Customer Ratings & Reviews

I didn't realize what I was getting into when I received this Ice Maker. It does everything as advertised, creating the first cubes in about 10 minutes. But what I didn't know is that it would cycle water through (like a waterfall) until the water starts to freeze in its chamber. Then the cubes will dump out continuously until the bin is full. The bin itself is not refrigerated in any way, but while the machine is on, it will dump more ice as soon as you use what is in the bin. In other words, this is intended to be continually used while it is on - perhaps when hosting a party or if you know you're going to constantly refill your glass with more. Starting from the beginning - the device itself is heavier than expected and will need to drain into a sink for the initial cleaning process. The cleaning process can take about 30 minutes in total, but is pretty painless once you understand the instructions. Then you can fill the side tank, watch it (mostly) drain, and turn the machine on. When you go to refill the side tank, if the main tank (under the ice bin) is full, you'll find water under where the side tank goes, such that if you refill the side tank and try to replace it, it can easily cause spills. I haven't figured out the solution to this besides waiting for the app to alert me that the water is empty. Speaking of the app - initially I couldn't figure out why this appliance would need an app. But then I realized that if I had left it on, I'd definitely want the ability to shut it off remotely to stop it from making ice that wouldn't be used. The alerts it offers are also nice (low water, filter needs changing), but I'm not sure that I'll use it frequently enough to benefit from these. All of this said - if you like the "munchable" ice to snack on or supplement your drink with, this is the best way to have that experience at home, and this product is very much as advertised.

GE's Opal Nugget ice maker is easy to setup and use. I was up and running with it within minutes of taking it out of the box. The version I have came with the side tank which I'm happy to have and recommend to others to get it with the side tank. It's simple and straight forward to fill and attach the side tank. It does add a little to the footprint of the ice maker, but I found it wasn't a problem for me. The benefit of the side tank is work using a few more inches of width on my counter top. The SmartHQ app helps you to setup the Wi-Fi connection so you can monitor the ice maker, turn it on/off, turn the LED light on/off, set schedules, and monitor the status of the water filter. The app is also where you can get firmware updates for it. The ice maker has 3 buttons on the front. A Power On/Off button, an LED light button, and a clean button. I found that the LED light was something that I used often when I wanted to see how much ice was in the bin. The bin slides out and tilts down making it easy to access the bin. It also came with a scoop which is stored in a magnetic holder that can be placed on the side if the ice maker. The ice maker makes a sound from the fan, but I don't find it to be loud and the sound was never a problem for me. I set a schedule for the machine to turn on at 7am and turn off at 4:30pm Monday through Friday. When I woke, it was turning on. It also would fill up the bin after I took ice from it. I was able to keep a cup with ice and soda in it throughout the day. When I removed ice to put in a cup and slide the bin back in, it would go through a process of running water through it. This clears out any ice from being in the way when it begins to fill the bin again. The bin has a drain in it that will allow that water as well as any from melted ice to drain back into the internal water reservoir. That helps to re-use water and avoids any being wasted. I do notice that the drip tray which needs to be placed in front of the machine has water on it after each time I pull the bin out enough to get ice. The drip tray was included, so I'm happy about that since that is definitely needed. A water filter comes with it and it was very easy to install. I already had a screen filter in it, but I prefer to use the included water filter and will be buying more when I need to replace the original one. If you don't want to use a water filter, you can just use the included basic screen filter. I haven't had to go through a thorough cleaning yet, but according to the instructions, it doesn't see too bad. It would be nice if the top of the water tank accessory was where you could add water to it. It's design is such that the cap is on the bottom of the tank so when you remove it you have to turn it upside down, remove the cap, fill it up, put the cap back on, turn it right side up, then insert it into the tank holder. It would be much easier if you could fill it up without having to remove the tank. Maybe GE will add a cap to the top so you can refill the tank without having to remove it. So far, that it the only thing I could say that I wish would change. Everything else about it, so far, has been great. I like the size of the nuggets of ice. They are similar to what I have seen with hotel ice machines. They aren't large cubes, but reasonable small sized pieces of ice which I prefer over standard cubed ice. It also makes about a pound of ice per hour. The initial pieces of ice come out in a short period of time when the machine is turned on. I'm liking the GE Opal Nugget ice maker so far. I was looking for an ice maker since my refrigerator ice maker is a basic one that doesn't work well. This is a really good alternative for me. It does what it is supposed to and is easy to operate and maintain.

I absolutely love this thing! I didn't think I'd ever hear myself say that I'm excited to use an ice maker everyday but here we are! I've been using this GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice maker for the past week for all of my iced coffee, soda, cocktail, and tea needs. This machine has been constantly producing perfect nugget ice without a hitch. The kind of ice that you'll typically find at your favorite fast food or gourmet restaurants. Best of all, as any unused nugget ice starts to melt away in the bin, the water gets re-circulated back into the water reservoir. This is a great water saving feature. I can't say enough good things about the build quality too. I went for the stainless steel variant and the stainless steel components are not only beautifully brushed, but also feel extremely solid. I'm a huge fan of the integrated touch-sensitive buttons that seem to seamlessly disappear into the sleek metal panel. The design of this ice maker was well thought out. Due it's sleek and modern appearance, it looks like a top-end appliance on my kitchen counter. The unit measures 15" Wide (with side tank) x 16.5" Tall x 19.5" Depth (including drip tray). I also love that GE includes a premium stainless steel ice scoop that attaches to a magnetized holster on the side of the unit. This is a very welcomed upgrade from the plastic ice scoop that they've used in the past. At first, I thought the setup and initial cleaning process was going to be a bit cumbersome. Thankfully, it was a fairly straightforward ordeal and didn't take too long. Total setup time for me was around 45 minutes. Once I had finished hand-washing the ice bin, side tank components, and ice scoop, I went through my first few cleaning cycles on the machine. This entailed filling the inner water reservoir to the fill line with fresh water (instructions say about 5 cups of water but in my experience it was closer to 9 cups) and a teaspoon of bleach. I then held down the "Clean" button for about 3 seconds and the cycle started. Once the initial cycle was finished, I simply unplugged the the hoses in the back of the unit to allow the water & bleach solution to drain in my sink. Once all of the solution was drained, I simply had to reconnect the hoses and refill the reservoir with water to the fill line. I repeated this clean cycle (with water only) 3 additional times to ensure all traces of bleach were rinsed out. Once these cleaning cycles were complete, I installed the supplied water filter, installed the side tank reservoir, and connected one of the labeled hoses to the side tank. At this stage, the machine was ready to make ice. The entire setup went smooth with no issues. I discovered that you technically don't even need to install the side tank if you don't want to. You can simply use the water reservoir underneath the ice bin. However, since I use the machine often, using the larger side tank reservoir prevents me from having to refill the water as frequently. I would like to note that while you're able to use any type of water to make nugget ice, I highly suggest going with GE's recommendation of using distilled water due it's purity. By using distilled water only, it should decrease the level of mineral buildup over time and keep the ice maker running optimally with minimal maintenance. This should help avoid having to descale the machine as often due to the typical water hardness of tap water. The water hardness will vary where you live and will determine how often you'll need to sanitize and descale your machine. When it comes to making the nugget ice, from the moment I hit the "Power" button, it takes about 10 minutes to get the first few nugget drops. After about 20 minutes of ice making, there's usually enough nugget ice to fill an entire 16 oz. cup. I have included pictures of how full the ice bin gets with 10 minutes of ice production as well as 30 minutes after initial startup. Bear in mind that this machine is designed to be left on at all times; and as long as you do, you'll always have a bin full of nugget ice ready to go. Since I don't have a big family household, I usually power mine down when not in use. The perfect middleground that I have found for my use case is scheduling the machine to turn on or off based on my daily routine. I LOVE the Android/iOS Smart HQ app that's been designed for use with this machine. I highly recommend downloading it to get certain features that are not available directly from the button panel on the ice maker. Since I usually have an iced latte every morning before work, I've scheduled the machine to turn on at 7:30am every morning, and turn off at 8:00am. When I go to my kitchen, I have plenty of fresh ice ready to go. This has also come in handy when I'm in the second floor of my townhome. I simply launch the app, turn on the machine, and continue working on whatever it is that I was doing. Once I'm done, I have ice ready for me downstairs in the kitchen. I also like that the Smart HQ app monitors the health of the water filter inside the unit and notifies you when it's time to replace it. I was also very pleasantly surprised as to how little noise this ice machine makes. It produces some low hums and churns that you would typically hear from a refrigerator compressor or a small power generator. It's not bothersome at all for me. As simple as the purpose of the product sounds, I've been having a blast making my favorite refreshments. The ice nuggets taste great too! I look forward, just that much more, to my everyday routine. I also like that I no longer have to make bi-weekly trips to the grocery store to pick up bags of ice. I really can't find any faults to complain about so far. If I HAD to complain about something, it would be that I wish the side tank reservoir was made of glass. Other than that, this machine has performed flawlessly thus far. If you love cold refreshments and you want the convenience of having perfect nugget ice readily available to you at all times, I highly recommend this GE Opal 2.0 Ultra ice maker!

I've used countertop ice makers for about 10 years and in that time, I've gone through perhaps five. They never worked great from the get-go, the ice production decreased over time, eventually leaked, or the compressor went. I like having ice on-demand. I don't have to worry about squeezing trays into the freezer and about the trays picking up smells. I'm excited to have the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker; in the week that I've had it, I've come to feel very confident about its longevity. And it just works...very beautifully. PROS, Opal: ***Loads of crystal clear ice, 38 pounds to be exact. I've never run into a situation where I ran out of ice. ***A great feature about the Opal is that ice production starts up immediately when the ice bin is closed, not when some sensor 'eye' detects a low ice level, as was the case for all other ice makers I've owned. It means your ice bin is at maximum capacity, or ice maker is working to get it there. It makes a huge difference. ***The Opal comes with a metal ice scoop and holder that is held to the side of the ice maker magnetically; the magnet is strong and does not move. ***There is the normal water reservoir below the ice bin, but also the extra tank on the side; it's extremely convenient to have this feature so you don't have to keep filling the reservoir during times of increased ice usage, like if you have company over ***The Opal has a light as many other ice makers have, but the one on the Opal has a setting to make the light dim. ***The Opal comes with a drip tray, to catch water when the ice bin is open. The one on the Opal is smaller in footprint, but the edges are a bit higher to contain the water. ***Amazon Alexa connectivity works very well. I've only tried the 'make ice' and 'dim light' commends, but they work as expected ***The manual was well-writen and depictions / pictures were accurate, with nothing really to infer. ***There is a built-in function that reminds you to perform a Sanitization every 25 hours of active ice making. Every 50 hours, you need to Descale the ice maker PROS, SmartHQ app Whenever I placed the Opal on Wifi and associated it with the SmartHQ app, I rolled my eyes; it has many benefits however. ***Placing the Opal on WiFi was very easy ***Once you create a SmartHQ account (quick process), the app found the Opal very quickly, did a quick firmware update, registered it, and checked the status. ***It gives the status of the unit itself, but also the status of things like the filter, and even lets you order a new one from inside the app. ***The other reason I appreciate the app is to check on the staus, especially after a power outage CONS: ***When the unit is making ice and the side tank is installed, there is a whine sound that can be annoying at times ***The frequency of Sanitization can be annoying, especially when you use a lot of ice. This outperforms any ice maker I've owned. Aesthetically, it looks great as well.

For anyone who doesn't have an ice maker built into their fridge, this product is worth it's weight in gold. Personally, I was a bit skeptical about how well this product would work. I wasn't sure if the smart functions were necessary, I was worried about if it would be too noisy for the kitchen, and above all, I really wanted the ice to taste fresh. I recently got a water softener installed in my house, so it was the perfect time to get an ice maker - otherwise, the amount of mineral buildup would've been too intense for me to keep up with! For starters, let's focus on the performance of this ice maker. In GE's Smart HQ app, the Opal 2.0 Ice Maker is slated to make about 1lb of ice per hour. This is an accurate estimate, and when I first started using this product, I was wondering why it was making ice so slowly. I'd like to say that after testing a family member's ice maker and comparing the performance, the Opal 2.0 makes ice just as fast as the competition. And in the end, what really matters is whether or not the machine makes high quality ice - and it certainly does. The ice nuggets this machine creates are delightful! The ice is chewable, each nugget is just the right size, and the large ice bin allows for large batches of ice to be made at any given time. GE includes a water filter in this unit, and I must say, the water filter is worth your time and use! Yes, no one wants to have recurring costs with an appliance they just bought, but having double filtered and softened water creates super enjoyable ice, so I have to recommend that anyone who buys this unit becomes accustom to buying GE's filter every 3ish months or so. Let's talk about the accessories - the side tank reservoir and the ice scooper. Both accessories are high quality and they look great on the unit! Nothing about the accessories are low quality, nor do they distract from the form and finish of the Opal 2.0. Everything looks great - so you'll be happy to have this appliance in your kitchen! It blends in perfectly with my other stainless-steel appliances. A word to the wise - and you'll find this in the instruction manual - please make sure that the water line that connects the water reservoir to the ice maker is never lifted up or raised up in any way. Make sure the tube is flat so that water can easily flow to the unit. When I first set up the Opal 2.0, I was confused about why water wasn't flowing into the unit, and it was definitely my own fault. Do I have anything negative to say about the product? Honestly, no. I enjoy using the Smart HQ app (which connects with Google Home and Amazon Alexa), the unit is not too noisy for my rather small kitchen, the ice nuggets are truly "gas station bagged ice" quality in the best way possible, and the aesthetics of the product will make your kitchen (or perhaps the bar in your garage/basement?) look professional and tied together. I highly recommend the GE Profile Opal 2.0 ice maker, and I truly say that as someone who wasn't sure if this product would be a good fit for me. It's a worthy investment and a great luxury!

GE's Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice Maker with Side Tank is a great addition to nearly any kitchen. The box includes the ice machine, side tank, water filter, scoop, scoop holder, plastic ice catcher, side tank latch, and quick user guide/paperwork. The ice machine comes with a manufacturer's 1-year warranty. PROS: ----------- * Looks nice. The stainless-steel look blends in well with our other kitchen appliances. The blue light within the ice machine also offers a nice glow, although the light can also be turned off if preferred. * Easy to assemble. The machine came with very few parts and easy to follow instructions, making it easy to assemble * Easy to use. There are few very buttons (power, clean, and light), making it simple to use. To make ice, you simply fill the water reservoir and side tank, and then hit the power button. * Quick ice production. Once the machine was cleaned, fully connected, and filled with water, it took about 10 minutes for the first ice to start producing. There was plenty of ice after about 45 minutes to have a full glass or two, and the entire ice bin was filled to capacity with ice in about 2 hours and 15 minutes. The bin holds enough ice for several large glasses of ice. * Excellent ice quality. The pellet ice is the perfect size and texture for chewing - it's soft ice, yet it stays frozen in your drink for quite a while * Large water reservoirs. Having both a large water reservoir at the bottom of the machine, as well as a large side tank of water, makes it convenient in terms of not needing to fill up the water very often, depending on usage. Having the large tank is the biggest plus so the user doesn't have to fill up the smaller interior bin as often (which is also more difficult to access). The large tank can also be placed on either side of the main unit depending on your kitchen setup. * App for phone. You can download the Smart HQ app which allows you to control the machine from your phone. You can program daily on and off times, control the light function (off, dim, on) and it will notify you when a new filter is needed, when it's time to add more water, or when to clean and descale the machine. The app was easy to connect to via bluetooth and your home's WiFi network. * Ice Lasts a Long Time. I turned off the machine at 8:00 pm with a full bin of ice. The machine did not turn on again until 7:00 am the next morning, as scheduled in the app. The bin was still half-full with ice the next morning. I was expecting it to have completely melted, but it did not. * Solid & well-built. It's a very heavy machine, and the build has the feel of a high-quality product. It doesn't feel rickety or cheaply made. CONS: ----------- * Initial Cleaning: this was the only time-consuming part of the setup process. You are basically running about 6 full water reservoirs through the cycle in order to clean the machine. The first batch of water also includes 1 tsp of bleach mixed in with the water to help sanitize the machine and water tubes. Then you are running several more cycles through to fully wash out the bleach and sanitize the machine. The whole cleaning process took about 45 minutes. Once cleaned, then you insert the water filter, fill up your water reservoir and side tank, and you are ready to make ice. Having said all this, you want clean ice, so be prepared to clean the machine first which will take a while. * It does have a pretty loud motor humming sound when it's running. But it does auto shut off when the ice bin is full. OTHER OBSERVATIONS: ----------- * Large & Bulky. This is a large appliance and was somewhat heavy to lift out of the box and on to the counter. It also takes up quite a bit of space on the counter top, so you just need to measure to make sure it will fit. It's about 16.5 inches tall, and we had about 17.5 inches of clearance between our counter top and the bottom of the cabinets, so it fit just fine. * Full setup of the machine probably took a little over an hour, given the time to read instructions, run the clean cycles, handwash the ice bin and side tank, and then set it up for usage. CONCLUSION: ===================== Overall, I've been very pleased with the machine, and it's a great addition to our kitchen especially when you have visitors. If there was a way to muffle/mute the motor noise a bit more, that would be a huge plus. The motor has to vent, so I'm not sure what more can happen there. In the end, nearly everyone loves this type of ice! Now you can serve it to your guests. I'd definitely recommend as the ice is great, and it looks pretty cool when lit up.

This is my review of the GE Profile - Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice Maker with Side Tank upon which I rate at 5 out of 5 stars! Out of the box this product is heavy at 38-pounds and takes up some counter space. When fully assembled with side tank and drip tray the measurements are 16.50" H x 13.375" W x 21.00" D (to account for power cord management). The product comes with a QuickStart guide to get you going to begin making some delicious crunchable nugget ice! You will need some household bleach (1-teaspoon) to sanitize the product prior to making ice. Once the product is sanitized and thoroughly flushed, you are ready to add the side tank and install the water filter. On a side note, the manufacturer suggests descaling the product every two to four weeks depending upon your water hardness. The included water filter will reduce the need to descale but to completely eliminate the need to descale you may use distilled water instead. As for smart features, the product does have a "SmartHQ" app that will provide you with cleaning and care videos, parts and filters menu, and finally, use and care manuals. With the app you are also able to turn on/off the unit, turn on/off or dim the light, and set an ice making schedule by day and time period of time on and time off. As for ice making capabilities, the first ice pellet fell in 10-minutes. The product ice bin will hold up to 3-pounds of ice. Per manufacturer's specifications, the product will produce up to 38-pounds (13-full ice bins) in a 24-hour period, of course with multiple water refills of the side tank. This product is found to be very satisfying for those craving clean/tasteless crunchable ice, I did. I highly recommend this product and hope my review added in your purchasing

This is my second ice maker. The GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra is replacing a more basic one that I got to dip my toe into homemade perfect crunchable ice game. Before that it was a trip to that fast food place that sells it by the bag. What a pain to drive to the fast food place…. But for summer parties or just that perfect cocktail or soda….you got to have the right ice. The first ice machine…just really wasn’t the one-and-done I was hoping for BUT it did show me just how cool perfect homemade ice can be and I knew there had to be a solution…THEN CAME THE OPAL 2.0 Ultra! The first thing I noticed about the Opal 2.0 was the quality of the parts. Solid, well-built with premium material. It looks amazing…and since I plan to keep it out and running all year round, that’s important. The real clincher for me is it is a one and done perfect ice making machine! I load it with water and there is ice literally when ever I want it. It melts and recycles into fresh new ice! Got it out and read the instruction…I hate reading instructions, but you do need to run it through the cleaning cycle. It was easier than I thought but keep in mind, this is an appliance that will take some maintenance…it needs to be cleaned and maintained. It has a water filter and it has an air filter and a tank that will need to be cleaned from time to time and be sure to clean it. If your ok with that…you will have fresh perfect ice all the time! The perfect Ice is so worth it. I plan to only use filtered water going into the unit as well as the descaling filter that comes with it (but you will need to order replacements). Got it out of the box (it’s heavy… fyi) and prepped it. It was time! The basket pulls out and that’s where the main water reservoir is kept. The basket is solid and thick and opens up nicely to allow for easy scooping. I poured the water in and filled the side tank. The side tank adds some space to it but if you make a lot of ice it’s really nice as you do not have to add water continually. Without the extra tank, I got about 5 days of moderate use. It’s just me and my spouse so if you have more than that…the side tank is a must! The set up of the tank is easy and they put a sticker on the hose that goes to it…fool proof. I wish they had wheels on the bottom of the Opal so I could roll it out from the floor or cabinet to drain for cleaning. Time to make the ice. It does make noise. The noise is two factors: 1. The ice dropping into the basket 2. The sound of the pump moving the water into the cooling unit. BUT wayyyy less noise than my cheaper unit. Part of that is the solid heavy plastic of the basket that keeps the “tick” sound down when the ice is being made….but understand that it is not “silent”. It is noticeable but once the ice has been made… it is absolutely silent. A couple of scoops and it starts making ice and you’ll have the sound again until it makes the ice. In my book…the slight noise is worth the trade-off for the ice. I also like the light inside that gives the ice a tempting glow that says, “come scoop me.” You can turn the light off or dim it as well. The scoop is magnetic as well and can go on either side…same with the tank. The basket holds a good amount of ice. When I throw a party I will have to stockpile ice in a freezer for a group of 10 or more. For a group of 4-8… the tank will be sufficient to keep the ice going but I will have the noise around when that is happening. I was so excited about the set up and Ice…I forgot about the app. I forgot about it because it really is not needed. It does have some features that are ok. It can tell you about the water filter and has an “order” button for a new filter. It has a “make fresh ice” button…but the Opal is so self-sufficient that it just goes….I don’t need to babysit it or tell it to make ice. Ect…It does it. Which is way better than having to force it to make ice ect…the ice is there and ready without my input…I like that way better! Other than that, the app has cleaning and care videos and the owners manual (which you get paper as well). It also has the light dim and off buttons in the app. Overall not a bad app…just redundant. In summary… the closest thing I have seen to the perfect Ice-making unit out there! Soooo much better than my entry unit was. The ice is absolutely phenomenal and once I turned the Opal on, I haven’t done anything to it except open the ice drawer and scoop out the best ice out there ( 5 days before adding water)…the ice is even better than the fast food place… and for an “ice-o-phile” that’s saying something! Also cleaned it twice so far. Really not to bad. I will probably clean 1 a month and de-scale every 6 months.

My kids love this machine, more specifically the ice it makes. And that's why we bought it. But the prescribed maintenance and effort to keep it descaled are really overwhelming. We buy distilled water to avoid the extensive descaling process. And sanitization is recommended way more often than I really feel like doing. It's a lot of work to have this ice machine and keep it running the way the instructions indicate.

If you were to ask me twenty years ago if I'd ever be excited for an ice maker, I would have laughed hysterically. Yet, here I am, a 40-year-old man excited about this ice maker - The GE Opal 2.0. Summer is the season for cold drinks, and yes, most don't care if our ice is from our fridge or our local mini-market, but once you get a feel for "that good ice," you'll chase it every time you want a cold drink. Something reminiscent of shaved ice makes a drink taste so much better. That's how I can describe "the good ice." I needed help with the idea of owning a $600 ice maker. That's much more money than I'd expect one of these to cost. You can get a decent fridge for around $600+! With a price tag like that, I hope this will last for years to come. And thankfully, getting it set up piece by piece makes it easy to see the quality GE has put into it. Setting it up was easy. Instead of reviewing the instructions, I looked up a beneficial step-by-step YouTube video. The first thing you'll do after taking off all the tape and plastic is run it through a cleaning cycle. Instructions say it's best to do this 3 to 5 times, but I did it three times and felt it was sufficient. Setting up the external tank, filter, and everything else was simple. Everything has its place and fits nicely into the main unit. The unit itself isn't as big as I assumed it would be, so it's nice that it doesn't take as much space as a mini-fridge, for example. OUrs went into the garage for now, as we have a mini-fridge filled with drinks. It's nice to know it could fit on our kitchen counter if we needed it inside for parties. Once I went through the cleaning steps and filled the side tank with water, it took around 10-15 minutes for the ice to start coming down. And within 30 minutes, the tank was almost half filled. I love how quickly this thing makes ice. An auto ice machine is not for everyone. But if you're reading the reviews this far, you're at least interested. It's a great thing to have, especially during the summer. BBQs and cold drinks are always welcome, and this makes half of that possible! If the $600 price tag is too much, look for sales or open-box deals - as Best Buy can have some fantastic deals if you spend the time looking for them!

Works well, makes ice fast. Machine is extremely delicate though, needs maintenance every 2 weeks. Not for the average person who doesn’t keep up with maintenance.

This is the third one of these machines I have had. I purchased the extended warranty, and the first one was repaired, the second one was replaced, I am now on number three. These machines work great, but depending on your water, frequent cleaning to remove calcium and lime scale is important to keeping it going. When it works, it is great. I would highly recommend buying the extended warranty, since I have now used it twice. I will say that this newest version is better than the earlier models. Seems to work a little faster, runs quieter and smoother overall. No issues with this new version so far.

GE OPAL 2.O ULTRA NUGGET ICE MAKER WITH SIDE TANK is the kitchen appliance that I didn't know that I needed. This nugget ice is comparable with what I have found in resturants, hotels, and our local hospital. It's the kind you can crunch. The GE Opal 2.0 Ultra arrived in a very large box. I thought there is no way this thing can sit on my countertop. The box contained everything that I needed to setup this ice machine. It comes with a manual, Quick set-up guide, side tank and base, side tank clip, ice bin, ice scoop holder, ice scoop, drip tray, water filter, screened intake cap, and the ice maker. Before using the icemaker, you should wash all accessories and wipe out the ice machine. I ran the cleaning cycle using a water and bleach. This water was drained and I then ran the rinse cycle 3 times. The Opal Ice Machine was now ready to make ice. I removed the screen intake cap and replaced it with the water filter. I attached the clip to the left side and filled the tank with tap water. The Opal 2.0 has built in WiFi to sync with your GE Profile. Just download the app and you can control your icemaker with your phone. After 7 days I received a notification that it was time to sanitize the ice machine. I repeated the steps that I did when setting up, fill the reservoir with water and 1teaspoon of bleach, then run the rinse cycle 3 times. Highly Recommend.

The product is great and the ice comes out fast/delicious. My only complaint is unless there is water under the container it won’t pull from reserve directly. So even if the side tank is full I still have to put water in the machine. Just and extra step and can be annoying if you forget.

This ice maker is really really nice! I love that I’m able to control it from my phone using the app, I like the nugget ice, I like how easy it is to set up and I love the side tank! I will say, it is high maintenance. I find myself cleaning it every 3 days because it tells me to in the app. It’s easy to clean but it’s just a bit much. I don’t mind because I know I’ll get clean fresh ice everytime but I’m just saying in case you may not like the idea of that. Other than that, I would recommend this product to others because it makes a lot of ice and it’s not loud at all. It also looks so much nicer in person.

If you like the ice at Sonic, then this ice maker is for you! It works very well and is aesthetically pleasing.

This is my second Opal. I like that this one tells you when to clean. It does seem louder than regular 2.0 but also seems to make ice faster. I love the machine/ice, not the price and maintenance.

Let's be honest. The price tag is a bit steep. Luckily, it went on sale within 30 days of purchase, and I was able to save around $170! I was completely fine with the original pricing if it held up to nugget ice standards (Sonic, we're looking at you). I think this has surpassed that standard on the ice itself. However, I have to give it 4 stars for a few issues. These issues will probably be fixed by the next model. 1) Internal valves can sound like they're starving for water; 2) A larger nugget reservoir would be nice; 3) A bypass valve/mechanical diverter that diverts the new water away from the nugget reservoir should be installed. Who wants their freshly made ice getting watered down immediately? I'm also surprised this hasn't been incorporated into a GE refrigerator yet either. Maintenance would be a hassle, though I'm sure.

GE Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice Maker is probably the best, most premium model to get if nugget ice is your cold drink vice as it is for my wife and I. The 2.0 Ultra includes a filter to keep the chewy ice nuggets their cleanest. Plus a side water tank for maximum ice production or for large gatherings. While claiming ice in 10 minutes is true for a few nuggets. It actually takes nearly two hours to fill the bin to the auto shutoff, full level. Not a lot of time to make a very large amount of ice for drinks. GE does have an app for those who want more control for scheduling when ice will be ready if you choose to not leave the machine always on. And a question often asked that I also had. Does it keep the ice frozen? No, the ice will slowly melt and be remade into new ice. The machine insulates the ice to minimize melting, but does not keep the ice frozen. After a week spent using the GE Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice daily. Here are my observations. Setup: Almost a super simple setup. Follow the instructions for the mild bleach cleaning process before adding water. Then, remove the screen inlet inside the reservoir and put the filter in its place. The filter install is the one thing GE might need to better describe in the paperwork. It was not completely clear, to me, that the filter went inside the water reservoir. Pictures made it look like it was in the machine, and I looked for a trap door like my fridge has. Anyhow, use the instructions in the filter box, as it is barely mentioned in the quick start pamphlet or manual. Next, connect the hose to the side tank before filling or you will have wet mess. Now fill the reservoir to the level marked. Then fill and mount the side water tank, which can go on the left or right side of the unit. Finally, choose where to stick the magnetic scoop holder. Then place drip tray under front of machine. The drip tray will be necessary as condensation forms under the ice drawer. Note: the water you use seems to be VERY important from what long time users have reported. GE includes a water hardness map. I suggest sticking to bottled water or maybe even distilled water if you live in the worst water areas. The filter should also help. The nuggets: The reason you bought the machine, and the reason you will keep it. Ten minutes for the first nugget or two, but a half hour for a scoop worth. It's perfectly cold and just a bit more chew than freshly fallen snow. And it's available anytime and every time you want it. It will melt a little faster in a drink than in-door freezer ice cubes, but, no risk of breaking any dental work. This is excellent at home nugget ice. Use/noise: When actively making ice the machine can be a bit loud and noticeable if you are sensitive to white noise, as I am. No worse than the noise from a modern window A/C unit. Yet it is audible if you are sitting within about 10 feet of the unit while its making nuggets. Mostly just a whirring noise with an occasional pump noise similar to a compressor or small air pump. The unit is completely silent once the drawer is filled with ice in about 2 hours. And that ice, while not being kept frozen by the machine, it is just insulated in drawer. Takes most of a day (10-15+ hours) to fully remelt back into the reservoir in a climate controlled home. Once made, the ice lasts a very long time and looks amazing with the 2 levels of light making it shimmer and glow in drawer. Using the included metal scoop will fill a 16oz glass in about 3 scoops. And since ice can be continually made. Unlikely you could run out of ice unless the gathering was quite large. Notable: Once you open the box and get everything out and setup. You likely notice the bold writing on how important it is and will be to keep this Ice maker clean and working its best. Descaling from hard water and minerals seems to be what GE is trying to alert us to the most. Monthly maintenance and quarterly filters need to be considered as this is not, a just add water and chew ice endeavor. GE does a great job describing the process and it seems manageable. Just Be aware of how hard the water you use might be. And maybe the extended warranty is a good idea for this machine. Also, the unit is quite large and in my medium size kitchen, did not fit under the cabinets and had to sit on the island. Double check the dimensions if you want it on a specific counter with cabinets above. Lastly, don't refill side tank till it is completely empty or machine lights up, "add water". I refilled side tank before water was empty and it overflowed the base of the side tank. There seems to be some, to a lot of water in the side base that is not visible and needs to be used before topping off side tank. Overall GE Opal 2.0 Ultra is a great machine. Just do not overfill it.

Makes great ice super fast. The worst part about these units is the maintenance and keeping it clean, but man when you have large parties or specialty drinks there is nothing better. Our house fridge has super small ice bin, so we end up using this everyday more than most I am sure. Everyone wants one, but nto all can find it at the price we did.