Making ice, chilling a drink, and keeping coffee warm normally require three different appliances. The APWCHE Pro Smart Ice & Beverage Station combines those three functions into a single countertop device. It is a device that lets you own two fewer appliances.
This portable three-in-one machine can produce ice, rapidly cool bottled or canned beverages, and keep hot drinks warm. In other words, it cannot decide whether it prefers winter or summer, so it does both.
For ice, users can choose between cubes and spheres, with quantities ranging from 40 to 200 ml. APWCHE lists a 25-minute cycle for 40 ml of ice, while a spherical piece takes around 90 minutes. The Pro model is also claimed to make ice 20% faster, though nobody should expect it to challenge a freezer to a drag race.
Its more unusual talent is direct beverage cooling. Insert a bottle or can into the chamber, or pour your drink into the supplied aluminum cup, and the thermoelectric system gets to work without adding ice. According to APWCHE, it can cool 280 ml (9.5 oz) of liquid from roughly 32°C to 10°C (90°F to 50°F) in about 13 minutes at an ambient temperature of 25°C (77°F). Your whisky stays cold without gradually becoming whisky-flavored water.
When temperatures swing the other way, the station can maintain drinks at 50°C, 65°C, or 75°C (122°F, 149°F, or 167°F) for up to 12 hours. It weighs just 1 kg (2.2 lbs) and can run from a wall outlet, 12V car socket, or compatible power bank, making it suitable for desks, road trips, and campsites where warm soda constitutes an emergency.
The Pro also adds remote app control and supports an optional water pump. Its Kickstarter campaign is already funded and is scheduled to conclude on August 19, 2026. Well, it sure looks like many people share the belief that room-temperature beverages are a problem technology should have solved by now.
If you are interested, the campaign has three days left on the calendar. During which you may make a pledge of US$129 or more for an APWCHE Pro, a.k.a. APWCHE Ice Maker 2.0. If everything goes as planned, delivery should commence sometime in November 2026.
Images: APWCHE.