GE Profile Opal 2.0
with or without side tank
Illustration of the product
▶ From a video review of this product
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- best_for
- The best-tasting nugget ice, if you accept the reliability gamble
- ice_style
- Soft, chewable nugget
- reported_lifespan
- 1.5 to 3 years typical; 5 to 10+ with distilled water and weekly cleaning
Why it ranks here. The machine every ice thread starts with, for one reason: it makes the closest thing to soft, chewable Sonic ice you can get at home, and when it works nothing else compares. Owners on distilled water and weekly cleaning report three to ten years, one first-generation Kickstarter unit has run around the clock for over a decade on a reverse-osmosis line, and WiFi, a self-clean cycle and an optional side tank make daily use easy.
It is the most complained-about ice maker online. Many die inside two years, one owner has been through four and says they last two years on average, another has traded in a dead unit on a store warranty four times, and a wedding-gift unit on distilled water and weekly cleaning still throws an add-water error every couple of weeks. The consensus: distilled or RO water, clean weekly, buy from Costco, and treat it as a two-year appliance that might surprise you.
What owners like
- Closest to Sonic ice
- Ten years for careful owners
- WiFi and self-clean
What owners complain about
- Many die inside two years
- Sensor errors despite care
- Expensive for a two-year appliance
“Opal is the best option for at home ice makers, but there is no BIFL ice maker. They all break, even when you keep up with cleaning. I had my 1st gen Opal (when it was owned by firstbuild) for a little over a year, have tried 2 different Frigidaire nugget ice models that both lasted under a year and am now on a GE Opal 2.0 that has been going strong for about 18 months. Just buy from Costco in case something goes wrong with it, they go on sale fairly often.” — Reddit comment · u/slow12s · r/BuyItForLife · 2025-10-13
5 positive · 5 mixed · 3 negative · 13 voices · ✓ all 13 linked to source
Read all 13 quotes (13 voices)
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The GE Opal ice maker with the side tank works great. Mines 3+ yrs old. 1. Bottled Distilled Water is a MUST 2. When the cleaning light comes on clean it! DO NOT USE tap water EVER!!!
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I also had the GE opal ice maker and just before two years it died. Loved it when it worked but can’t say I would spend the money again, considering the short lifespan
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Absolutely fuck this thing!!! If you have water that isn’t perfect, it will basically gum up the internals with calcium. Newer weekly this machine bitches that it needs water added even with a full tank. We switched to distilled water solely for this abomination and even that doesn’t fully resolve the issue. I’ve taken it apart. Ordered and installed a new float sensor switch. Nothing. And thats if the pump even decides to stay primed and actually pump water. Fuck this thing. Makes great ice when I’m not banging my head against it tho
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Received the ge opal as a wedding gift in August 2025. It is my fav machine but the most temperamental electronic I have ever used. Right now it is not making ice. Keeps giving “add water” error. We only use distilled or r/o water, we clean it weekly, change the filters regularly and it is still a fight every couple of weeks. So I say buy with caution. Since it was a gift we have no warranty. Currently trying to see what other options we want to go with.
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I have the GE Opal Profile 2.0 and love it. Makes ice quickly, nice crunchy nugget ice like Sonic has. I got the model without the side-tank, and it's fine for my purposes. Only have to refill the reservoir once to get a full bucket of ice.
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Hate to break it to you, but they do not make a countertop nugget ice maker that is BIFL. We bought the first GE Opal when it came out over 10 years ago, and they last on average 2 years. We went through 4 (a couple of GEs and a couple Amazon knockoffs) before we decided to go with an under counter Scotsman.
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They all break, it’s probably a better route to get whatever model is the newest and cheapest. I like our opal 2.0 the most but the older Frigidaire lasted longer before breaking. Try to use filtered water or distilled that will help prolong the life. Probably expect a lifespan of 2-3 years
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GE Opal 2.0 but I recommend using dystilled water. Ice is better, melts more slowly and the machine should last longer.
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Opal is the best option for at home ice makers, but there is no BIFL ice maker. They all break, even when you keep up with cleaning. I had my 1st gen Opal (when it was owned by firstbuild) for a little over a year, have tried 2 different Frigidaire nugget ice models that both lasted under a year and am now on a GE Opal 2.0 that has been going strong for about 18 months. Just buy from Costco in case something goes wrong with it, they go on sale fairly often.
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We have had the GE Opal for a long time and it requires quite a bit of maintenance and then once a year it will break permanently. We have the Best Buy insurance on it so we would just trade it in for a new one and it would do the same thing. We’re probably done this four times.
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I love mine and can’t imagine getting ice any other way. No issues in 3 years. I couldn’t live without it. Not noisy at all. Best thing ever!
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I still have the GE one from when it was a kickstarter by Firstbuild called the Opal nugget ice maker. It has been running 24/7 for OVER 10 YEARS now. I added a float valve in the reservoir connected to a reverse osmosis filter, never have to add water.
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Is this Nugget Ice Maker REALLY worth $600?! | GE Profile Opal 2.0
