Product review (5 stars): Glad I didn't listen to the nay-sayers!
I read all of the reviews I could find on line for a number of portable ice makers, and fully half were bad reviews, however none of them were really consistent on the complaints.  I decided being out a $160 wasn't that big a deal if it didn't work out well.  I've had the unit about a month and run it several hours a day, about 4-5 days a week.  It was been in the 90's - 100's outside, so I've been making lots of iced tea.  I use about a hopper full to make the tea and by the time the tea is made, ice is ready for the glasses as well.  I use the small and the medium sized cubes.  The difference is not the size of the cube but the thickness. Ice is ready in about ten minutes but I usually wait for the second set because they are a little more frozen.  About an hour and a half fills a hopper nicely.  I store 'extra' ice in the ice bin in my freezer.  At this time of year, I don't need to worry about the freezer eating the ice because I use it so quickly.

Note:  Ice is ready in about 10 minutes but most people will likely not be happy with that first batch.  If you plan ahead and turn it on at least twenty minutes before you want ice, you will be much happier (if you are only wanting a glass or two).  If you need more ice, you should plan ahead.

I ran the unit about 10 hours one day and had enough ice for an outdoor party the next day with 20 people drinking soda and iced tea.

The unit is quieter than the ice maker in my previous refrigerator (which had the in-door ice and water mechanism) and quieter than my dishwasher, but not as quiet as my high-efficiency washing machine.

It isn't particularly heavy and pretty simple to move place to place.

The unit did initially have that lovely plastic smell and I can see how you may end up with the first bit of ice having that taste, however, mine did not.  I did follow all of the directions and wiped the unit out well before using it.

And you just can't beat the cheery red color!&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/NewAir-AI100R-Portable-Ice-Maker-In-Red-With-28-Pound-Ice-Cube-Capacity/dp/B0017Y3GGI/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">NewAir AI100R Portable Ice Maker In Red With 28 Pound Ice Cube Capacity</a>