The Euhomy Rock Plus Ice Maker Elevates Cocktails and Mocktails and Is Fast Enough for Everyday Use

5 min readNugget ice is great for iced coffees and tea and crunching on throughout the day. Bullet ice is versatile and works well in almost any drink. However, when you need a long-lasting ice cube in a sipping drink like a cocktail or mocktail, clear ice is the way to go.A large cube of clear ice isn’t just an aesthetically pleasing addition to your drink. Because it has a smaller ratio of surface area to volume, this type of ice melts slower than the smaller cubes, so it doesn’t dilute your drink.Overall, the Euhomy Rock Plus is a great ice maker for fast clear ice cube production. I could definitely see setting out a tray of drinks at a holiday party and dropping a cube from this machine in each one to elevate the experience.ProsMagnetic drip trayScheduling capabilitiesMakes large, slow melting cubes quicklyConsProduction method means ice is not a solid block, which could accelerate meltingIce makes a lot of noise when it falls into the basketLarge cubes stick together if left in the basketKey SpecsHow I TestedTo achieve the clearest square ice, Euhomy recommends using purified or boiled water, but I wanted to try a few different types of water to see how the cubes turned out. For the first round of testing, I used tap water from our well. For the second round, I used distilled water from the store, and for the third round, I boiled water and let it cool.The basket includes a slanted channel to help fill the water tank. This makes it easier to fill the tank than other ice makers because I didn’t have to try and angle a jar or pitcher to get the water into the tank directly, though you can do this. In other models, you can pour the water into the basket and it will run into the tank, but the slanted channel made filling it easy—just make sure the drain is over the water tank.The Euhomy Rock Plus controls are intuitive. All I had to do was touch the power button and select either “Rapid” or “Crystal” ice production. The circle screen shows the ice-making progress as well as “Ice Full” and “Add Water” alerts as well as a cleaning timer.Stephanie MickelsonThe control panel is clear to read and use, and the circular portion shows progress on ice production.After I filled the water tank, I ran the machine on the Rapid setting and discarded the first round of cubes as recommended to make sure I got the cleanest ice possible when I put it into my glass.I ran cycles for Rapid ice and Crystal ice with different types of water, noticing the differences in the clarity and quality of the ice, evaluating the control panel and display screen, testing the app, and running a cleaning cycle.Fast Production, with Some CompromisesThe first clear ice maker I tested was the Klaris Clear Ice Maker, which takes between 8 and 12 hours to produce four 2 by 2–inch clear ice cubes. Given that experience, I wasn’t sure how in the world the Euhomy Rock Plus could churn out the same style of ice in just 45 minutes. Turns out, it’s completely capable, but there’s a compromise.The Klaris uses directional freezing technology that freezes the ice from the bottom up. This method pushes any water impurities to the top and the excess water gets poured off, leaving behind perfectly clear, solid cubes.In order to achieve large cubes in just 25 or 45 minutes, the Euhomy makes them much like it makes bullet ice, with the cubes freezing around metal prongs that get extremely cold through the ice-making cycle, so there’s still a hole in the ice where the prong was. In my testing, I found that the hole was pretty large in the first couple batches, but the more cubes I made, the smaller the hole got.Ice Clarity Depends on Water UsedThe cubes aren’t as clear as the ones that the Klaris produces, and they do have the hollow part, but I was still impressed with the clarity, particularly when I used distilled water on the Crystal setting.I used tap water during the first round of testing, and while the cubes weren’t perfectly clear, the size and clarity were still pretty good. The cubes did get clearer when I used distilled water. The instructions say that the best ice clarity comes from using boiled water, but I actually found that to be the cloudiest.Stephanie MickelsonLeft to Right: Tap water; Distilled Water; Boiled waterWhy I Didn’t Use the App or Scheduling FeatureThe ice maker comes with an app that can control the device from afar and schedule ice to be made preemptively. While this is a nice feature to have if you want to schedule ice to be ready when you come home from work, it’s not a necessity. I’m getting to a point where having an app for everything, including an ice maker, is a bit much, so this isn’t a feature I would use on a regular basis.In fact, because the ice is made so quickly, you could start it up on Rapid Mode when you get home, and the ice would be ready in 25 minutes, right around the time you’re ready for a drink. Then, if you want the clearer version, you could switch to Crystal Mode.Stephanie MickelsonThe Cleaning Cycle is Easy to RunThe user manual recommends cleaning the ice maker every day by running the self-cleaning cycle. (In full transparency, I’ve never cleaned an ice maker daily, and I don’t think it makes much of a difference.) To do this, all you have to do is unplug the machine, make sure the water reservoir is full, plug it back in, and push the “Clean” button for five seconds. The cleaning cycle takes 15 minutes, and then you should drain the used water into the sink before refilling it with clean water.Euhomy also recommends cleaning the machine monthly with a cleaner. The company offers a Cleaner and Descaler option, or you can use a DIY blend of vinegar and water.Some Nice-to-Have ExtrasThe drip tray is magnetic, which was a nice surprise simply because it’s a thoughtful touch. With lots of kids running around, things on the counter are always getting bumped, but the magnet makes the drip tray stay in place.The Euhomy also comes with plastic tongs to remove ice from the basket. Since everyone typically just grabs their own ice out, we didn’t use it much. But if you were entertaining and wanted a more sanitary way to serve the ice, these tongs could come in handy.There’s also a small silicone mat that you can put on the top of the ice maker for resting the tongs or your glass while you put the ice in.Verdict: A Great Budget Alternative for Clear Square Ice CubesThe Euhomy Rock Plus is a great machine to have on your countertop, but one final thing to note is that as the cubes melt in the production tray, they may start to stick together a bit. If you plan on keeping it on and producing ice throughout the day, make sure that you’re removing the ice and using it or storing it in the freezer.I don’t often sit and sip drinks, but I can see how this ice maker will come in handy this winter if I decide to make some mocktails to sip on in the evenings. It would be a great addition to any holiday entertaining to put in individual glasses, a punch bowl, or in one of the large drink dispensers to keep drinks cold without watering them down too much.Stephanie Mickelson is a freelance writer focused on reviews and home improvement. She writes about a wide range of topics including the best appliances for your home, how to maintain your HVAC system, and organization tips and tricks. She also writes for USA Today Homefront, US News & World Report, Forbes Home, Angi, Apartment Therapy, and more.Tom Price is a reviews editor for Popular Mechanics while also contributing to Runner's World, Best Products, and Bicycling. Here at Popular Mechanics, Tom loves testing out home appliances, smart tech, gear for city life and outdoor adventures, small gadgets like watches and multitools, and anything else you can find piled up at his hoarder's nest of a desk. Prior to working here, Tom attended NYU, graduating with a degree in English and a minor in creative writing. He also wrote for Best Reviews, The Daily Beast, and other publications covering tech, fitness gear, gadgets, and lifestyle products. Furthermore, he covered startup news, pop culture, and even professional wrestling. To follow more of his work, check back here for new stories.