Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

UPDATE: lots of squealing and grinding. Absolutely do not recommend this machine. Amazon won't let you return this because it has "hazardous" materials in it (so how was it shipped in the first place?) Like a lot of other reviewers, I had a problem where it stopped making ice only three weeks after I bought it. (and I love the ice maker and it seems like a quality piece of equipment.) My first batch of ice cubes immediately after turning on were small and very wet, but as soon as the ice maker cooled itself down completely, they got great -- dry and translucent instead of transparent (indicating that the water was aerated). Wonderful ice, with a hole in the middle so great for crunching on. However, after only two weeks, it stopped working altogether! It said it was making ice, but it wasn't. When I went to return it, I had to chat with Amazon. They said they'd have to go to the manufacturer to get them to allow the return, because it's marked "non-returnable" privately in my order. This is what it actually says on the page: "WARRANTY & SUPPORT: Crownful offers 12-month warranty and lifetime support. Customer Satisfaction is Our TOP priority. Ice makers may have The non-returnable issue, please contact us directly if you need Return assistance. " "Ice makers may have The non-returnable issue"? What does that even mean? Apparently, it's marked that way "in the account", according to Amazon support reps. An oblique reference to "non-returnable issue please contact us" as the last bullet as a "feature" is NOT OK. The good news: I unplugged it and let it sit (hoping it would 'reset'), and it started making ice! I wish there was some other way of "resetting" it and hope the pump or something isn't burning out, because I absolutely love this machine. So, my rating for this is one, and if I could I'd rate it zero. Shame on both Amazon and Crownful. What a disingenuous policy. This takes nothing away from the quality of the equipment itself, which seems awesome, but I absolutely do not recommend you purchase this until Amazon or Crownful fixes this or explains further. UPDATE: this icemaker is still working great (six weeks in). If it stops making ice, unplug and let it sit for a second before plugging it back in. Also make sure the water level stays above the inlet at the bottom of the tank to keep it from sucking in air. If you want to clean it, use vinegar through a few freezing cycles and then thoroughly rinse with fresh water. (You can't taste the vinegar at all after the second ice batch.) Really love this ice maker. Once it cools down enough it makes great aerated ice and pretty quickly. A few tips: if you let it run all day (or all night) and the ice is melting, the water in the bottom can get too low. Make sure there is enough water for both a full basket of ice and the bottom so it doesn't run out. However, a full quantity of water that's too warm will take longer to make good ice. This is also true when the icemaker first starts up. If you dump in half-melted ice, it will get the water colder and make better ice. If you don't need ice for the first few cycles, dump it back into the water in the bottom to make it colder and your ice will end up being crisper and colder. I would rate it FIVE STARS except for the fact that you can't return it even within the thirty day period, and even when it's SHIPPED AND SOLD BY AMAZON. If Amazon and the manufacturer won't stand behind it, then I will keep my rating at one star, because you're on your own if anything goes wrong. Look for a different brand -- some of the other comments say Magic Chef is pretty good. I just wish this one had a decent return policy, because it really is great. P.S. Don't run it out of water! It does have a red warning light, but it will probably shorten the life of your pump. UPDATE TWO MONTHS LATER: I absolutely love this machine. I would absolutely rate this five stars if not for the return issue. UPDATE THREE MONTHS LATER: It's making massive amounts of squealing and grinding sounds. As I said in the comments below, I do not recommend this machine.