This review is for the older version of the GE Profile Nugget Ice Maker. It’s on sale for the lowest price I’ve seen it for Cyber Week. Get one here. There’s also the newer 2.0 version available here with similar features.
I did it. Prime Day made me do it. Actually, the impending renovation of our attic made me do it. I bought the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker, and I’m going to tell you exactly what I think about it.
If you’re not familiar with the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker, its a countertop appliance that makes that wonderful Sonic Ice. Chick Fil A Ice. Pebble Ice. Nugget Ice. Whatever you want to call it. The small, soft ice that doesn’t break your molars when you chew it. THAT ice. It’s the coveted ice everyone really wants in their drinks.
Why the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker?
There are several countertop pebble ice makers on the market, but none as stylish as the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker. That is why this particular ice maker sells out all the time.
It’s also kind of pricy. If you get the version with the side water tank, we’re talking almost $600. That’s pretty expensive for a countertop appliance.
My family uses a ton of ice. We like our drinks cold. Our Kitchen Aid Fridge makes a decent amount of ice, but it was not keeping up with our ice consumption needs. That’s why when we started planning how we wanted to use our new bonus space, having an ice maker was at the top of the list. But not just any ice maker. I wanted Sonic ice.
Just like everyone else, I love the look of the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker. To me, it is by far the best esthetic option of any of the small countertop nugget ice makers on the market.
Why Now?
I bought our GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker during the Prime Day Sale in July. During that sale, the unit with the side tank was on sale for $429. That was by far the lowest price I’ve ever seen it.
Remember when Prime Day was only once a year? Yeah, me too. Amazon is having another Prime Day-esque event October 11th & 12th!
Anyway, we had started discussing the attic project with contractors and getting bids. We had the cash for the project. We were hoping for a completion date of around the holidays. I didn’t want to wait 6 more months for Prime Day to come back to get the ice maker. So I decided that $429 was a fantastic price and purchased the ice maker for the bonus room.
We also got a folding treadmill at $200 off for that space too, but that will be another review for a later date.
Unboxing
It took almost a week for the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker to be delivered, and I immediately cleaned it and set it up. There was no way I was going to wait until the bonus room was complete. I needed my Sonic Ice right away.
Everything was nicely packaged and there was no damage. There’s a few of those fun static plastic wrap pieces that are so satisfying to remove. There’s also some pieces of tape. My version came with a drip tray and a plastic scoop.
Initial Cleaning
I read the directions and decided to do a sanitizing cycle as the initial cleaning. I first cleaned the inside, ice tank and accessories with a little dish soap and water.
Cleaning the unit is very straightforward. You make sure to switch the tab on the back to cleaning mode, use a little bleach and fill the water reservoir, then hit the button the on the front.
The cleaning cycle only takes a few minutes. Once that is done, you pull the two tubes from their plugs at the top of the back of the unit & drain it. Then repeat the cycle with just water 3 more times. The whole cycle takes about 20 minutes. Once the ring around the button is solid, you’re done cleaning.
GE recommends to clean the unit once per week. I bring the ice maker over next to the kitchen sink and clean it there. I use a small mixing bowl that has a spout to add the water so that I don’t make a mess.
Pantry
The next question was where were we going to put the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker while we wait for its permanent home to be built? We really didn’t want it on the kitchen counter. There was plenty of space on the pantry counter, so I decided to put it in there.
This is when I realized that the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker might be a countertop appliance in some kitchens, but it certainly isn’t a countertop appliance in ALL kitchens.
Our pantry shelves are at 18″ above the counter, but the lip of the trim is just over 17″. The GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker BARELY fits under the shelf. Barely. Like sometimes I have to push up on the shelf slightly to get it under there.
If you’re considering the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker, don’t assume it will fit on your countertop. Make sure you know exactly where you’re going to put it and exactly what the measurements are before you purchase it.
Making Ice
After we got the ice maker in place in its temporary home in the pantry, I switched it from cleaning mode & it started making ice. The first few cubes were made about 15 minutes after plugging it in. We had a full bin in about an hour.
The GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker holds 1 gallon of ice and says it can make 24 gallons worth of ice per day. We don’t use near that much, but its nice to know that it has that ability. The ice is light and fluffy and easy to chew. It perfect & exactly what we wanted. The machine is a bit loud, but having it in the pantry helps.
If you get the version with the side tank, the tank holds an extra gallon of water. It is easily hooked up to the ice maker with one tube. After about 3 weeks, we had a little leaking. That was quickly fixed by opening the flap on the bottom of the tank and adjusting the internal tube. We haven’t had that problem since.
I would highly suggest going with the version that has the side tank. The tank keeps the ice maker’s reservoir full. You’ll be constantly refilling the reservoir itself if you don’t have the side tank. The tank buys you a few extra days of not filling it up. Do yourself a favor and get the tank. It’s well worth it.
Maintenance
There are a few downsides to the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker, and they all have to do with the maintenance.
The biggest downside is having to clean it once a week. This is seriously a pain. Each Sunday, I have to drain the unit inside the pantry. Then I have to move it to the island so that I can drain the rest into the sink & start the cleaning process. When the cleaning process is done, I have to move it all back to the pantry and set it all up. It’s a little heavy for me, so this is tricky. Thankfully, I’m not going very far.
Actually doing the cleaning isn’t a big deal. It takes about 20-30 minutes. It’s just annoying. I wish we could go longer and clean it every other week or once a month. We have hard water here, so we have to clean it once per week.
The next thing I need to do is the mineral deposit cleaning. I briefly read the instructions, and I think you have to leave vinegar soaking in it for a day. I don’t know if I can live without sonic ice that long.
Water Filter
The GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker that I ordered did not come with a water filter. I ordered the Opal water filter separate through an Amazon Subscribe & Save. The filter runs around $20.
Getting the filter in the reservoir is a bit tricky. You first have to remove the screen, which easily pops out with a butter knife. Keep the screen in a safe place because you need it to do the weekly cleaning. The filter is a tight fit, and it takes some force to get it in.
Our first couple of weeks with the filter installed I felt like we went through water faster, but I could be imagining that. Its probably accurate because the filter takes up a significant amount of space in the reservoir.
I do know for certain that the ice maker was much louder with the filter in. Maybe it just seemed like we were using more water because the machine was so much louder. You really knew when the reservoir was empty because it made such a loud sucking sound.
Since then, it hasn’t been so bad. Maybe the filter just needed to get used to it.
Other Issues
Besides the extra noise while getting used to the filter, we’ve only had a couple of other issues.
First, the ice maker has stopped making ice twice. These were both during weeks where we tried to go 2 weeks between cleanings. We were never able to figure out exactly what the problem was. I unplugged/replugged it in, turned it on, and it was fine.
Second, the two tubes on the back seem to build up residue inside. After about a month, I noticed that the parts of the tubes that connect to the plugs were clear enough to see through. The rest of the tubes however were opaque. I used a straw brush to see if I could clean it, and I could, so it could be mineral build up from our water. I thought about buying a long straw cleaner brush to clean the rest of the tubes. I’m not sure what the tubes look like inside the machine. I couldn’t find anything in the book about this, so I’ve just left it as is for now.
Overall Rating
After owning and using the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker for 3 months now, I would give it 4/5 stars. It’s beautiful, it gives you that pebble ice you crave at home, its a conversation starter, but it sucks to clean. I definitely would wait for it to be on sale. It seems to go on sale around Prime Day and probably Black Friday. Make sure you’re following me on Instagram because I will always let you know when its on sale for the best price – not just any sale.
Will we move it to the bonus room when the attic conversion is done? That’s the million dollar question these days. We’re only in the permitting phase, so it will be a while until we need to make that decision. We have gotten very used to having it in the pantry. But I would love for it to be back to quiet here when the kids are at school instead of a constant low hum. I guess I should consider myself lucky that we don’t have one of those designer ice makers in our freezer. My Dad’s fridge makes regular ice and those baseball sized ice globes. He says it scares the you know what out of him when those giant ice balls drop into the bucket.
Don’t miss the HOT Cyber Week deal on this ice maker! There’s also a newer, 2.0 version available as well!
So have I convinced you that you need the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker yet? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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