Drink a glass of cold beverage when the sun is shining
certainly feels enjoyable. Unfortunately not everyone has strong teeth to
withstand the cold of the ice cubes contained in the beverage.
General Electric, a company that has been experienced in the
home appliance segment, apparently wants to allow everyone to feel the pleasure
of chewing ice cubes without exception. Its creative division, GE FirstBuild,
has recently launched a unique product through a crowdfunding campaign.
The product is called Opal Nugget Ice Maker. This machine is
a portable ice maker with dimension of about 42 x 27 x 37 cm, smaller than the
mini fridge that's usually available in the hotel room.
Behind its stainless steel frame, Opal Nugget Ice Maker
brings a chamber which can hold up to 1.36 kilograms ice cubes. Every hour, it
produces around 0.5 kg ice cubes, which can be poured into four cups. If worn
all day, it can provide enough ice for about 96 cups.
So far Opal sounds not much different from other ice cube
makers. But the developer claims that the ice cubes produced by this machine
are special, it's called nugget ice.
Nugget ice is special because it has a soft texture, which
is claimed to not make your teeth hurt when you chew it. Furthermore, nugget
ice is also believed to be able to cool down the drink faster than regular ice
cubes.
It's also claimed to be able to absorb the taste of the
drink in the glass. Or if you want a more instant way, Opal can also make nugget
ice from other beverages other than water. For example, you can create a nugget
ice by using whiskey, and then throw it into orange juice to get a cocktail
glass instantly.
Opal Nugget Ice Maker is currently undergoing a campaign on
Indiegogo. The lowest pledge offered today is $ 379, with estimated retail
price of $ 499. Unfortunately, this new product can be ordered only by
customers in the US and Canada. There is no information about its availability
in other countries.