Silonn Ice Maker Countertop, 9 Cubes Ready in 6 Mins, 26lbs in 24Hrs, Self-Cleaning Ice Machine with Ice Scoop and Basket, 2 Sizes of Bullet Ice for Home Kitchen Office Bar Party

After two years and two months of daily use, through two summers in the Deep South at a house with a pool, with guests for all the usual holidays AND including a full year as the sole ice maker for an adult couple...the fan quit.For about the last month it had been giving indications that something wasn’t normal. After 44 years of marriage, pattern recognition becomes a finely honed survival skill, so when a machine in the kitchen starts acting up you tend to notice it. This past Sunday afternoon I was dozing on the sofa ignoring the TV when this ice maker made a unique noise that woke me up. I can’t describe the actual noise it made (I was dreaming, I swear it shouted something at me) but it was weird enough that I went to check on it. The ice in the bin had melted, the back of the unit felt hot, and the fan wasn’t running. I quickly unplugged the machine without paying attention to the status lights (so unfortunately I don’t know what was displayed) and positioned a small desk fan blowing into the rear vent to cool it down. After 30 minutes I re-powered the unit and it started making ice again, except the exhaust fan was dead.I unplugged and drained it, then removed the rear cover (five screws on the bottom) and used the external fan for cooling to verify the ice maker still worked otherwise, which it did. The fan would start if I gave it an assist, but would not run full speed and would not restart on its own. After several hours I was confident a new fan would fix it.Exact replacement fans are plentiful and inexpensive here on everyone’s favorite home shopping site, just search for the part number printed on the fan motor. For $17 a new fan arrived overnight. Removing the fan from the radiator is super easy (two obvious screws) however unplugging the fan from the controller board and fishing the power wire out with plug intact is extremely difficult. The controller board is mounted inside a plastic box, and getting the cover off the box without full disassembly requires a lot of cussing, needle nosed pliers, and at least one skinned knuckle. Once the controller cover is off, the fan’s power plug had a glob of hot glue covering it and the socket, and the wire was tie-wrapped in a spot that I couldn’t even see at first. The manufacturer doesn’t intend for you to remove this, and if you’re not careful you’ll break the socket off the board or something else. There's lots of wires all bundled together, easy to mess up.If I were to do this again I’d simply cut the wires to the old fan, careful to leave as much length as possible, and splice in the new fan using small wire nuts, or solder and shrink wrap if you prefer. Be sure to clean the dust from the backside/inlet side of the radiator (internal, facing the compressor) using a soft bristle toothbrush. Mine was completely blocked by dust, which is what caused the fan to fail in the first place. This unit does not have an air filter, so if you live in a dusty environment and/or have pets you probably need to open it up and clean the radiator once a year. Before you put the cover back on, blow the whole thing out with compressed air or a leaf blower.As to cleaning the actual ice making “wet” section of this model, I use a hand held steam gun with a flexible nozzle about three times a year and it keeps it clean as new inside. No need for running vinegar through it, it’s not like a coffee pot and doesn’t develop calcium deposits. I use a mild bleach solution for running the built in cleaning cycle while blasting the top out with the steam gun, then thoroughly rinse out the whole thing using the sink hand sprayer. The mold/slime that will develop in the top of the unit comes from exposure to room air. Like most ice makers I’ve ever owned, it’s difficult if not impossible to access the actual ice tray section to hand clean it. AND every ice maker I’ve ever owned will develop mold wherever it’s regularly exposed to room temperature air, so the complaints I’ve read about this unit are not unique to this unit. If your refrigerator has an ice & water dispenser in the door, I discourage you from looking at it too closely with a flashlight or you’ll stop using it.Anyway, the unit has been cleaned and reassembled and making ice again like it was new. While this particular machine has not been subjected to vibration like it might be in a motor home, or rough handling from potable use, it has run for over two (2) years continuously, sometimes needing multiple tank refills per day. I subtract one star for being moderately difficult to repair, but I’d give it 10 stars if I could for being a great value for the money.

I have had this machine for almost a year. I learned to only use purified or distilled water in it to keep from heavy mineral buildup that resulted in having to clean it every couple of weeks. I used to only run it when needed but I got some really bad mold buildup when I did, not only the ice areas, but the water line under the cover was nasty. This company will send you out the videos showing you how to take it apart properly so you can clean all of the parts, they will even send you a new hose if you really need it. Once I got the mold out, I leave it on continuously so that I always have ice in the bucket when I need it and also can stock my freezer when needed. I also take it apart every couple of months to clean it (with purified/distilled water only). If I have to run tap water, I clean it more often. This machine will make enough ice to fill half a gallon bag in about 30 minutes. Definitely faster than the one I had before this one. Very sturdy and follow the directions to let it sit 24 hours before you run it the first time. Otherwise the coolant may not all be in place from the box being tossed around.**The ice in the bucket is very wet. I have a hand towel that I dump it on to dry it off a bit if I am putting in the freezer so it doesn't all stick together in one big clump....HIGHLY recommend this product!!

This is a great ice machine, but not perfect. I was expecting bigger cubes for the big size (there are two settings, small and large). The description is right, you can get about eight cubes in nine minutes, but they quickly melt. A full basket takes about 30 minutes, and when put into a pitcher of room-temp water, it melts in about 15 minutes, and the next batch of ice takes another 30 minutes to refill. The only problem with that is that the ice pusher thingy puts new ice on top of old ice so that it forms about a 45-degree angle and shuts off before the basket is about 3.4 full. To get a full basket, after 25 minutes you have to push the last issue of ice back towards the front to make room to fill the basket.It's a cute little thing, and I will say very quiet operation. yes, I would buy this again, but I would not recommend it for parties or families of four or more as the little guy just cannot keep up.The "large" ice cube is the same size as one of those Hershey's chocolate Easter eggs. The first picture shows a full basket of ice, about 50 minutes to make after the shuffle. Second photo shows the actual size of the large ice cubs, and the last photo shows ice cubs that this machine makes, above that a medium ice cube from the green-bottom trays here on Amazon, and the large ice cube at the top is a regular sized ice cube like the ones in your freezer ice cube tray (typically 14 cubes).But to be fair, this little Ice machine could not make such large cubes as the top one in only six minutes. So, on really hot days I have to augment my water pitcher with ice from my freezer, where I have 56 cubes at the ready, and those take two hours to refreeze. So again, this machine works well, is very quiet, and makes enough ice to keep one or two drinks cold.The water goes into the reservoir up to the bottom of the basket. Then the basket goes on top of the water, of which the machine quickly draws to make a new batch of ice, about four cups total in 30 minutes. You can let the ice sit there as long as you want, but it will melt back into water, where the machine will just continually go through a ice-water-ice-water perpetual cycle. If you let the finished ice sit there for more than an hour, be warned, it will all come out in one big clump so watch your drinks. The clump does break apart easily, though.Draws very little power, about 175. Watts. I keep mine on the kitchen counter behind the dining table. It comes with a cute little scoop, too. Again, very happy with this purchase and yes, I would buy it again.

I Love ice!! After seeing and reviewing many ice makers online, I must say.. this is the best! I don’t have an ice maker in my freezer and this has come in handy. I like ice water so I make ice a few days a week to fill my thermos for work. I put all the extra ice in a gallon freezer bag and store it in the freezer. It’s quiet, efficient and keeps my ice frozen while I wait for the basket to fill. If anyone is looking for an efficient ice maker, this is it! Enjoy!