EdgeStar IB120 Ice Maker Review: Keeping It Frozen and Cool

Note: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

When you need more ice than your refrigerator can produce on a regular basis (if it can give you any ice at all), you want to have a dedicated ice maker as one of your appliances. The EdgeStar IB120 ice maker just might be the machine you need.

In this review, I’ll show you what the EdgeStar IB120 can do for you, so you can decide if this is the right ice maker for your personal needs, or if you should look elsewhere for a different model.

If you’re in a hurry and simply want to check the pricing and availability of the EdgeStar ice machine at Amazon, you can click the link below.

• EdgeStar IB120SS Ice Maker

If you want to skip ahead to a certain section of this review, you can click a link in the box below. Otherwise, you can just keep scrolling and reading.

What Makes the EdgeStar IB120 Popular?

The EdgeStar IB120SS (“SS” for stainless steel) seems to be so popular for three main reasons: price, quality, and the fact that it is also a freezer.

Owners state that, if you use a fair amount of ice regularly, you can quickly make the EdgeStar pay for itself, since you no longer have to purchase ice from the store.

This is a quality ice maker that simply works as advertised. If you install it properly (or have a plumber install it for you), perhaps upgrade to a copper connection, and include a water filter up front, you should get many years of service from this machine.

Not all ice makers, especially those in this price range, are also freezers. With others, once the ice is made, you either have to use it quickly or transfer it to the freezer in your refrigerator or your full size freezer so it won’t melt before you need it.

An added benefit of being a freezer is that you don’t need a drain to handle excess water, as you do with non-freezer models.

Other features that add to the popularity of the EdgeStar IB120 are its good looks and easy operation.

The IB120SS has a stainless steel door with an easy-to-grip handle. It fits in well with virtually any existing decor.

You get a simple switch that turns the ice maker on. When the bin is full of ice, the machine shuts itself off.

You can install the EdgeStar either under counter or use it freestanding. Some owners have found that this model works well in an RV or on a boat, for example.

This unit is ADA compliant and has a reversible door, making it useful in practically any situation.

What Are the Features and Specifications of the EdgeStar IB120?

The IB120 measures 25 ¼ inches high by 15 inches wide by 18 ½ inches deep. If using this ice maker as an under counter appliance, you will need 19 inches of depth.

You can get 12 pounds of crescent shaped “cubes” daily, depending on external conditions, such as humidity. The storage bin holds 6 pounds of ice, so you would need to transfer some ice to another location, if you want to try to get 12 pounds in a 24-hour period.

This unit is not Energy Star compliant, but I have seen no users complain about the amount of energy it uses. That said, if such compliance is important to you, you’ll have to look elsewhere for a model that meets those standards.

Note that the IB120 does not accept custom front panels as some models do, nor is this machine approved for commercial use.

While not required, EdgeStar does recommend that you have this ice maker installed by a licensed professional. One such owner notes that proper installation can cut down on the noise that some users experience. Sometime excess noise is the result of vibrations from an improperly installed machine and not from the internal mechanisms themselves.

You get a ¼ inch water line connection hose with your purchase. A plumber may wish to upgrade this to a copper line to prevent leakage in the future.

You also get an ice scoop to help with the serving of the ice cubes.

EdgeStar offers a warranty that covers parts for 1 year and labor for 90 days. That may not be the greatest warranty, but it’s hard to find owners that have needed to use it for valid reasons.

What’s the Verdict on the EdgeStar IB120 Ice Maker?

This is a good-looking machine that does its job well for a very reasonable price, according to the vast majority of owners.

Depending mostly on external conditions and how often you use the machine, you will probably need to manually defrost it from time to time. Here is what one owner suggests you do when that time comes.

“When defrosting make sure that the handle which gauges the ice in the ice maker is completely up and laying on ice. This is the time to remove your ice tray, and turn the ice maker off to defrost. If the handle is down and then you defrost, the water fills in which creates problems during the defrost cycle and in turn causes damage to the motor in this unit.”

Implementing this little tip should save you lots of trouble and should allow you to use this ice maker for many years to come.

If this doesn’t seem like the best ice maker for you, you can read about a couple of others that may suit you better in this article.

Check the pricing and availability of the EdgeStar IB120SS at Amazon now!