The Govee Smart Ice Maker makes every iced drink feel like a luxury

For some people, the ice in a drink is just as important as the drink itself. This is the audience Govee had in mind when designing its newest ice maker, the GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro. This $500 premium smart home gadget is aimed at those who crave so-called “good ice,” a soft, chewy chunk of ice often found in fast food or restaurant drinks.

Govee says the newly designed tool delivers ice chunks in less than six minutes. This is a claim that has been proven true in my testing. It can make up to 60 pounds of ice per day, and has a 3.5-pound ice basket that automatically refills when you scoop ice.

The hefty price means it’s not for people who are perfectly happy with refrigerator ice and don’t even know what “good ice” means. Instead, it’s for ice lovers who want to splurge on a fun, luxurious gadget that makes everyday drinks more enjoyable.

It is easy to use, as all you have to do is fill the tank with water and press the start button that appears on the screen. You can also control the ice maker with the GoveeHome app, which lets you start ice production from your phone or schedule it so ice is ready when you need it, like before your morning coffee.

App control is very convenient. I could start making ice from my phone while working at my desk, and by the time I wanted an iced latte, there was fresh ice ready to go without having to walk to the kitchen to turn on the machine. The app also displays real-time ice production and the quantity currently in the ice bin, which is useful for wanting to stop production when you only want a certain amount.

The ice maker also supports voice commands with Alexa and Google Assistant, which means a quick “Hey Google, start the ice maker” results in fresh ice.

The ice maker uses what Govee calls AI NoiseGuard technology to keep operating noise low, too. The system is designed to operate at around 40 decibels, and can automatically run defrost cycles to reduce noise and help ensure a consistent supply of ice. The machine produces a constant hum while making ice, but I didn’t find the noise to be distracting or overtly loud.

It wouldn’t be a Govee product if it didn’t offer customizable ambient lighting. The smart ice maker has a light that illuminates the ice basket and adds a fun visual element to the device. Through the app, you can choose from a variety of presets or create your own custom lighting effects. You can choose how bright you want the lights to be or turn them off completely.

I mostly kept it on a light pink setting, but occasionally switched to the “cyberpunk” mode, which casts a shifting purple and red glow that felt fun and futuristic when I had people over.

The ice maker is 17.28 inches deep, 13.98 inches wide, and 17.01 inches tall, takes up a lot of counter space and weighs 50 pounds. If you have a small kitchen, it can seem bulky, especially since its sleek design doesn’t even remotely resemble an ice maker.

As for setup, it was pretty simple, but then I definitely needed my husband’s help to set it up in our kitchen, and then again when I needed to move it around when it came to descaling and cleaning the appliance.

Overall, the ice block elevated my iced drinks, giving them a more at home feel at a coffee shop and making my morning routine more enjoyable. I also noticed that the ice melted more slowly than the ice in my refrigerator, so my drinks stayed cold longer without getting diluted as quickly.

Another big advantage was his speed. It made ice much faster than my refrigerator, so I always had enough when hosting friends and family. The ice maker itself was something guests noticed as they came in, not only because of its size and bright lights, but because the ice block was a hit with the other ice connoisseurs in my life (some even threatened to steal it).

Whether or not the GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro is right for you really depends on how much you care about having nugget ice on demand and how often you’ll actually be using it. If you’re not a big fan of ice, you obviously don’t need a fairly specialized device.

But if you’re someone who regularly drinks iced drinks and loves “good ice,” this ice maker may be the gadget you never knew you needed.