SPT IM-101 Portable ICE Maker W/LCD Display

I purchased this based on all the great reviews. There are several reasons why I won't give this 5 stars and I was wavering between 3 and 4 stars. It's not as easy as plug it in, add water and you have ice in 20 minutes. The instructions say to clean it thoroughly by running it through it's cleaning cycle with 1:1 ratio of water and white vinegar or lemon juice, then drain it. Add clean water and do the same again. Next, run it through it's first cycle and discard the first batch of ice. The ice had a horrible chemical odor and taste!! There were additional instructions if this should happen. Again, I added one cup of lemon juice (vinegar is hard to get rid of the odor)to an entire tank of water and run it through several cycles of ice. I had to throw away 4 or 5 baskets of ice. I then rinsed it with clear water in the cleaning cycle. Finally, the ice didn't have any odor! Pros: *Quick at making ice. *Three size selections of cubes. *Makes large quantities. Cons: *Ice is watery regardless of what size cube I make. *If you let the ice sit in the ice maker too long, it starts to melt. *You need to transfer it to the freezer quickly but even then, because the ice is watery it sticks together. *Prep work *Large and heavy. UPDATE April 10, 2011 The ice machine started slowing down and I felt a fine water mist coming out of the area where the ice was being made. The ice in the basket was melting after several hours. UPDATE April 22, 2011 Now it doesn't work at all. I called the manufacturer and they emailed me steps on how to check the motor to the water tray/scooper. Upon inspection, the gear mechanism from the motor that controls the water tray was completely rusted, therefore unable to engage and turn. I was told that any parts that were sent to me were no charge but of course I would have to repair it myself. If the unit needs to be returned, I would have to pay for shipping. This is a heavy piece of equipment and will cost a lot to ship back. What a disappointment for having this expensive ice maker for only six months. UPDATE July 22, 2011: I've replaced the motor, (my husband was impressed at my technical skills... lol), and reshaped the output splash bar with needle nose pliers, and finally all is working well. The bent splash bar was the cause of the motor rusting because the water was spraying onto the motor gears. It's unfortunate that I was responsible for repairing the machine and I feel the manufacturer didn't stand by their product. They saw that it was defective, based on my photos, and in my opinion they should have replaced it at no charge to me. In the least, Sunpentown should have paid for me to ship it back and have it fixed by them. When I asked the representative, what my next step would be if the motor rusted out again, she simply said that it's still under the ORIGINAL warranty and they'd replace it, if need be, up until that point. In my opinion the motor warranty should have been extended for another year. Unfortunately I got a lemon.

After a long research on the internet and several phone calls for the ideal Ice Maker, I finally decided to purchased the Sunpentown IM-101 portable ice maker. I have been using it straight, non stop for about 25 days. I have not turned if off since I unpacked and plugged it. The Sunpentown IM-101 works extremely well. I needed an ice maker in our apartment to produce ice cubes for a specific ice cooling machine, which my husband has been using after an orthopedic surgery. This ice maker machine has been the God sent to our family. The only drawback is that the machine, as with any other of its kind, is a bit too large. However, as far as operating it, its very easy. Just add the water, plug it in the AC, and it does all the work for you. I love the shape of the ice it produces, which is always great for our ice tea or cold drinks. I strongly recommend it. I had read several reviews prior to purchasing the Sunpentown IM-101. I did encounter very negative review on other brands of countertop ice maker machines and it made me very concerned about acquiring one. When I received this machine in the mail, i made sure to save its original shipping boxes just in case I needed to return it. Needless to say, the shipping boxes were already destroyed. The machine is great. I strong suggest you to purchase this particular one and look no longer.

I use this ice maker for a different purpose than most people. I brew beer at home and use a lot of ice at the end of the process to cool the beer for fermenting. This process uses four 7-lb bags of ice from the store that cost around $15. I followed all the directions and started the machine early on my brew day. It started right up and the first "cubes" popped out in about 15 minutes. I was thrilled. But at the end of the brew day, I had about enough ice to replace one 7-pound bag of ice. Not great, but maybe if I started the night before, it could do better. So I tried that. Unfortunately, unless you want to get up in the middle of the night just to check on the ice maker, it stops when the bin is full. So, I didn't really get much more ice that way, either. Guess I'll have to start a couple of days early and bag the ice and keep it in my freezer next time. One complaint: The digital display is pretty touchy. There is a crummy plastic cover over the controls that peeled back away from the control board before I even started. Normally, that would have been a reason to return it, but it's pretty minimal - and the machine still worked, so I gave it a pass. Still, it's pretty chintzy. And, although it's supposed to be able to make three different size "cubes" (they are actually hollow bullets of ice), it will only make the small and middle sizes. The controls won't even work to make the large size. Again, since I'm not making ice for normal uses, it doesn't bother me, but it's still pretty lame.

Bought this about 8 months ago and I still love it. If you are not a true ice lover, stick with bagged ice. I like being able to put my own filtered water in the machine, have ice on demand, know that the ice is clean and control the size of the ice. The drawbacks are that the ice does not freeze hard and has to be transferred to a freezer within an hour of being made or it will melt in a drink very quickly. Also, it does have to be emptied every few hours or it will build up with half ice/ half slush. Also requires that old water be drained.

So disappointed in this icemaker. Purchased it in December 2012 for my husband. Worked great for about 4 months before one of the internal parts broke. Husband contacted the company (Sunpentown) and they sent him a replacement part - he was able to repair it and get it working again. Then last month it just completely stopped working after several weeks of squeaking & squealing. He tried to fix it again but now it's completely broken. Very disappointing! It worked great for a brief period of time, but if you're looking for a long-term ice maker, look somewhere else!

I purchased the first one back in May and it did not work. Had to send it back. Got the replacement and hooked it up. The control panel on the front was lifting off. It has a mind of its own. You cannot program it or bypass the timer. It shuts off for hours on end and then starts to make ice, makes one tray full then shuts off again. Very exasperating on a hot day. Makes me think this was not a new ice maker but refurbished, and not a good job at the refurbishing either. I would not recommend this ice maker to anyone. Very disappointing. And very expensive.

I purchased this item for our office on 11/28/2010. We have used this nearly every single day. Initially, there was some plastic taste to the ice cubes, but over time, that taste has gone away. I don't really recall how long it took, but I think we sped the process with a lemon juice mixture. In any case, the ice maker has not had any problems for the past 2 1/2 years and continues to make ice reliably. We take care of the machine, clean it out couple times a year. It reliably makes ice in under ten minutes. You can choose different size ice cubes, but I don't think we've ever changed it from the "large pieces" setting. It's been a real blessing in our office to have ice nearly on demand. I see there are others who have had a bad experience with this machine, but our experience has been just the opposite. I had bought an extended warranty on the machine... looks like I may not need it at all! I really have no complaints about the machine other than the initial plastic taste to the ice cubes.

This product has potential, but the control panel was broken when we got it. The "clean" mode didn't work at all.

１ケ月未満で、 電源が入らなくなりました。 やはり、・・・・中国製品でした。