Product review (3 stars): Decent Ice Maker
This ice maker does basically what it is supposed to do...it makes ice.  It makes it fast, and is pretty efficient, making ice in 10 - 15 minutes.  I'll just mention a few negatives here because it is functional and does what it says it will.  On the downside, my ice maker arrived with the top lid covered in fine, light scratches.  I'm usually a stickler for something like this and considered returning it, but I had already thrown the box away. I bought the ice maker for my home theater/bar in my basement and it is relatively loud, but so is the small refrigerator it sits on top of.  It is a little awkward to clean but an initial cleaning with dish washing detergent like Dawn will remove any plastic taste that others have mentioned. It makes a surprising amount of ice but the consistency is watery. It would be a much better product if the area that holds the ice had been designed a little more like a cooler than just an ice receptacle.  The ice is fine for soft drinks and water, etc., but doesn't do so well when making frozen drinks like margaritas. This was the main thing I bought it for.  I'm experimenting with making ice and then placing some in the small freezer compartment in my mini fridge.  Others have said it will stick together due to its watery consistency, but I can live with that.  I just scoop ice into a plastic freezer bag or tupperware container and can break it up easily if it freezes together.  I would have given this a 4 rating or maybe even a 5 if the ice were just a bit colder and it had not arrived scratched.  A quieter motor would have helped, but I'm going to relocate it so that it is less noticeable.  I would buy this again; just don't expect rock hard ice like you get from your refrigerator freezer.  Plus, this machine was hundreds of dollars cheaper than the next level of quality I found online, plus it doesn't have to have a direct connection to a drain or water supply...definite pluses.  Can't beat it for the price and just be realistic in your expectations.  You'll get quick ice for soft drinks but will be a little disappointed if you bought it just for making mixed drinks.  I've kicked around the idea of inserting the whole unit in a portable ice chest after making some minor modifications but it works good enough that I haven't bothered yet.