I would like at add to cayann26's question. We are also in the market but we are also looking for something that will accept a custom panel and prefer clear ice (maybe that is same as soft ice).

Ice machines that produce small soft ice are significantly more expensive that those that produce large hard ice.

IMO without question the best most reliable for small soft ice/nugget ice is Hoshizaki Hoshizaki C-100BAE-AD.

Mapple22,

Almost all of these undercounter icemachines produce clear ice. The excpetions are the really inexpensive ones that are bascially freezers with ice-maker units from convetional Refrigerator/Freezer combo units.

Do you want soft or hard ice? Both are clear but IMO the harder ice is clearer. Softer ice has a bit of water in it and that is why it is soft.

Hoshizaki is the only ice maker manufacturer who makes a soft "rabbit pellet" ice maker - at least that I am aware of. It is expensive - I want to say 3000.00. Maybe more. It is a fairly new development. Before then, you had to get a commercial one to get that kind of ice. Friends have one in their huge pantry and it is noisy and wall mounted and about 3' x 4'. Not ideal.

If you need ice for drinks, the rabbit ice may not be the best selection. Although I love the ice for a soda or tea, mixed drinks need a harder cube so they don't water down. Also, ice buckets, coolers, beer tubs, etc. need bigger cubes or the ice turns into water too quickly.

Although we aren't huge liquor drinkers, we didn't want to buy or make ice to have on hand anytime a friend wanted a scotch and water . . .

Just some things to think about.

PS: cayann, if you chew enough ice to contemplate a soft ice maker, you might check your hemoglobin and ferritin levels. Ice chewing (pagophagia) is a classic sign of iron deficiency anemia.

Thanks, I didn't really want to spend 3k on an ice machine, we were hoping to spend closer to 2k. Our water out here is awful so we will have to buy a filter or reverse osmosis to make the ice taste better. It would not have a gravity drain, as we asked the builder to put one in but it was overlooked until it was too late to correct. We use a lot of ice, we are constantly buying it at the store, I don't think it would go to waste. Thanks for all the advice.

In the link below the Hoshi is $2499 with free shipping.

It is the least noisy,energy inefficient and water ineffecient.

But it will still be noiser and use more water and electricity than opting for an ice maker in your freezer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hoshizaki C-100BAE-AD

I'm a water and ice snob. Like good-tasting water and actual-cube ice. Have high-end RO system and make my cubes manually.

I make my own cubes in plastic trays that I think have a superior shape and bag the product. From time-to-time, I refill my ref/freezer dispenser-bin with it. Disadvantage is the labor and freezer-space taken during freezing.

As an alternative, I once considered the product linked below. It is a countertop clear-ice maker. I don't have experience with this particular one but I do have with several other brands and types. $200-300.00 machines work wonderfully. Requires no drain. Just sits there and runs. Makes 28lbs a day. Choose your water, bag up the cubes, and freeze 'em. Don't like the noise? Put it in the garage or turn it off for a while. Breaks after a couple of years? For the price, who cares? You could buy ten of them for the price of one of the others.

I know this isn't what OP asked for but may represent a reasonable alternative. Just a thought.

Here is a link that might be useful: Counter-top clear-ice machine

Seriously, asolo, thank you so much for introducing me to the countertop ice machine! I make our ice manually using trays and storing them in the freezer and this is perfect for us...we need a small amount of good ice for everyday and a larger amount for parties. Awesome!!! I love the internet...

Thanks for the kind words.

I first encountered these machines among RV-er's and travel-trailer folks about a decade ago. Never encountered anyone who had a moment's trouble with whichever of these machines they had, most purchased at RV stores or Wal-Mart, they told me.

Most of them make "bullet-shaped" cloudy cubes. The "clear-ice" /actual-cube machine I linked is especially appealing to me although I've never actually seen it. For a couple hundred bucks, I might just get one on a lark.

Clinresga--had to smile when I read your responses.

First, you made me re-think my yearning for a good icemaker. May skip it after all.

Second--I craved ice constantly with my second pregnancy, and was constantly fighting anemia. Few people other than those with a medical background know about this form of pica.

I think in the market we have many undercounter ice maker brands now. Before choosing an ice maker, you guys should read more product reviews to make you best decision.

I realize this thread originated several years ago (and ironically in January! ) I like the idea of a built-in ice maker, especially for entertaining and boating, but the reality for us is that we will only occasionally need large quantities. My KD warns against the noise, particularly in an open floor plan like ours, as clinresga pointed out. I am unsure I would want it running year-round, but see it as a good option in the summer. I don't like the idea of the constant production of ice for our infrequent need, but I really like the idea of including an ice maker in our island which will be our beverage center. How easy is it to shut down a built-in ice maker for seasonal use? My KD recommended putting a portable in our laundry room when we need one. Any thoughts out there?

We have the Scotsman 60 lb nugget ice machine (aka Sonic ice) in the kitchen. The original Fridge/Freezer combo we picked didn't have an ice maker, so we needed an external unit. The nugget ice was a serious splurge.

You can just turn it off. it isn't quiet, with a lot of the sound being the ice dropping.

It is great for entertaining and I find we use a lot more ice than we used to - i end up drinking ice water where I might have had some other beverage in the past.

We also end up sending bags of sonic ice home with local visitors :).

Would do it again.

They are pretty loud, especially when they need a pump (clear ice machines require a drain, either via gravity or a pump). Most of them today are smart enough to offer a very easy on/off switch. The pellet/sonic ice models are significantly more money than the standard large ice format models.

I don't think I'll need a pump since we have a wide-open crawl space below where we can add a gravity drain, but I'm still concerned about the constant humming of the machine in my bar that is open to my great room, and continual making of ice--using a lot of water. I'm thinking I'd use it seasonally--mostly in the summer, and around the holiday season but I'd probably use it more than less once I have it, even though I don't use much ice now. I really like the idea of clear ice for serving drinks. I feel like my bar just can't live without it and I'd splurge on a nice to have, but I don't want to get it an hate the noise, expense and run into issues with mold in lines, etc. if I shut it down. Any thoughts on a counter top model vs. built-in? I might be equally happy getting a counter top model and making extra ice in my laundry room for entertaining, though I could also see myself regretting not having the ice right there in the bar.

We've had a KitchenAide undercounter clear pellet ice maker for 8 years, and before that had a Whirlpool for 5 years. Yes, they are loud and use a lot of water...but once you've had an ice maker, you won't want to be without it. Our KitchenAide has just died, and I'm in the market for a new ice maker. I've been doing a lot of research...as this is how I came upon this forum. I've been looking at Hoshizaki, Scotsman and KitchenAide. Seems the Hoshizaki & Scotsman are at least $800-1000 more than KitchenAide. Now, one reason is the H & S (Hoshizaki & Scotsman) are "sonic ice" and the KitchenAide is pellet ice. I've read that the H is built much better than any of the others, but takes longer to make the ice. I would love to hear other opinions about undercounter ice makers. I'm afraid the small countertop model option would not work due to a cutout in our island for the ice maker.