When we got a new refrigerator the ice maker wasn't included, and the kit that went to that model had terrible reviews. I decided to go with a countertop ice maker instead and got this one when it was on sale.So far, it works great. I waited 3 hours after unboxing to allow the oil to settle, cleaned the basket and wiped out the inside. After filling the compartment with water and turning it on, it spit out the first round of ice in around ten minutes. (I threw this first batch away just to be safe.) It was amazing to me how much ice I got for the amount of water I put in!Every couple of rounds of ice, I would empty the basket into a container in the freezer and did this until it was full. The ice did stick together some, but was pretty easy to break apart. Once it was finished, I emptied the remaining water from the ice machine (there's a plug on the bottom of the machine that you pull out to drain it into a bowl) and dried the inside. I plan on using this machine about every two days based on our current ice usage.I've seen some people saying they keep the machine going 24/7. I also see some people complaining about the machine dying in less than a year. I don't know for sure that those two things are related, but I imagine keeping it running constantly isn't the best idea. At the quick rate that it creates ice, I'm also not sure why you would do that. Keep making ice until you have the amount you need, then drain and dry it for next time. I imagine it will last far longer this way. I'll keep using it in this manner and update this review when it finally dies to let you know how long it lasted using this method.UPDATE: Well, it died. Lasted from July 2023 until December 2024, so around a year and a half. Honestly, we took really good care of it and only used filtered water, so it's a biiiiiit disappointing that it already quit working. It worked well and made a lot of ice for the year and a half it worked, so I suppose it's up to you to judge if this sounds worth it to you! I wouldn't count on it lasting longer than this, though.
