Product Review: SPT IM-600US Stainless Steel Under-Counter Ice Maker
Company: Amazon
Price Range: $800 – $850
Feedback: Read Consumer Reviews on the SPT IM-600US Ice Maker
Who Would Buy This: Those shopping for a mid-range, under-counter ice maker which can produce up to 50 lbs of ice per day.
Features
- Reversible stainless steel door
- Front exhaust fan
- Produces up to 50 lbs of ice daily
- Storage capacity for up to 25 lbs of ice
- Auto shut off
- Rear computerized control
- UL listed
Design
This SPT ice maker is easy on the eyes, which should certainly attract those after a premium look. Its black cabinet is fitted with a classy stainless steel door, which is embellished with an SPT badge near the bottom. The doors full length stainless steel handle allows for easy opening/closing of the door. It’s also field reversible, so adjusting the door to your opening preference is made possible.
With it’s front exhaust fan, the SPT IM-600US is designed primarily for under-counter application, but can also be used free standing. The unit itself is rather compact, measuring 32.8 inches high, 14.6 inches wide with a depth of 25 inches (including handle).
The MFG states that a licensed plumber is required for installation. However, if you already have an existing floor drain for the gravity drain hose, installation is easy enough to carry out yourself. Just bear in mind if you don’t use a plumber to carry out the installation, the warranty maybe void.
Functionality
The ice making capabilities of the IM-600US are pretty impressive. It can crank out up to 50 lbs of ice per day, and has the capacity to hold up 25 lbs of ice inside the machine. It produces clear, gourmet ice cubes which are square shaped and about 3/4 inches in size. One operating cycle takes anywhere between 14 to 40 minutes, which is variable depending on the ambient room temperature and water temperature.
Unlike with high-end ice makers, the ice drops into the ice bin in sheets rather than individual cubes, so you need to give it a good tap with the ice scoop to break up the sheet into ice cubes. This compromise is well worth putting up with if you don’t want to stump up the cash for a pricey high-end under-counter ice maker.
Controls
The controls are a disappointing aspect of this model. The computerized controls are located at the rear of the unit, which makes them inaccessible if you are using this as an under-counter unit.
The control box features three buttons (Clean, Adjust, Mode) along with three color indicator lights, two of which indicate the stage of the ice making process and another for when the ice bin is full.
Changing the ice cube size itself is a little finicky as there are no dedicated buttons to increase/decrease the size and no visual indication of the cube size selection, so we feel this aspect of the design could do with being enhanced.
Noise Level
The IM-600US has come under some criticism for it’s noise output, in-part for being an air-cooled machine. Its rated noise level is 50-60 dB, which is fairly average for a mid-range under-counter model.
Manual: SPT IM-600US manual
Guarantee: 1-year warranty.
Summary
Overall, the SPT IM-600US Ice Maker represents great value for money despite some of its apparent drawbacks. Its stylish looks and ice production capabilities makes it suited for light commercial usage as well as home use.
On the negative side, you have to sacrifice quietness and convenience as this machine produces sheets of ice and makes a fair amount of noise whilst making ice. The rear location of the control box is another drawback that some may find irritating, especially if you want to change the ice cube size frequently.
If you can live with these limitations then this ice maker is a fine choice for an affordable, under counter unit.
