Scotsman Standalone Gourmet Clear Ice Maker Review

The Scotsman CU50PA is one of the best standalone ice makers for making gourmet ice at home and in bars and restaurants.

This Scotsman produces crystal clear, high-density ice cubes that are ideal for whiskies, vodkas, cocktails and other premium drinks. Such ice melts slowly and harder than standard ice cubes.

With a production capacity of 65lbs and a storage volume of 26lbs, the Scotsman can easily hold its own in any situation whether it’s your daily afternoon cocktail or a full party with drinks flowing nonstop.  

When it comes to gourmet ice makers, Scotsman is a brand you can trust.

For decades, they have been manufacturing clear ice makers for restaurants, bars and other large establishments.  

The Scotsman CU50PA is primarily a commercial gourmet ice maker but more people are buying it for use at home thanks to its sleek design, fairly simple installation and ease of use.

With the Scotsman installed, you can enjoy restaurant-quality clear ice whenever you want without spending any extra money.

Price-wise, this ice maker is not cheap. Expect to spend at least $2,000 for it.

If you want to explore cheaper options, see some of the other gourmet ice machines we have reviewed.

If you really want to save money, look at the Luma Comfort portable ice maker... though it will not produce nearly as much ice, and the quality of ice it does produce isn't as good as the Scotsman. 

You can also opt for the slightly cheaper undercounter Scotsman CU50GA icemaker. The only difference between the CU50PA and the CU50GA is that the former has a pump drain integrated.

But if you are looking for a high-performance standalone clear ice maker that will last long, is easy to use and will produce consistently quality ice, the Scotsman CU50PA is worth the money.

The Scotsman can produce up to 65lbs of ice every day.

This is 15lbs more than the Whynter UIM-502SS standalone clear ice maker and more than double what you will get from any portable/countertop ice maker.

The high capacity is ideal if there are several adults at home who need the ice or if you love inviting friends over often. You can also buy it for use in a mid-sized office, restaurant or bar.

If you need less ice for just yourself or a small family, then a more ideal model would be the Luma Comfort (28lbs) or the Whynter model I just mentioned (50lbs).

As for the storage capacity, the Scotsman can hold up to 26 pounds of ice at a time. 

This comes in handy when you need to chill a lot of drinks at once such as during parties or in a bar.

With a bin capacity of 26lbs, you can be sure that there will always have enough ice to serve everyone.   

The Scotsman CU50PA is not one of those monster commercial ice makers that can produce 80+ pounds of ice in a day. But its ice making ability is robust enough for most situations.    

The process of making clear ice is quite different from that of conventional ice cubes. The ice maker must use different methods and technology to reduce mineral concentration in water to ensure crystal clear ice cubes. The machine must also find a way to produce ice that is denser than usual.

Thankfully, with this Scotsman you don’t need to know anything about the complicated inner workings of the ice maker when you use it.

You just need to press a button, wait a while and then collect your ice.    

The Scotsman CU50PA is especially easy to use. The control panel is located along the top of the unit. You’ll see it when you swing open the door. You will see two buttons: an on/off button on the left side and a ‘clean reset’ button on the far right.

To start making ice, first turn on the water supply and switch on power to the unit at the mains. Note that even with power flowing, the unit is not yet switched on. To wake it up, push the on/off button. A green light indicates the machine is working.

The first batch of ice, consisting of 24 cubes, will be ready in half an hour. More batches will keep falling into the bin until it fills up in around 8 to 10 hours. Once you scoop some of the ice out, the machine automatically resumes working to fill the bin.

The only process that is a bit complicated is changing the ice cube size. This requires changing the freeze cycle time by pressing the buttons in a specific sequence.

The machine comes with the right ice cube size set as default. So you don’t need to change anything. But if you decide to, check the manual for instructions.

Most verified owners we could find were satisfied with the ice maker, noting that it produces good quality ice that is clear, tasteless and odorless.

Once installed, many found it extremely easy to use.

The primary complaint about this model is that it produces a lot of noise as the ice drops into the bin. It can be especially loud at night.

It’s easy to confuse the CU50PA with its sibling, the CU50GA. 

So be careful when buying that you don’t go for the wrong model.

The CU50PA (with pump drain) is best because you can drain the water in any drain or sink even if it is on a higher level.

The Scotsman CU50PA is recommended for serious drinkers who host parties or live in a hot climate.  It will also work for smaller restaurants.

The excellent quality clear ice this unit produces will impress even the most finicky of guests.  And, it's a Scotsman - so you know it will last a long time.