If you're looking for the perfect countertop ice maker, I tested the GE Profile Opal and I can personally guarantee it's worth every penny.
FYI, Prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
GE Profile Opal - Smart Countertop Ice Maker with Bluetooth Connectivity
Highlight: Comes with Wi-Fi and uses a smart app that monitors status and lets you schedule batches.
Helpful review: I finally decided to go ahead and give this ice marker a whirl to see if it was up to my standards, and welp, I can officially say I guess I’m the kind of person who makes Amazon reviews now haha. Lemme just tell you a little bit about how obsessed I am with this thing. Trust me, this ice maker is about to be your new best friend on a sunny day.
A little backstory on why I decided to go with this ice machine. You didn’t ask for it, but I’ll tell ya anyways. My family has always been obsessed with the ice from Sonic–the fast food chain that has that soft, chewable ice. Yep, you can probably taste it just by me saying it.
We used to buy bags of it until our local chain shut down. We were as crushed as the ice. And then my sister called up years later and told me she found a machine that could make the same type of ice. After trying hers, I knew I needed to get my own. I bought it with a gift card, but honestly I would have spent the money myself–that’s how great this thing is.
Just a little warning, though, if you live in an area with hard water I definitely recommend getting a filter. You can snap it to the bottom of the water well in the ice maker and definitely just make sure to run the cleaning cycle before the first use. The instructions in the manual were easy to follow and I didn’t have any problems with figuring it out. Also, definitely make sure you wash out the side water tank before you start making ice.
This icemaker is a little on the larger side, but honestly I find it fits pretty well under my upper cabinets. It has a magnetic side tank, which is pretty sweet, and I like how the design is sleek and comes with clear plastic and stainless steel. It’s a little on the heavy side at just under fifty pounds, so ya, you might need help setting it up.
Just keep in mind that the unit isn’t refrigerated, so it’s not gonna keep the ice frozen forever. It pretty much just makes the ice and drops it into a clear plastic drawer and when that drawer is full, you’ll need to transfer the ice to a bag or bin for your freezer. If you leave the ice in the drawer, it’s gonna melt. And just keep in mind that the water gets recycled to make more ice.
This machine isn’t connected to plumbing, so you have to fill the water tank manually. The tank on the side is large enough to make like three drawers full of ice, but it can produce up to twenty four pounds of ice over the course of a day and you can store about three pounds inside the drawer. It’s perfect for a bigger family who goes through a lot of ice. Honestly, I usually just end up making and bagging ice to avoid running the ice maker consistently.
The instructions were super clear and I didn’t have any issues setting it up. After I got it together, I pretty much just flipped the switch to ice and then wah, lah! You’re good to go. It also has a button on the front that tells you the status of it and gives you notifications about things like when to add more water, when you should empty out the drawer, and when it’s making ice.
The Bluetooth connectivity was pretty sweet but the app that monitors it remotely seemed kinda weird, and I found it a bit too invasive for my taste, so I ended up not using it.
I read some negative reviews that it was too noisy, but I don’t really know what those people were talking about. Maybe they’re on the sensitive side of hearing, or maybe I just have tinnitus, because I’m pretty confident this thing is quiet.
Yeah, it’s a little louder when the fan kicks in, but it’s not that bad. Just like a little hum. This thing seriously creates the perfect ice, the same one from my childhood–just like Sonic, that soft, chewy nuggets, perfect for those humid Florida summers if you ask me. Just keep in mind that once you switch the ice to the freezer, it’s gonna change texture and won’t be as soft, so I’d recommend banging the bag on the counter to break it up. For maintenance, I usually just descale it with vinegar like once a week, and if you want to prevent mold, you can use bleach.
All in all, I’m sooo happy I got this ice maker. Yeah, it’s a bit on the pricier side, so if you’re not a fan of this special Sonica soft ice, it might not be worth it for you, but it’s actually what I wanted. Talk about my new favorite toy. — Audrey Owens
Get it from Amazon now: $679.00 & FREE Returns
