In an apartment in Chengdu, Sichuan province, 28-year-old Luo Yufu invited his friends over for weekend cocktails. Instead of clunky ice trays or store-bought bags, he taped a sleek device to his counter. Seven minutes later, perfectly clear ice cubes tumbled into glasses — made from filtered water and sized for whisky.

"I used to buy my iced drinks, but now I enjoy making my own at home using my new ice maker," said Luo. "It's more fun, and I can experiment with different flavors and customize the ice to my preference."

With social media platforms like Xiaohongshu, or known as RedNote, overflowing with tutorials for homemade iced lattes and cocktails, a growing number of young urban consumers in China are turning their homes into "personal beverage labs".

"The old two-tap water dispensers — hot and warm — feel outdated now," Luo said.

The shift in China's young generation, along with the national trade-in program, is propelling the country's appliance industry to dominate a new frontier — ice-making water purifiers. Major brands like Haier, Midea, Xiaomi and Philips are locked in an innovation war on their offerings.

Data from Beijing-based consultancy All View Cloud (AVC) show that the share of water purifiers with ice functions sold online in the first five months of the year registered 72.2 percent.

According to e-commerce platform JD, sales of these multifunctional water purifiers grew 260 percent year-on-year during the "618"shopping festival that was originally launched around June 18 but now spans a period of several weeks.

"Young consumers demand precision: 45 C for baby formula, 85 C for green tea, and crucially, 0 C for instant ice. They want the full spectrum at their fingertips," said Chen Jiongyang, an analyst tracking the home appliance industry at Founder Securities.

These all-in-one units consolidate water purification, ice-making and temperature control capabilities into a single, space-saving appliance, eliminating the hassle and potential hygiene concerns associated with conventional ice-making methods, Chen added.

The government's home appliance trade-in program has expanded significantly this year and water purifiers were included in the national list for the first time. The ice-making function has emerged as the standout feature, the key driver convincing consumers to upgrade.

"Young consumers are not just looking for functional home products, but ones that integrate with their lifestyles and enable them to recreate the customized experiences they see on social media," said Xu Hongcai, deputy director of the economic policy committee of the China Association of Policy Science.

It's not just about the technical specifications anymore. Brands that can deliver a truly personalized experience are the ones capturing the attention of this discerning consumer segment, Xu added.