After testing six machines to find the best countertop ice makers, I found that the GE Profile Opal 2.0 was uniquely excellent in my review of the best countertop ice makers. It's a reliable, attractive machine that consistently makes delicate, uniform nugget ice to chill your drinks.

The Opal ice maker does not keep ice frozen in the ice bin. Thawed ice is recirculated back into the reservoir.

If you leave ice in the bin, it will slowly melt and the water goes back into the water well beneath the ice drawer and will be reused to make more ice. It is also not plumbed and there is no option for a direct plumbed line. Instead, you fill the water tank and the side water tank manually so it has water to make ice.

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Best Overall Widely considered to be the gold standard among at-home nugget ice makers, the GE Profile Opal 2.0 can produce an impressive 24 pounds of ice per day.

How complex can it be? Turns out, for some machines, it gets pretty complex. This is a big reason why a pearl ice machine is more expensive to purchase outright than your average ice machine. Most ice you consume is frozen in an ice tray, molded, or carved from a bigger chunk of ice.

If the unit is powered off the ice will melt and the water will return to the reservoir. This is just like your refrigerator or freezer in that it needs to be on all the time.

How long can the ice maker run? The ice maker is capable of running 24/7. If left on, the machine will run until the water reservoir is empty or the ice bin is full. That said, we do recommend manually turning it off when it's not in use.

If your icemaker will not be used for some time (vacation, storage, etc.), we recommend that you shut off the water supply to the refrigerator and turn off the icemaker. If you turn off the water supply, make sure you also turn off the icemaker. Feeler Arm icemakers: The on/off switch is built into wire feeler arm.

If you leave it running, the ice will gradually melt and be recycled into the water reservoir. While this is not problematic, the ice will form a clump and become less convenient to serve. I prefer to make as much ice as I need, storing some in my freezer, then I turn the unit off until I need ice again.

GE's bestselling lines are the standard GE and the GE Profile. At a glance, it is hard to tell the difference between the two model lines. However, GE Profile appliances include more high-tech features than the standard line. As a result, these units tend to be pricier.

GE Profile Appliances: Cooking Appliances - Under the GE Profile brand, they offer a line of high-end cooking appliances designed for luxury homes. These include Induction and gas cooktops, wall ovens, range hoods, warming drawers, and microwaves.