeLife app keeps all your devices ready to access in one place, and the Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro is no different. You add it as you would any other device, get the machine ready in pairing mode, add it through the application, follow the on-screen prompts, and you should be ready to go within a few minutes.
That said, the actual features the app controls are pretty limited. You can change the lighting, see notifications about the machine, such as when it is out of water, and, of course, access the cleaning features, including self-cleaning and descaling. While it is not the most extensive feature set, it does what you need an ice machine to do and delivers those features in a relatively well-laid-out way. I honestly do not know if it is something I would spend extra to get, but if you have it, I quite enjoy seeing what is going on in the land of ice making, so I am not complaining.
What I may be complaining about is the price. At $499.99 US, with it on sale for $424.99 US at the time of writing, the GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro is one of the more premium ice makers on the market. You can easily find offerings from GE, ecozy, EUHOMY, and many others at a lower premium price point than Govee offers. Granted, few offer the same range of features, the app control or the ever-amazing RGB lighting, but if all you want is simple ice, there are options. I have to say I am a big fan of what this machine provides, but it is, without question, a luxury option, and it is not for everyone, despite how fun some of what it does is.
The GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro is one of the more unique devices I have tested over the years, but it does deliver on what it sets out to do, and it does it well. It delivers nugget ice in a way that is both easy and quick, while throwing in some fun RGB in the process. If all you want is a machine to produce ice on occasion, there are cheaper alternatives, but if you are someone who craves all the smart features you can jam into a device, the GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro will not disappoint.
- 6-Minute Rapid Ice Production: Crave-worthy nugget ice in just 6 minutes. Thanks to advanced thermal exchange and a high-efficiency compressor, you get quick, quality ice—perfect for impromptu gatherings, sudden cravings, and seamless daily use.
- 60lbs Daily Output Capacity: Reliably produces up to 60lbs of ice per day. The innovative dual-tank system (2.2L/0.59gal + 4.9L/1.3gal) maximizes efficiency, yielding over 15lbs of ice per single water fill to minimize refills. Maintain a high-volume, consistent ice supply for every need.
