The idea appealed to me when we were planning out kitchen, but space was an issue and I couldn't justify the cost of the ice maker, putting a hole in my slab foundation for a drain or having a machine running all the time for what would be mostly occasional use. Instead I gave up another 6 inches and put in a second DW. ;)

We have a space for a fridge or freezer in the utility room, but it never had an ice maker connection. We had an old refrigerator in there with an ice maker that hadn't worked for a very long time. When the energy/economy rebates were offered, we updated the fridge and tapped in an ice maker connection. That has worked for us, especially when we had two kids in marching band at the same time (they each filled a gallon jug with ice, then water everyday for practice and games) and lots of family gatherings and parties. We rarely have to buy ice.

I like the idea of a dedicated ice machine, and toyed with it for our on-going remodel, but we just do not have the space.
OTOH, we do appreciate nice ice cubes, and have found very little information about refrigerators that make particularly good ice. Do any of you have any leads on that?

Unfortunately, all fridge made ice is made the same way- by having water fill preset molds, then freezing, and dumping in a bin for use either through a machine or by scoping by hand.

So all the ice in these machines comes out cloudy, and if not used frequently, comes out tasting stale. Also they absorb the refrigerant smell, which is constantly being used by the freezer to keep itself cold.

I'd love to see a fridge incorporate clear ice technology in their units, even if it's on a much smaller scale. But so far, no manufacturer has attempted it.

I would never fork out the money for one but have often had them in upscale vacation homes I've rented. Never yet had one that worked properly. Lots of noise and dripping. Maybe they were old or abused, but I get the feeling under counter ice makers are, in general, an under-engineered appliance. YMMV, of course.

I can't thank you enough for all of the great information provided by all of you. If anyone else has more to add please do so..especially brands, etc.

I was honestly leaning towards not putting one in our new house after reading all of this. I had dh read all of this and he still wants to put one in. He is adamant. So we shall see.... We don't even have our construction drawings completed yet so we have some time. But thank you!

Re refrigerators, I'm pretty sensitive and have never noticed refrigerant smells with ice cubes in SubZero or Miele. They also don't get fridge odors because there are separate works. The ice will, of course, evaporate over time, and it is usually cloudy from air bubbles.

SubZero has (had? I haven't checked the new ones in a number of years) long, narrow crescent shaped ice. I was never that fond of the shape, but it has lots of surface area, which is what you need to make your drink colder, faster. My Miele all freezer has pillbug shaped ice. That is, it's shorter and fatter than the SubZero. It does take noticeably longer to chill a drink, and I sometimes leave the glass of ice sit for a minute or two before pouring, for a faster overall chill. The pillbugs are a nicer feel in the glass, however, and fit in the mouth better. :) They're also nicer on booboos. :)

Perhaps, a compromise if you're okay with the shape and clarity, but want to have fewer odors, would be to get a fridge with dual compressors and evaporators. There are a few that are well below the Miele/SZ price range. I can't attest to the refrigerant part, but I'm sure others here who own the units would be able to.

Your hubby is like me. I was adamant about having one and my wife was completely against it. But now, she's like that's the best decision we made from a kitchen perspective. The only downside is she said that ice water at anyone else's house just don't measure up.

Pillog..we have a SZ now and the cubes are big and are good. The main reason he (we) wanted the ice maker is because we are putting in a dedicated Beverage Center area with a filtered water sink, place to make drinks, coffee etc. He really wants ice there. Your post intrigued me for another reason. You mentioned Miele All Freezer. Right now I have my big SZ in my kitchen and a freezer in my garage. When you mentioned All Freezer...My thoughts turned to maybe using an All frig since I would not need ice and putting an All Freezer in my Pantry. Sooo, did you use an All Frig as well? And if so do you like it? Do you think I would be wise to consider this configuration? thanks.

Gtadross...thanks. Yes he wants ice in the beverage center. Pick your battles. I think I will make the maintenance of this appliance his job. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

My icemaker cost nowhere near $3500. I have a 15" undercabinet KA and it was around $1500. Not cheap but certainly not $3500. And no it doesn't keep the ice frozen but I've never had a problem with the ice melting, even when sitting overnight.

Okpokesfan makes a good point. Ice, in my insulated ice bucket (standard bar size) lasts for hours and that's without an insulated top, and with people digging in it.

The reason I went back to the fridges is that was your original question, Red_Lover. If you're changing out your SZ for a new fridge, you might definitely think about an all fridge. I have my fridge and freezer right next to each other. I went with Miele 30" because I couldn't fit SZ 36", and the 27" were too small. I love having a big freezer in the kitchen (pantry would do). I have my old GE manual defrost with freezer coil shelves in the garage for things like spaghetti sauce, stock, etc., that I make in big batches, and I have fridge drawers in my prep area, which makes up for the lost 6" in the fridge. :) (I do sometimes feed mobs...)

This group has worked out very well. Unless you do a ton of ice bath work, I'd think that having the ice maker in the beverage station, if it's not too far from the kitchen proper, wouldn't be a big issue. Or you can make it your husband's job to fill them up for you as a price of agreeing to the ice maker. In that case, there would be no reason to have a secondary ice maker. It's good to have some ice trays around for freezing stock and lemon juice and stuff like that, so if the ice maker were on the fritz, you could still make a few cubes to tide you over.

I don't know about SZ, but Miele comes with a water filter for the ice. It has to be changed about twice a year, and it's expensive. :) Since you're already paying for a water filter system, having your separate ice maker running off that certain means you don't need another ice maker in the kitchen.

With the all fridge and all freezer, it's really not much different than having an SZ, because you're running two separate cooling systems. It's just that it's in two separate boxes. I like the layout of mine, which is similar to Thermador (Miele make their own interiors and electronics, but buy the boxes from BSH). In the fridge there are two drawers at the bottom with separate temperature controls. I use the bottom one for meat (and often eggs, and a few other things when I run out of room. The next up is for produce. There's also a deli drawer for flat packages. I like that the door shelves are narrow. I liked the old SZ configuration with the fruit basket drawer under the middle shelf, but when I was looking the all fridge didn't have that, I think.

If you're considering separate units, do go to a big showroom and see all the models you can. I hated the Thermador but love the Miele, and they're not really all that different! I loved the SZ over/under, but wasn't wild about the straight all fridge and all freezer. They were fine, but before I realized I couldn't get those and my stemware cabinets, I was looking into getting the fruit basket shelf as an extra. I liked the ones with the exterior drawers, but making the 36" fridge and 27" freezer work together, would have meant the full overlay kit, and that stops the door at 90°, which is way too inconvenient for me. I didn't allow that in my full overlay cupboards either. I was so excited when I found the Miele, which I liked, and which fit! Really look over the options and think about how you live, and you'll figure out what you need.

>> i think it's def recommended b/c a dedicated ice machine
>> produces far superior ice to what comes from the freezer.
>> standard freezer ice is cloudy and often takes on the smell
>> of what's in the freezer, or at the very least, the refrigerant odor.

Riiiiight...

The Kitchen Aid 15" ice maker is now $2600. The Sub-Zero is $3640. I was looking at the SZ since my fridge and beverage center are both SZ's. And the $1000 savings to go to a Kitchen Aid isn't huge when already at this price point.

Have you considered Perlick? They make great products and have a few ice makers on their factory seconds page. I just picked up an outdoor fridge that was regularly $3500 for $2000, has a dent on the outside that will be hidden once installed and a shorter warranty, but a great deal.

Dedicated ice makers require lots of maintenance and cleaning or they develop off-flavor ice.

If they break, they are NOT cheap to fix because they are a "commercial" appliance.

You might do some more research on models. I seem to remember hearing that SZ was a rebadged Scotsman. At the time, Scotsman were the best regarded, I think. Though, from what Lazygardens says, perhaps it's best to buy SubZero if only for the service and warranty! OTOH, comparing the $2100 model Scotsman to the over $3000 model, I'd go for the more expensive one...

This thread makes me laugh - because I have no idea what shape ice my freezer makes. I'd probably notice if it were crescent shaped, because I don't like crescent-shaped ice - doesn't fit most glasses well.

Sjhockeyfan - LOL! #firstworldproblems

When I first joined this forum, more than six years ago, it was a hot topic of discussion, pursued in many threads. I was blown away. I was so excited to get my first automatic icemaker since my childhood home, it never occurred to me that people cared that much about shape and clarity. I think a lot of the people who do are guys. But I don't think my father's scotch on the rocks all these years has tasted any different than it would have with clear, square ice. I know the diet coke sure doesn't! But I do like my pillbugs because they're more comfortable against the lips than the longer, sharper crescents. ;)

Ok--thank you. Your comment is helpful.

Pillog--lots of information to digest...thanks for taking so much time to spell it all out for me. Clipping for future reference. I do like the idea of all frig and all freezer. My little SZ freezer won't hold much and dh wants my deep freeze out of the garage. I do not want it in the basement, so this is a real option. Not too many showrooms around here with the appliances we are talking about (none!). But....I am going to seriously consider this option. Never thought about freezing stock or lemon juice in trays. Think I could learn from you. Great ideas.

Cold weather---such a cynic ;-)

Realhwnj--I agree.

Saeydoc--I remember beekeeperswife got hers from this site. Thanks for reminding me.

Shockley--I know. First world problems.

Pillog--maybe it means more to dh than to me because he is the one that is always having to run out for the last minute forgotten bags of ice. And he does like his Black Russians.

My two cents .... again. If you're gonna put the icemaker I'm the basement, don't even bother. First, drainage will be more difficult as a pump will be required. And second, and more importantly, you guys won't use it that much if you had to run downstairs every time you wanted ice. At first, you probably would bc of the novelty, but after a few months, it'll get very little use at all.

I have mine in my kitchen by the bar area where I have my filtered water. So we always use it. In fact, my wife says it's the ONE appliance (aside from the fridge) we use more than any other bc we don't always cook every night or run the dishwasher etc.

There are a few threads on this topic on these forums. Here is one.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ice machines

Red_Lover,

I learned to make stock and lemon juice cubes from my mother, but I think she learned it from a magazine or TV a few decades ago. It's one of those tricks that gets passed around, but probably not mentioned much in cookbooks. You could do the same thing with any fresh liquid you want to use in small quantities.

The trick is to let them get good and set. Most anything with more stuff in it than water will take longer to freeze. Give it a good week to set up properly. Then pop the cubes out and seal in a food saver or zipper bag. The more air you can get out the less oxidation you'll get. That's really the point of not leaving it in trays. Even the ones with the covers allow for evaporation and oxidation. The cubes last pretty well even in zipper sandwich bags.

Considering the price of the appliances you're looking at, you might find out where the nearest showrooms that do have them on the floor are to you, and arrange for a trip to go see. At the same time, do find out who in your area does the repair work for the brands you're looking at. Perhaps interview them first. Sometimes something shakes loose in shipping or has a faulty part that doesn't show a problem before installation, and you need a repair right away. That's part of the point of the standard one year warranty. It costs them masses less to have you test it in situ and over time, than to try to run each unit through complete diagnostics before shipping--and they can't run them after.

Bit of unasked for advice: If you get the freezer in the pantry, put the old one in the basement. ;) You don't have to plug it in if you don't need it, but, for instance, you could bag up (not in garbage bags because they're not food safe) and freeze ice from your ice machine for an outdoor party, store big batches like I do, and other kinds of overflow.

We were going to put an ice maker in the bar, but that has gotten delayed and relocated to a different spot than originally planned. I still would like to get one. I have a GE ice maker at work that does a great job and may not be as expensive as some of the other brands.

As was mentioned-- these machines aren't freezers so ice is constantly melting to produce new, fresh ice. It's really good ice. Clear and tasteless. Nice luxury item. Be aware, however, that if you live in a humid area with no central air conditioning, on super hot days your poor ice maker will be working very hard and will have trouble maintaining a full bin. Your gravity drain or water pump will be flowing steadily. You'll have a small layer of ice at the bottom of the bin -- barely enough to fill a large ice bucket as the bin will only maintain a temp of 48-50 degrees on such days. Remember they run very hot and are on almost 24x7 when the ambient temp is very warm. If you're entertaining on a very hot day and don't have a cool room, you'll need another source of ice. Otherwise you'll love it until it breaks-- which it will someday.

Currently the subzero units are manufactured by Manitowoc. They are solid units to be sure but no significantly better than a current scotsman unit. The true piece is very new, so we dont know but if their other units are an indicator, I believe it is a quality product.

The key to constant production (clear) icemakers is maintenance. Clean them regularly, inside and out. Turn them off when not using them to allow them to settle. Change the filters (if you have them). They will still break from time to time...but they generally will live longer happier lives if you maintain them properly.

These days, I wouldn't think they'd even be allowed in CA or other water rationing areas. If energy efficiency or saving water are on your radar at all, you wouldn't even consider such a thing.

@JK - Thanks for the information on ice makers. We are considering a True or SZ for our wet bar area. How do you like the unit so far? Any issues?

Has anyone else recently purchased a True or SZ ice maker? The units seem very similar to me (cube size, built-in water filter, integrated pump). True says there's a 3-year warranty; SZ's says 2 years or 5-year sealed. Not sure what the difference is.

@JK - we are in a very similar boat - considering the SZ and True. Have you completed your renovation yet? I am having a lot of trouble finding real world experience with the True ice maker and would love to get some feedback on it. We too will likely have a gravity drain in the location, so I am curious to understand how the performance is (we primarily want clear ice for cocktails and/or entertaining), as well as how the noise is. We understand the machine will make some noise particularly when the ice is dropping, but hoping that it's not too unbearable. Thanks!

-joe

Hi Joe, I was just thinking about this last night. I use the ice machine throughout each day--I think I'm drinking more water as a result, and I hardly used ice in our old home. I LOVE the clear ice. The machine makes noise when the ice drops, but it is not unbearable. And when the trays fill, but it is like with any appliance, it is a new noise that one gets used to. A guest was curious what the noise was, but it is not offensive, but not silent (but the dishwashers are!) We also have a very open floor plan with wood floors so we hear a lot more noise in general in our new house that we did in our traditional colonial style homes prior.

The only thing I'm still getting used to is the shape of the cubes....when I am putting water in my glass over the ice, it often bounces back from the cylindrical shaped ice cube. Not an issue, but I know different machines have differently shaped cubes depending on the manufacturer. I have learned to let the water pour onto the side of the glass like when pouring a beer into a glass and not wanting too much of a head on it :-)

My only other thought is water consumption. I'm sure it uses a decent amount of water, but nothing compared to the long showers we take! I love not having to go into a large freezer for aerated ice. I still haven't had to maintain it but I'm sure it can't be any more difficult than descaling a coffee pot or cleaning a washer. I also love, love, love the separate beverage fridge. Provides so much extra storage for space consuming beverages, and again, I don't have to open a large fridge for coffee cream, juice, soda or adult bottled and canned beverages.

Thanks a ton for the detailed feedback - it's reassuring to hear some real world experience from this model. It sounds like the fan and drain pump noise haven't been too bad? The unit will be placed in a beverage station/bar in our living room area, which is adjacent to the kitchen in an open floor plan.

Thanks for the tip on the shape! The shape seems pretty similar to the other two models I am considering - the Sub-Zero and the Hoshizaki AM-50BAE-DS. This post had pretty good photos of the ice: http://freezers.reviewed.com/content/true-clear-ice-machine-first-impressions-review.

-joe

I don't think I'm hearing too much from the pump...other than filling the tray, since we are using the gravity drain. I couldn't say what the pump sounds like. The noisiest part is the ice falling and it is no big deal. I wouldn't install it in a bedroom, but in an active living area, any noise from it is tolerable and expected. The shape of the ice is exactly as shown in the review above. I love when pouring water over the ice in a crystal glass, it is all totally clear. The lights are fun too--my beverage fridge has the same lights and it is fun when entertaining. (Remember--never eat yellow ice!)

Awesome - I think we'll be in the same situation (installed in a location with a gravity drain option). Appreciate your perspective on the yellow ice!

Thanks again for the information, it has been very helpful for my planning decisions.

-joe

JK, checking in to see how you are still liking your true ice machine. Any issues to date? Have you been cleaning it every 6 months? I have the subzero ice machine but am looking into buying a second one for the basement and am strongly considering the true for the multi colored lights and multiple ice cube sizes.

Considering JennAir KUIX505ESS for the family room bar; built in pump and cubed ice. Can't seem to find any reviews. Anyone?

Same as the KitchenAid basically. Same company. Same products. Different veneers. Skip it and put an ice maker in the fridge.

Glad you still love yours JK! We are ~2 months from remodel being complete and being able to use it. Cabinets for the kitchen and bar just went in so I can visualize it already...

I'll try to update thread with my experience once everything is all done.

JK: How long have you had it installed for? I found that although it says to clean every 6 months, with the daily use we give it I had to clean it every 3 months (in the summer I do it every 2-3 months since it's so easy. Cleaning consists of descaling and also cleaning (bleach solution), two separate clean cycles. Takes about an hour of run time total, but I was starting to get mold/yeast if I let it go more than 3-4 months. Didn't notice it until I took it apart after 18 months for the annual maintenance cleaning and it had some moldy parts/spots, yikes!

The rental house we are in has a KitchenAid undercounter ice machine that is about 6 years old. This is the second machine in the house that is about 15 years old. As Sophie said, ice machines made by the Whirlpool Corp are basically the same no matter the brand. I'll share our experience for the benefit of others.

I love the clear ice but am not crazy about the small, square cubes. They melt relatively quickly. If I were installing an ice machine, I'd want to go with a model that produces large cubes. But then those cost more than a KitchenAid, I think.

We live in an area with relatively soft water. Even so, water takes a toll on the valves of the ice maker. In 6 years, the water valve has been replaced twice. We realized the ice production was way down, did some research and discovered the water valve was the issue. Once it was replaced, we realized the ice cubes had been getting smaller over the months but gradually enough that we didn't notice. For hard water areas of the country, I would recommend supplying the machine with reverse osmosis treated water.

We have cleaned the ice machine with the special cleaning solution every 6 months based on when the "clean" light comes on. That process is simple. We use the solution recommended by the manufacturer and it is pricey - about $13 a bottle, one bottle per cleaning cycle. As this is a rental house, I do not want to use any other solution that I've read about on the internet that would be cheaper.

As far as mold, when we moved into the rental house, it had been vacant for about 3 months. The AC had been on (at maybe 78-80 degrees) and the ice machine was on, too, but there was a lot of mold throughout the areas exposed to water. This type of mold is always challenge to life in the hot, humid South. I thoroughly cleaned the mold and it has not returned but I do keep an eye on it and clean as needed.

The ice machine makes several different sounds as it goes through its cycles - draining noises, gurgling, cubes dropping. I don't find them obnoxious but then I am not a "hearing" sensitive person.

The machine does put out a lot of heat as any machine that cools/freezes does. This should be a consideration for placement. I sure as heck wouldn't want it in my cooking zone.

We are building a new house and considered an ice machine but just could not justify the luxury. In my opinion it is truly a luxury item because of the initial cost and the fact that it makes ice all day, every day. Ice production is not based on usage. If we entertained groups frequently, we probably would have planned for one.

JK: You said "The cube shape will be different than SZ. They are like little cups." From the photos I've seen, the True cubes seem to be the same octagonal cubes as the SZ. Here's a photo I just took of my SZ cubes, let me know what you think, thanks:

My House · More Info

Definitely a luxury item if you don't use ice frequently. We don't entertain often, but we live on the water and will have a boat and when we do entertain, ice will be needed. I LOVE the clear ice and the cubes from our True ice machine are rather large and do not melt quickly. For large parties, I bag the ice and stock it in our garage freezer. It does not melt as quickly as bagged ice. My family lives in Florida and work outside. They would benefit from an ice machine based on the amount they use daily.

I Love Red any updates? Would love to hear how your ice maker is doing :)

Defitetly worth the space.

We bought the Jennair JIM159XYRS for our family room bar with our appliances and was professionally installed. It has a built in pump and water filter; there's always fresh clear ice cubes. Additionally we have ice makers in our full size kitchen and pantry refrigerators, and a Uline under counter bar fridge with ice maker for my media room and bar. I don't think we'd ever run out of ice between these devices.

Lucky Duck...we absolutely love our icemaker (and our filtered water). No more bottled water for us. The chewable ice is the best thing since sliced bread. The icemaker is a little noisy. I noticed it more when we moved in. Can’t say I even notice it much now.

ILoveRed Thanks for the update!!

J K, your post is eight years old, but I sure appreciate reading it! I'm trying to talk my husband into a built-in icemaker. We don't have a ton of space, but I drink lots of water and prefer it chilled, epsecially with CLEAR ice (not "regular" ice). We considered a product called a Zip Water tap for filtered chilled, sparkling, (near) boiling, and hot/cold tap, but the size and expense are now giving us pause. We think we are better off with just filtered cold (versus truly "chilled") and hot taps and canned sparkling water. I am afraid of ice maker maintenance and noise, but your set up sounds like the effort is worth the benefit. We had a built-in ice maker at a vacation rental, and I (and the adult kids) were HOOKED. Iced coffee and beverages just had a different flair and felt more special. I think if I ever wanted the pellet ice, I'd just find a spot (Not sure where!) for a GE countertop version--maybe the mudroom. They, too, are a bit noisy, but for a built-in, I'd much prefer the slower-melting clear ice.