GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro Review

About the GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro

• Dimensions: 17.28 inches (D) x 13.98 inches (W) x 17.01 inches (H)
• Weight: 49.27 pounds
• Ice type: Nugget ice
• Daily ice production: 60 pounds
• Ice bucket capacity: 3.5 pounds
• Side water tank: Yes
• Compatibility: Google Home, Amazon Alexa
• Warranty: 3 years

The GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro is a smart countertop nugget ice maker for fast, quiet, high-capacity ice production with added convenience through app and voice control. It can start making ice in as little as six minutes and produces up to 60 pounds per day (2.5 pounds per hour). Designed to stay ultra-quiet at 40 dB, it also uses AI NoiseGuard technology to reduce abnormal sounds.

The GoveeHome app lets you set timers, view an ice chart to track production history, and enable Alexa or Google Assistant voice control. Cleaning is simple with two self-cleaning modes, plus app reminders. Dual water tanks (2.2L main and 4.9L side) support extended use, and the unit includes customizable RGB lighting.

Upon opening the box, you get the ice maker, an ice bin, and an ice scoop made with food-grade ABS plastic, a front tray, a detachable side water tank, a cleaning utensil, a sponge, and a packet each of descaling solution and a cleaning agent.

What we like

Smart setup is easy

Once you actually have the GoveeLife ice maker positioned on your counter (more about the physicality of doing this, below), setting it up in the Govee app is a piece of cake. We use several Govee-branded smart lights in our home already, so we had the app downloaded.

From there, you just tap the plus sign to add a device, the app automatically scans for nearby devices, and then you simply connect to it via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

You can operate the ice maker (starting or stopping ice making, cleaning, descaling, and scheduling) from either the LED panel on the front of the machine or through the app remotely, from wherever you may be.

It makes a full bucket of nugget ice fast

It takes the GoveeLife ice maker just over 90 minutes to produce a full 3.5-pound bucket of nugget ice. If you remove some ice, the machine automatically starts making ice again, before stopping when the bucket is full. Doing this, it can make up to 60 pounds of ice per day, which is a lot of ice.

Officially, the daily ice production volume is TÜV Rheinland–certified, which means it was independently tested in a controlled lab environment in Germany by the leading global technical service provider. Basically, TÜV Rheinland validates that the product works as it should.

The app even journals its activities so that you can see when the ice bucket reached capacity, when it paused producing ice, and when it started back up again. Just in case you’re keeping track.

Offers lots of water storage, so you’re not constantly refilling

The ice maker itself can hold 2.2 liters of water, and the included side tank holds more than double that—at 4.9 liters—meaning that combined, you’re looking at 7.1 liters of water. This gets our household through a week of ice use without having to refill the ice maker with water. What’s not to love about being effectively low maintenance?

Operation is nice and quiet

In our experience with countertop ice makers, we’ve heard them make some crazy noises on par with a Ringwraith, largely due to the evaporator freezing up or limescale buildup on the motor.

So far, we haven’t heard any such noise from the GoveeLife ice maker during our testing period. The company implemented a proprietary technology, called AI NoiseGuard, that proactively anticipates a freeze-up and then automatically initiates a defrost cycle to stop the screech before it starts.

Day to day, the machine’s dB is around 40, which is very, very quiet. You shouldn’t notice it at all.

Govee offers several self-cleaning options

The GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro includes two built-in self-cleaning options designed to keep the machine fresh and running smoothly. It has a 10-minute quick cleaning mode for fast routine maintenance, plus a 30-minute deep descaling mode for a more thorough clean meant to address deeper buildup over time.

As the user, you will need to be involved in the maintenance process, draining water, adding detergent, scrubbing parts, and more.

The user manual walks you through both the cleaning and descaling process, and while it may seem intense to ice maker newbies, it’s actually much more streamlined and straightforward than some other countertop models we’re familiar with.

After you manually start whichever cleaning cycle you want, the GoveeHome app provides a cleaning reminder by alerting you when it’s time to clean again, helping you stay on schedule and avoid forgetting maintenance.

Not only is this automation convenient, but it also saves the flavor and cleanliness of the ice. With the initial purchase of the ice maker, you get a cleaning brush and a sponge, as well as one packet of non-toxic descaling agent (citric acid) and one packet of food-safe cleaning agent (sodium carbonate and citric acid). Each is formulated specifically for the GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro and shouldn’t be used with other machines. You can purchase both of these items separately, in packs of 6.

What we don’t like

Setup is physically hard and needs two people

When you get a new kitchen appliance, you want its setup to be as easy as possible. To be honest (and possibly unfair), most people want to plop it on their counter and use it immediately. You simply can’t do that with the GoveeLife ice maker.

Getting it out of the box it was delivered in is a challenge in itself. It is wrapped up tightly in styrofoam, straps, and cardboard, making it nearly impossible to remove it from its shipping box without help from a second person. Additionally, you can’t tip the box to slide the ice maker out onto the floor because you are not supposed to tilt it more than 45° (never mind turn it upside down), or you could potentially damage its compressor.

The GoveeLife ice maker is heavy—nearly 50 pounds heavy. It’s easily 15 pounds heavier than the GE Profile Opal nugget ice maker, which is approximately the same size. Even unwrapped, I struggled to lift the GoveeLife ice maker onto my countertop by myself and had to wait for my husband to come home to put it where I wanted it, complicating and extending the setup process even more.

It’s aesthetics only fit into certain kitchens

We love the contemporary design of the GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro, but we are quick to realize that not everyone will. If you’re into colorful lighting effects, clean lines, and a prominent LED control panel (which are signature Govee traits), then you’ll vibe with this machine. But, if your tastes feel more vintage, something like the GE Profile Opal nugget ice maker’s pastel color and basic button set might be more your speed.

Warranty

GoveeLife offers a 3-year limited warranty on the GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro, as long as the purchase was made through an authorized seller.

Should you buy the GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro?

Yes, it’s fast, low-maintenance, and largely automated

The GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro is a smart countertop nugget ice maker built for speed, capacity, and low-effort daily use. It can make ice in as little as 6 minutes and crank out up to 60 pounds per day, with a 3.5-pound ice bucket that refills automatically as you scoop. It’s also notably quiet (around 40 dB) and uses AI NoiseGuard to help prevent the kind of loud screeching some ice makers make when they freeze up or get gunked up.

The app experience is smooth, offering remote control, scheduling, production tracking, and compatibility with Alexa and Google Home. You also get a large water setup (2.2L internal tank plus a 4.9L side tank) and simple maintenance thanks to quick-clean and descaling modes, plus included cleaning supplies and a 3-year warranty. The tradeoff is that it’s heavy, and its modern, RGB-forward design won’t match every kitchen.

Buy this ice maker if you want real nugget ice fast, need a lot of it for daily drinks or entertaining, and don’t want an appliance that’s loud, high-maintenance, or constantly needs refilling. It’s especially appealing if you like smart-home control, want extra water storage, and appreciate built-in cleaning support.