Product review (4 stars): Works exactly as advertised
Was hesitant to purchase this item because of some of the bad reviews, but learned alot by reading MANY of the reviews so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Product arrives well packed and works perfectly out of the box.  Many complain of the 'plastic-y smell' and it is certainly strong in the unit, but it does NOT transfer to the ice.  I ran several 'blind tests' (not telling anyone of the plastic smell before they used the ice) and no one noticed.  Nor did they notice it even after I TOLD them about the smell and asked if they could detect it in the ice.

But the biggest thing I learned was that you can't use purified or distilled water in the unit (it produces the 'low water' indicator).  Someone far smarter than me pointed this out in one of the reviews and it works fine using tap water or filtered tap water.  I purchased a 62 cent gallonw jug of distilled water, used the contents for mixed drinks (!), and kept the jug to use to refill my ice maker.

I have it installed in the basement storage of my motorcoach where it rides along perfectly, and starts making ice the minute I stop and push the button.

7 minutes for first batch of ice is accurate.  Easily keeps making enough ice for a family of four through a long weekend in the RV.

Though the ice compartment is not refrigerated, (which is clearly stated in the the manual), it is pretty well insulated and I'm pleasantly surprised how long the ice keeps even in 80 degree weather.

I still have some 'length of life/service' concerns (several reviews mention pump failures) but so far its been exactly what I wanted.