Typhur Fast Nugget Ice Maker (Wi-Fi) Review: A User-Friendly Upgrade to Your Home Beverage Game!

I didn’t know that I needed fancy beverage ice until now! The Typhur Fast Nugget Ice Maker is a countertop-sized unit that churns out soft, chewable ice nuggets you find at fast-food restaurants and convenience stores. This unit is easy to use and clean, and starts producing ice within minutes. It’s also portable. Is it worth adding to your beverage arsenal? Let’s learn more!

Design & Operation

The Typhur Fast Nugget Ice Maker is bedecked in a classy gunmetal/black/grey finish that’s stylish enough to take up a permanent place on your kitchen counter, beverage station, or bar without looking out of place. The unit measures 12.09″ tall, 9.69″ wide, and 12.09″ deep (about the size of a big toaster) and weighs in at roughly 17 pounds.

Your package comes with the ice maker, a pair of ice scoops (one metal, one plastic), and a bunch of packs of citric acid descaling powder that are used for cleaning.

The unit requires 6″ of space on each side for proper airflow. The angled approach to the ice basket facilitates access on kitchen counters with low cabinets while offering plenty of room to work for standard heights (18″).

One of my favorite features in this design is the sturdy fold-back carry handle. It’s a big plus when you’re lugging it in and out of storage, out to the patio for the party, or to and from the car.

The Typhur Fast Nugget Ice Maker’s operation is simple. There are two touch-panel controls on the display: one for cleaning and one for ice making. Both light up when you plug the unit in.

Open the lid to find the ice basket. This unit will hold up to 2.6 pounds of ice at a time. You’ll pull that out to add water.

The Typhur Fast Nugget Ice Maker holds 1.5 liters of water. There’s a clearly marked fill line that’s just below that ledge you see in the chamber below.

Press the “ice making” button on the display panel and the machine springs to life. You’ll see the cycling display indicating that ice making is in progress.

Ice production is very fast, with your first nuggets appearing in under 10 minutes! Once the machine gets rocking, it will produce roughly 1.5 pounds of ice per hour.

The Typhur Fast Nugget Ice Maker has a built-in sensor that lets you know when the chamber has hit maximum capacity. Hit that limit (just over 2.5 pounds), and production stops. The “full” indicator comes on. When you empty the basket, production will automatically resume.

The same thing happens when the unit runs out of water. You’ll see the “add water” indicator come on along with an alert tone. Open the lid, fill the water reservoir, and the unit will start making ice again.

Cleaning is also straightforward. When it’s time to clean, fill the reservoir and press the “clean” button. A timer on the display shows a 7-minute countdown while the device cleans its upper & lower chambers.

When completed, you’ll need to drain the Typhur Fast Nugget Ice Maker. There’s a silicone plug on the underside of the device; you can see the plug inside the reservoir if you look down into the tank. Pull that plug loose from below, and all the water will drain from the unit.

The plug itself is about 1/3 of the way back under the base, so it does take a little balancing to drain the water. I’d like it better if it was placed a little more forward, but it’s a minor inconvenience.

When I did my cleaning, I used one of the citric acid packets provided by the manufacturer. You mix it with 56 ounces of water, stir until dissolved, and load it into the unit. You don’t need to use that cleaner every time you run a clean cycle. I did find that I needed to run a couple of clean cycles with plain water after using the cleaning powder to fully remove it from the system.

Remote Control from Your App

This version of the Typhur Fast Nugget Ice Maker can also be operated via remote control. You will need to download the Typhur app to your phone, register with the app, and then follow the instructions to connect it through your local WiFi network.

Pairing was super simple. Press and hold the ice-making button per the instructions, and the WiFi icon will pop up to show that the unit is online. Then follow the instructions. I was connected in under a minute.

Your app dashboard enables you to start/stop ice making remotely, activate self-cleaning, and monitor the device’s status. You can even schedule start & stop times if you want to have a basket full of ice ready for you when you get home from work!

The app is simple and intuitive to use and includes customization options for any notifications you want on your phone, such as a full ice bin or an empty water reservoir.

The in-app notification is shown below. You’ll also note that the app keeps a running tally of your ice production (per session and cumulatively) as you go.

Performance  and Use Cases

This is the final product you’ll get from the Typhur Fast Nugget Ice Maker. It’s that slightly soft, chewable ice that you find in restaurants and convenience stores. It’s already become a big hit in my household for regular beverages and cocktails!

The nature of the ice is that it is partially frozen, which will freeze into a big block if you try to stash your extra ice in the freezer (you’ll need to break it apart later). We’ve found that a cooler or an ice bucket is a better destination for large volumes as long as you plan to use it relatively quickly. The unit itself also stays pretty cold while it’s operating, so you can keep your ice in there while you go about your business (at least when you’re indoors).

While the unit produces ice quickly, it’s not super high volume. The 2.5-pound basket full of ice will disappear in short order with 7-10 drinks on tap. You’ll want to get a good head start on ice making for large groups and have the appropriate storage ready. If you’re serving a small group or just want the ice on hand all day for you and your family, the constant production will most likely keep up with demand. The unit stays cool enough to keep that ice usable, and any melt drops back into the chamber to refreeze.

As we’ve discussed in the design section, operation is brainless and painless. I particularly like the seamless app integration. You don’t need it, but it adds a bit of extra utility that improves the device’s usability.

The operation is a little noisy, mostly from the fans whirring as the unit cools down.

I also found out the hard way that this unit is very durable. I didn’t realize it until after opening the package that my model took a whack during shipping that put a pretty good dent in the housing. This had no impact on performance.

The only minor drawback I see in the design is that the bottom drain is almost halfway back on the bottom of the unit so it requires some balancing over the sink to drain the device. It does drain quickly, though.

Conclusion

The Typhur Fast Nugget Ice Maker is a well-designed & efficient addition to your kitchen or bar area. Usability is excellent, and the app is nicely integrated as an optional addition that adds some extra utility. The soft, crunchy ice is fun and a bit of a conversation piece for kids and adults alike, adding a little extra something to the party.

Just keep in mind that, while the machine works quickly, it’s not a super high-volume device that will keep up with huge parties. As a day-to-day device for the family and small gatherings, however, it’s a treat.

The Typhur Fast Nugget Ice Maker retails for $279.99 (currently on sale for $199); it is available directly from the manufacturer and other retailers, including Amazon.

Source: Manufacturer-supplied review sample

What I Like: Very portable; Easy to use; Fast production; The ice is fun for drinks and cocktails

What Needs Improvement: Small volume isn’t ideal for large parties; Drain location requires some balancing to empty the unit