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GE Opal vs GE Profile Opal 2.0
Two manuals, six years apart, and the source of nearly every wrong number about the Opal you will read online.
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Quick picks
| # | Machine | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No photo GE Profile XPIO13SCSS 38 lbs a day, 6 lbs lighter, and a published hourly rate. | The one to buy | |
| 2 | No photo GE Profile OPAL01 Slower and heavier, with the best spec table in the category. | Only at a discount |
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The two manuals, side by side
| Spec | GE Profile OPAL01 | GE Profile XPIO13SCSS |
|---|---|---|
| Model | OPAL01 | XPIO13SCSS |
| Ice type | Nugget | Nugget |
| Rated output | 24 lbs/day [src] | 38 lbs/day [src] |
| Rated output per hour | Not published | 1.6 lbs/hour [src] |
| Bin capacity | 3 lbs [src] | 3 lbs [src] |
| Published power | Not published | Not published |
| Nameplate current | 2.5 A [src] | 3 A [src] |
| Voltage | 120 V [src] | 120 V [src] |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 10.5" W x 14" D x 17" H [src] | 16.5" H x 13.43" W x 17.5" D [src] |
| Weight, empty | 44 lbs [src] | 37.6 lbs [src] |
| Clearance required | 3" [src] | 3" [src] |
| Operating range | 55F to 90F [src] | Not published |
| Refrigerant | Not published | Not published |
| Noise | Not published | Not published |
| Warranty | Not published | Not published |
| Max $/mo | $6.48(nameplate) | $7.78(nameplate) |
What actually changed
- Output, up 58 percent. 24 lbs a day to 38, and the 2.0 adds a per-hour figure (1.6 lbs) that the original does not publish.
- Current, up 20 percent. 2.5 A to 3.0 A. More ice per hour requires more compressor work, so this is expected rather than a regression.
- Weight, down 6.4 lbs. 44 lbs empty to 37.6.
- Bin capacity, unchanged. 3.0 lbs on both. This is the number that limits a countertop machine at home, and six years of development did not move it.
- Operating range, no longer published. The original manual states 55F to 90F. The 2.0 manual's corresponding row was not legible in the copy we read, so we record it as Not published rather than assuming it carried over.
The support-page problem
Two consequences worth carrying away. First, listings advertising 38 lbs a day for a current Opal are not exaggerating. Second, the "300 W" figure that circulates for the Opal is the original's 300 VA nameplate, and the "360 W" figure is the 2.0's. Neither is a consumption measurement.
Running cost, both generations
| Machine | Nameplate | kWh/month | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opal 1.0 (OPAL01) | 120 V x 2.5 A = 300 VA | 36.0 | $6.48 |
| Opal 2.0 (XPIO13) | 120 V x 3.0 A = 360 VA | 43.2 | $7.78 |
Per pound of rated ice, the 2.0 is the more efficient machine: it costs about 20 percent more to run for about 58 percent more output. The upgrade is not just speed.
Which to buy
Buy the 2.0 unless the original is substantially cheaper. For two people, 24 lbs a day is genuinely enough and a discounted original is a sensible purchase — you are giving up speed and gaining nothing else except 6.4 lbs of weight.
If you already own an original that works, keep it. Nothing in these two spec tables justifies replacing a functioning appliance, and if yours has slowed down the cause is far more likely to be scale than age. Start with descaling.
The picks in full
1. The one to buy
GE Profile Opal 2.0 Nugget Ice Maker
The machine everything else is measured against, and the only one whose maker publishes both a production rate and a per-hour rate.
- Rated output
- 38 lbs/day
- Bin capacity
- 3 lbs
- Electrical
- 3 A at 120 V (360 VA nameplate)
- Ceiling at 4 hrs/day, $0.18/kWh
- $7.78/month (from the nameplate ceiling)
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GE's owner's manual rates the 2.0 at 3.0 A, which at 120 V is a 360 VA nameplate — the highest here. That is a ceiling, not a running draw, but it is the ceiling you are budgeting an outlet for.
The 3 lb bin is not refrigerated. Ice melts, the meltwater drains back into the reservoir and gets re-frozen, so the bin is a holding tray rather than a freezer.
GE is the only manufacturer in this set that publishes an hourly rate as well as a daily one, which makes 'how long until I have a glass of ice' answerable from published data instead of guesswork.
Skip this if
You want the cheapest route to nugget ice, or a small footprint. It is the biggest current draw in this table and its 3 lb bin empties fast.
2. Only at a discount
GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker (first generation)
The original 2017 machine. Slower and heavier than the 2.0, and the reason half the numbers on the internet about 'the Opal' are wrong.
- Rated output
- 24 lbs/day
- Bin capacity
- 3 lbs
- Electrical
- 2.5 A at 120 V (300 VA nameplate)
- Ceiling at 4 hrs/day, $0.18/kWh
- $6.48/month (from the nameplate ceiling)
#ad We earn a commission on purchases made through this link. How this is funded. Prices last checked September 2, 2026.
This manual is the most completely specified document of any machine here: voltage, current, rate, bin, dimensions, clearance, operating temperature range and empty weight, all on one page.
It is also the source of the confusion. GE's public support specification page repeats these exact figures without naming a model, so people quote the 1.0's 24 lbs a day while shopping for the 2.0.
At 44 lbs empty it is over 6 lbs heavier than the 2.0. That matters if you plan to move it off the counter between uses.
Skip this if
You want the current machine. This is the first-generation unit and it is rated at 24 lbs a day against the 2.0's 38.
Questions people actually ask
What is the difference between the GE Opal and the Opal 2.0?
From the two owner's manuals: the original Opal (OPAL01) is rated 2.5 A, 24 lbs per day and 44 lbs empty. The Opal 2.0 (XPIO13) is rated 3.0 A, 38 lbs per day plus 1.6 lbs per hour, and 37.6 lbs empty. Bin capacity is 3.0 lbs on both. So the 2.0 is substantially faster, over 6 lbs lighter, and draws more current.
Why does GE say the Opal makes 24 pounds a day when listings say 38?
Because GE's public Opal support specification page documents the first-generation machine and never says so. Every value on that page (120V AC / 60 Hz / 2.5 A, 24 pounds per day, 3 pounds of ice) matches the 2017 OPAL01 manual exactly. The 38 lbs figure comes from the Opal 2.0's own owner's manual and is correct for the current machine.
Is the Opal 2.0 worth upgrading to from the original?
If your original Opal still works, no — nothing in the published specs justifies replacing a working appliance. If you are buying either one used or discounted, the 2.0 is the better machine on every published figure except current draw, and it costs about $1.30 a month more to run at its ceiling.
Do the Opal and Opal 2.0 use the same filters and cleaning products?
GE sells filters and a cleaning solution across the Opal line, but part numbers vary by model and generation. Check the part number against your specific model rather than assuming, and do not substitute a descaler for the cleaning solution or vice versa: they do different jobs.
Sources
- GE Profile Opal 2.0 Owner's Manual 49-9000029 Rev. 6, p.17 (read 2026-09-02)
- FirstBuild Opal Use & Care manual, Ver. 2/13/2017, p.12 (read 2026-09-02)
- GE Appliances Opal support specification page (read 2026-09-02)
- EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, June 2026 (read 2026-09-02)
Read next
- GE Profile Opal 2.0 (XPIO13SCSS)
3.0 A, 38 lbs a day, 1.6 lbs an hour. The best-documented machine in the category.
- GE Opal, First Generation (OPAL01)
2.5 A, 24 lbs a day, 44 lbs empty. The most completely specified machine we found.
- The Best Nugget Ice Makers
Six machines ranked on published specs, each with a sourced monthly running-cost ceiling.
- What a Nugget Ice Maker Costs to Run
Per-model monthly costs with the wattage sourced, the duty cycle stated and the arithmetic shown.
- GE Opal Error Lights and Warnings
What the indicators mean, and why a full reservoir can still show add water.
- Frigidaire Gallery EFIC255 vs GE Profile Opal 2.0
185 W published versus a 360 VA nameplate. 44 lbs a day versus 38. A real contest.