Product review (5 stars): A must get for someone whose refrigerator does not have an ice maker
My roommates and I got this ice machine because the fridge in our apartment did not have an ice maker. While I was initially unsure if we really needed it, I quickly knew after hearing the first batch of ice drop that buying it was the best decision ever. When it first started, we let it make a few batches of ice to get rid of the "new appliance smell" and then tossed them. After that (maybe 40 to 60 minutes later), there was no turning back. It has been running successfully for over a year now (knock on wood) without trouble. It is important in the beginning to get everyone in your home used to adding water to the machine. It is easy to forget to add water, but it is important to keep the pump wet, so make sure to add a little water every evening. If you have to turn it off (we had to in a power outage), make sure to dump out the water and leave the top open to prevent mildew. Overall, it is one of my best purchases.