GE Profile - Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice Maker with Side Tank and Scale Inhibiting Filter - Stainless Steel

The icemaker was great - very easy to set up. It’s very quiet and the ice it produces is amazing. I definitely recommend this product.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

The GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra is the latest iteration of the Opal line of nugget ice makers featuring a new scale inhibiting water filter, air filter for the coils, magnetic scoop storage, and improved display with detailed operation. I opted for the carbon black finish, which is a nice satin charcoal black color that blends in with modern aesthetics. Setup was a breeze, with the unit being fully assembled and well packaged. After unboxing you will run your first sanitize cycle, which includes multiple rinse cycles which took maybe 30 minutes total. During this cleaning you will need to have the unit near a sink or have large container to holder 5+ cups of water. For a nugget ice maker, the Opal is relatively compact at roughly 16” tall, 17’ deep, and 14” wide. The included water tank adds a couple inches of width and is optional to reduce refilling frequency. For my dated kitchen, the Opal was too tall to fit under our cabinets so it was relegated to a console in the dining room. This turned to be ideal placement as I have found the ice maker to be noisier than anticipated. While the compressor hum and fan are fairly quiet, the water pump can be heard in an adjacent room. Though it is a minor annoyance and not a major concern, you may want to consider placement in proximity to areas of your home you congregate. It is nice that the unit is standalone and does not need to be connected to a water supply line. Within 10 minutes the Opal had produced the first nuggets of ice, though the first useable amount of ice wasn’t ready until 30+ minutes and it took approximately an hour to fill the bin. Though you can control the operation of the Opal in the app and even schedule it to run during certain times, I found little benefit due to the rate of ice production. Though I feel it makes ice with adequate speed, I am not sure how often I will know I will need ice in advance and it is more convenient to have it make ice continuously as the bin level lowers. However, one downside to continuous operation is that the unit should be sanitized every 25 hours of ice production so we received that notification after using the Opal just a week. I only used RO filtered water so probably a premature alert but depending on your water quality you may have frequent maintenance. The bin holds approximately 2-3 pounds of ice and can quickly replenish ice supply thanks to the recirculation of the ice melt from the bin. One other downside I have encountered is the bin tends to have condensation on the bottom and water then collects along the front lip of the ice maker. When pulling out the ice bin, about a tablespoon of this water drips onto the counter (or floor depending on placement) nearly every time. Maybe the 3.0 could have an angled lip and bin bottom to encourage water to drip back into basin. Despite my minor issues, the Opal ice maker is great! Our family loves the chewable nugget ice it produces and has quickly become a routinely used device. If you have the space and are looking for nugget ice machine, the Opal 2.0 Ultra is the one to get!

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!

I got this ice machine and it is an excellent addition to my coffee bar area I love it so much it is amazing