This popular nugget ice maker is at its lowest price of the year

All other ice pales in comparison to nugget ice—and now you can make your own at home for a great price. (Photo: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan)

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For me, summertime means one thing: drinking fancy homemade cocktails on a rooftop or patio. And for this purpose, regular ice just won't cut it. I want something that won't melt as quickly and will elevate the look of whatever I'm drinking. I'm talking about nugget ice.

These semi-soft little nuggets of ice—as seen in Sonic soft drinks—absorb flavor and amplify your drink. This makes them perfect for cocktails and soft drinks alike, and if you want to make nugget ice at home, you're going to need the Opal Nugget Ice Maker. Right now, it's at its lowest price of the year.

It's typically wildly expensive at $500, but right now you can get it for just $378.21 on Amazon, which is only $30 more than the lowest price we saw on Black Friday last year. That may still be pricey, but this is a huge discount and a great price for any mixologist or Sonic lover.

After testing this nugget ice machine, we found out that it is, in fact, worth every single penny. The initial setup only takes about 20 minutes, and in an hour you’ll have 14 ounces of ice that’s “a texture between eating a snow cone and a slushy," according to our tester—i.e. the only thing I want in my drinks this summer.

There are other ice makers out there that do cost less, but they churn out regular ice rather than Opal's teeny tiny snowballs. "It's a much better mouth feel compared to regular ice cubes,” as our tester put it. The Opal Nugget Ice Maker has also recently been upgraded to have a side tank (available for $69.99), which allows you to produce 12 pounds of ice without having to refill the water and ideal for your summer parties.

Nugget ice will seriously change whatever you’re drinking for the better—from cherry limeade to gin and tonic—and there has never been a better time this year to buy this machine.

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Prices are accurate at the time this article was published, but may change over time.

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