Key takeaways
- Plumbed or self-filling: A plumbed unit needs a cold water line and a saddle valve or, better, a proper tee fitting off the nearest supply. A reservoir unit needs nothing but an outlet and someone willing to pour a pitcher in every few hours. Be honest about which of those you’ll keep up with.
- Daily output versus storage: A machine rated at 26 lb per day only holds a couple of pounds at once, because reservoir units melt their own supply back into the tank. If you want ice sitting there waiting, you need a unit with an insulated bin.
- Check your fridge’s model number first: Retrofit kits are model-specific. Pull the sticker inside the fresh food compartment, cross-reference it, and confirm your freezer has the mounting holes and the wiring stub before you buy anything.
- Ice shape matters more than you’d think: Bullet ice chills fast and is easy to chew but melts quickly. Solid cubes last through a long drink. Pick based on what you actually pour.
- Drainage and clearance: Undercounter machines need a gravity drain or a pump, plus a few inches of breathing room for the condenser. Measure the cabinet opening twice, including the depth behind the toe kick.
What's inside
Anyone who has ever cracked open a freezer looking for ice at the wrong moment knows the drill: one sad tray, half-empty, the cubes fused into a single grey brick that tastes faintly of last week’s fish. Most fridges sold before the last few years either skipped an ice maker entirely or hid the plumbing hookup behind a panel nobody wanted to remove. And if you’ve priced out having a plumber run a water line to the back of your kitchen, you already know the labor quote costs more than the machine.
The good news is that this is one of the most fixable problems in a kitchen. You’ve got three genuine paths: retrofit a factory ice maker kit into a fridge that was built to accept one, drop a self-contained countertop unit next to the sink and skip plumbing altogether, or replace the fridge with something that already has ice built in. Below I’ve pulled together the units worth your money in 2026, with notes on what each one actually asks of you in terms of tools, space, and patience.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
How to Choose a/an Fridge Ice Maker (2026)
- Plumbed or self-filling: A plumbed unit needs a cold water line and a saddle valve or, better, a proper tee fitting off the nearest supply. A reservoir unit needs nothing but an outlet and someone willing to pour a pitcher in every few hours. Be honest about which of those you’ll keep up with.
- Daily output versus storage: A machine rated at 26 lb per day only holds a couple of pounds at once, because reservoir units melt their own supply back into the tank. If you want ice sitting there waiting, you need a unit with an insulated bin.
- Check your fridge’s model number first: Retrofit kits are model-specific. Pull the sticker inside the fresh food compartment, cross-reference it, and confirm your freezer has the mounting holes and the wiring stub before you buy anything.
- Ice shape matters more than you’d think: Bullet ice chills fast and is easy to chew but melts quickly. Solid cubes last through a long drink. Pick based on what you actually pour.
- Drainage and clearance: Undercounter machines need a gravity drain or a pump, plus a few inches of breathing room for the condenser. Measure the cabinet opening twice, including the depth behind the toe kick.
The Best Fridge Ice Maker (2026)s Reviewed
EUHOMY Commercial Undercounter Ice Maker, 100 lb/24H
This is the one to install if you entertain, brew, or simply refuse to run out. It produces around 100 lb a day and banks 33 lb in a stainless bin, which means real capacity rather than a trickle. Budget an afternoon for the install: you’ll need a water supply, a drain path, and a level pad, and I’d strongly suggest a shutoff valve you can reach without crawling.
Frigidaire IM117000 Top-Mount Ice Maker Kit
The purist’s fix. If your freezer already has the mounting bosses and the wiring harness tucked behind a plug, this kit turns a manual-tray fridge into an automatic one for a fraction of a new appliance. Verify compatibility with your exact model number, and take your time on the water line — a poor connection here shows up as a slow drip you won’t notice for a month.
EUHOMY Countertop Ice Maker with Handle, 26 lb/24H
No tools, no plumbing, no permission from your landlord. Fill the reservoir, plug it in, and the first batch of nine cubes lands in roughly six minutes. The molded handle makes it genuinely portable, which matters if it lives in a cabinet between weekends at the lake.
FRIGIDAIRE Retro Compact Ice Maker, Bullet Ice
Same countertop convenience with a chrome-trimmed look that suits a farmhouse or mid-century kitchen better than most appliance-white boxes. Output sits around 26 lb per day in bullet form, and the black finish hides fingerprints far better than the polished versions do.
18 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator with Ice Maker
When the old fridge is on borrowed time anyway, this is the sensible move. French doors, a bottom freezer drawer, frost-free operation, three cooling modes, and an ice maker already wired and plumbed from the factory. Confirm your doorway width and hinge clearance before delivery day, and have the water line stubbed out in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add an ice maker to any refrigerator?
No. Retrofit kits only work on fridges the manufacturer designed to accept them, which means mounting holes, a wiring connector, and a fill tube port already in the freezer wall. If yours lacks those, a countertop unit is the practical answer.
Do countertop ice makers keep ice frozen?
Not for long. The bin isn’t refrigerated, so melt water drains back to the reservoir and gets refrozen. Transfer batches to a freezer bag if you’re building up a supply for a party.
How hard is running a water line?
Moderate for anyone comfortable with basic plumbing. A tee fitting off a nearby cold line with a quarter-turn shutoff is the durable approach; the self-piercing saddle valves included in some kits tend to weep over the years.
Why does the ice taste odd?
Usually a stale reservoir or a filter overdue for replacement. Run the self-clean cycle with a vinegar solution monthly on countertop units, and change fridge filters every six months.
Final Thoughts
For serious volume with a real bin behind it, the EUHOMY 100 lb undercounter machine is the clear pick and worth the install effort. If your fridge was built to take a kit, the Frigidaire IM117000 is the cleanest and cheapest path to automatic ice. And for renters or anyone who wants ice tonight without touching a wrench, the EUHOMY countertop unit with the carry handle does the job with nothing more than an outlet and a pitcher of water.
