Customer Ratings & Reviews

Purchased 3 weeks ago, and initially, I was thrilled with my GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice Maker. The machine produced ice quickly and delivered that perfect nugget texture I was looking for. However, my excitement didn’t last. Now, after just three weeks, the machine has completely stopped making ice. It continuously displays a "add water" alert, even though both the side tank and reservoir are full. I've tried everything to troubleshoot, but nothing works.* *For the price and brand reputation, I expected far better performance. Instead, I'm left with a bulky appliance that takes up counter space and does nothing. This has been a frustrating and disappointing experience, and I’ll be returning it to Best Buy as soon as possible. I can’t recommend this product at all and suggest potential buyers think twice before investing in this unreliable machine.

I initially bought the previous version of this GE ice maker and had to return it three times due to faulty component issues, only to find out it had a known, unfixable problem. Frustrated, I upgraded to this newer model, hoping GE had addressed the issues—but unfortunately, it suffers from the exact same problems. Despite following all care instructions, including cleaning it twice a month and using filtered water, the compressor began making loud, unsettling noises within the first month. For a $600 appliance, this is unacceptable. I expected reliability and quality from GE, but instead, I'm dealing with the same recurring issues. I’ll be returning this and opting for a different brand.

Save money on buying ice and it never run out love it Best Buy I made in a long time

Love the ice machine when it was working. Had to return 2 to defect with not making ice when filter in place

I absolutely love it. Is a great product. Had a Frigidare nugget ice maker before this one and it made so much noise. This one is much better.

Yep, that’s what I always called it growing up. Not “crunchy ice” or “nugget ice” or “chewable ice.” We called it what it looked like – rabbit pellets! And I absolutely love it and now I can have it 24/7 in my own home thanks to the GE Opal 2.0 Ultra Ice Maker! PROS: - Nice Soft Ice always at the Ready - Fairly Easy to Setup - Makes ice Fairly Quickly - Plenty of Ice with Side Tank - Connects to WiFi for easy control in App or via Alexa - Perfect Size (Plenty of Ice without being too big) - Premium Looks - Great Magnetic Side Scooper CONS: - Side Tank should just be built in, not separate - Side Tank refilling could be easier - Must use Distilled/Calcium Free Water OR do complex de-calcification process FREQUENTLY I absolutely LOVE this machine! And I didn’t really get it for myself – it was my spouse who’s wanted one for years. We’ve had several other ice makers that made the round ice with the hole in the center as well as one that come pretty close to making pellet ice like this one – but those machines were just not designed in such a way that you’d want to leave them on your counter permanently and/or didn’t make ice that was so great it was worth always using them, so we’d use them occasionally, but leave them in the garage stored most of the time. That won’t happen with this GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra Ice Maker! This thing is like magic for anyone who loves the soft crunchy pellet ice like you get at some of your favorite restaurants. The ice is perfect – soft enough to eat without breaking your teeth, but hard enough that it doesn’t melt the second you pour your beverage over it. I’m super impressed by how they have it at just the right temperature to achieve that. And this thing looks good on the counter and doesn’t take up too much space considering how large the ice bin is. It fits nicely under cabinets, doesn’t come too close to the edge of the counter and is fairly sleek width-wise. And it looks great – like it belongs on your counter rather than like you just left it there. Getting this machine running does take a little time initially, but not too bad. You need to clean it thoroughly before use and the included guide steps you through the process. Once done, you attach the side tank, turn it on, and let it get to work. I do wish the side tank was just built-in to the machine or that the machine wider to hold more water without needing the separate side-tank. The thing is you can’t just pour water into the side tank. You have to remove it from it’s stand because it’s basically like a jug with a valved lid you turn upside down to put into it’s base. Anyway, it’s not horrible and you can put the side tank on either side which is good I guess though I can’t honestly see how that would make much difference unless you were putting the machine really close to a corner wall. I still think it would be better to have that extra water reservoir space just built into the machine and have an easy way to pour water in from the top, but I’m not an engineer and maybe there’s a really good reason they didn’t do that. And the good thing is the side tank works great once set up. The machine makes ice fairly quickly. We used it when we had some guests over and even with lots of people using it, we never ran out of ice. It helps that the bin is quite large and we started with the bin full of ice. And it’s simple to pull the drawer out, scoop out some ice, and push it back into place. And you can have this running 24/7 as we do. As the ice melts (and yes, it does melt because in order to be crunchy ice, it can’t be hard frozen) it just drains back into the bin and the water gets recycled into new ice. It’s really a quite ingenious machine that does a great job at keeping you stocked up with the best kind of ice. There is also a scooper included that really is the perfect size scoop for this ice and they included a magnetic holder for it that can stick to the side of the machine for easy access – that’s a small touch that says a lot about how much thought they put into the design. This particular model also has WiFi and connects to the GE Smart app so you can turn it on/off as well as turn the light inside on/off in the app. You can also connect that app to Alexa so that you can turn it on/off using your voice if you so desire. The machine has been given the GE Profile designation which so far as I know is reserved for the higher quality premium designed appliances and it certainly deserves it. It looks great sitting on our counter. While most of our major appliances are stainless steel, our smaller appliances that sit on the counter are all black, so we got the black Opal and it looks super stylish on the counter. Makes us feel bougie! One important thing to note is that calcium found in tap water is the enemy of this machine! If you use tap water, you’re going to have to descale the machine and that is a lot of work. Depending on how high the calcium level is where you’re at, GE would recommend you do this anywhere from bi-weekly to every 4 weeks. And it’s a cumbersome process. This Ultra model does include a scale inhibiting filter which is supposed to help remove a lot of the calcium and other stuff, but it’s not fool-proof and even with it, GE still recommends the frequent descaling process. We’ve chosen to just buy distilled water and use that for this machine. After all, if you invest in a machine like this you want to keep it working well. And we definitely didn’t want to have to descale it every two weeks to keep it running. Anyway, just something you should know before pulling the trigger on buying this. But well worth it for us. GE really did a great job with the Opal 2.0 machine. It produces true rabbit pellet soft crunch ice. It makes a lot of it and makes it pretty quickly. It looks great and isn’t too difficult to set up. Once you get it running, so long as you use distilled water, the maintenance is minimal and the result is that you get that wonderful drive-in style chewable ice you’ve always dreamed of in your own kitchen!

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.

Just upgraded our home bar area with the GE Opal 2.0 Icemaker and are very pleased. The icemaker is very efficient and quiet. The cleaning process takes some time but overall, well worth it.

I loved it at first and it worked perfectly. Now after having it for six weeks it stop producing ice and all I get is the error add water when the both side take and water reservoir are full.

GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice Maker with Side Tank in Stone White is a great addition to my countertop and family usage!! This came boxed really well and protected. The Ice Maker is quite heavy and took 2 of us to get it out of the box and onto the countertop. It is a very well-made GE product, sturdy and solid and took up a big part of the countertop where I placed it. After unboxing and going thru the pieces and reading all the instructions, I was ready to get busy making ice! The instructions were easy enough to read thru and there is a quick set up guide to help. You can also download and refer to the app on your phone for videos and setting up as well if you choose to use it. The 1st part to tackle was sanitizing and cleaning the components and main ice maker. The most time-consuming part was the water and bleach cleansing of the unit and then rinsing it 4 times to make sure all the bleach was cleaned out, note: I did this near the sink and then moved it back to complete the setup. After the machine was cleaned and rinsed, I set it in its new home, inserted the filter, added cold filtered water in the tank and waited for the ice to appear! To fill the water tank you need to do it upside down and then re-sit the container on the stand. It would have been better if you could fill it from the top instead of having to turn upside down and sit in the holder... but it works. The water reservoir and stand have a bottom clip and magnetic area to attach to either side of the ice maker. The metal scoop also has a magnetic holder to attach to the other side. There is a small drip tray that you place in the front of the machine to catch the drips from scooping out the ice - I feel this could be bigger and possibly made of a rubber material instead of plastic in my opinion. After about 15 minutes of running, the ice started producing and then a few hours passed to get a full bin of ice. The nuggets it produces are a great size and they are similar to a chicken restaurant we like to go to. They are soft enough to chew and keep the beverages cold too! Love the size and consistency! The melted ice is recycled back into the machine to continue making ice so you will always have a full bin. I like the bin opening towards you and the scoop fits nicely to enable getting ice into any size glass/cup/mug. If you load the app, you can manage when you want the ice and turn it on and off as well as lights and a few other options. If there were "negatives" I would say it is a little loud, but not a deal breaker - we are used to it as our refrigerators ice maker made noise too. Also, the cost of filters may be concerning to some as they average $20 but depending on your usage you may be able to go 8-12 months without replacing. Would definitely recommend this ice maker!!

Purchased as open box excellent condition. Was not excellent was used has water classification in reservoir and smelled also scratched up at the bottom very disappointed in Best Buy reconditioning process box means never used.

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.

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!

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!

As we our homes want to continue to up our culinary game, one of the fun areas is ice making. And the new GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice Maker is as fun as it comes and super easy to use! SETUP: - Unboxing and setup really is quite easy! There are a few parts you have to clean like the ice tray and the water tank, and you need to need to run it through a cleaning cycle to start off but that's about it! Once I was doing my cleaning cycle I was ready to start making ice. - The machine is really quite quick in making ice which is nice. It will run a lot at the beginning since you have an empty bin but once its caught up you are good to go! PROS: - I really like the look of this ice machine. It's sleek, modern, and just blends into where ever you place it, either on your kitchen counter or at a mini bar! - The ice itself is simply fantastic! It's the "good" ice that are small pellets that you would get from your favorite soda shop. It's nice and cold and holds up well in your glass, just perfect ice all in all. - I really do like how it does not need to be connected to a water line and you can have it wherever you want. The side water tank is super convenient and helps make the ice machine last for a long time in-between having to fill it up. - I also think the light is a nice feature, adds a certain elegance to it. You can either have it on full brightness, about half, or off completely. - The Opal 2.0 can also connect to an app via wifi. This might seem a little weird but it's actually pretty useful and you can tell it when you want it to make ice vs when it should not. If you do not set that up, it will just automatically make more when it can sense you have used some ice which is a nice feature but if you want it to be quiet and automated the WiFi is nice. CONS: - The only downside in my mind is the "cleaning" process. Obviously, you want to clean these things frequently as you want to make sure your water lines are nice and clean. However, cleaning involves using a 5 cups water to 1 teaspoon bleach solution and then draining the entire machine and then running it again with clean water. The appeal of this ice machine is that you can use it anywhere aka not next to a sink or water connection, but when you clean it it is much easier to do so when you are right next to a sink & faucet. BOTTOM LINE: - As these dedicated Ice Machines comes more popular, the clear favorite as the best you can get is the GE Profile Opal 2.0. It looks like a nice high end machine, works fast, makes perfect nuggets sized ice, and the side tank makes it so you can use it wherever you want and it lasts a long time. Just like any appliance that uses water, there is some maintenance you need to do to keep it in great shape, but that's really not that big of a deal. This is the best ice maker you can get and is a lot of fun having around the house for drinks like soda, coffee, cocktails, or whatever you like best!

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.

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.

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!

Picked this up as an alternative to repairing our refrigerator in-door Samsung ice maker which still has trouble with icing up. It's a good product. Pros: - generates ice as expected and the side water tank keeps a nice reserve for ice making. - nice ice scoop with magnetic holder on the side is appreciated - scale inhibiting filter Cons: - can be a little noisy at times - sensor to make ice is pretty aggressive so as soon as one scoop is removed it kicks back. Would be nice if making ice could be paused for periods to minimize noise at times - not clear where to find replacement filters easily - cleaning/descaling is ok but not convenient for heavy users due to weight of machine and the process - no info/option on how to use with permanent waterline I like the product but the cleaning and descaling schedule make it less attractive for a regular fridge ice maker replacement. Best for use near a sink to ease the cleaning process so you don't need to move it around much and can drain it easily. My use case is not what it was likely designed for so I'm not knocking the product but just sharing insight for others. I would buy again but recommend reviewing videos on the cleaning process to see what that entails.

I just got the GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice Maker with Side Tank & Scale-Inhibiting Filter in Stainless Steel, and here’s my take after a few weeks: The nugget ice is fantastic — soft, chewable, and perfect for drinks or smoothies. It starts making ice in about 10 minutes, and the side tank means I don’t have to refill it constantly. The bin holds plenty, so I always have ice ready. The WiFi and app features are handy too, letting me schedule ice-making and get alerts. On the downside, it’s a little loud while producing ice, and it takes up more counter space with the side tank attached. Cleaning and descaling are also important to keep it tasting fresh. Verdict: If you love nugget ice and use it often, this machine is absolutely worth it.