Quick Answer: The EdgeStar IB250SS is the best-built undercounter ice maker in 2026 — up to 25 lbs a day of clear, crescent-shaped ice, roughly 20 lbs of storage, a front-venting build that fits a standard 15-inch cabinet, and the highest reliability rating in this class, per 2026 Home Depot pricing (~$1,049-1,139). If output-per-dollar matters more than finish, the NewAir ClearIce40 makes more ice (~40 lbs/day) for a third of the price. If you want the simplest install with no drain required, choose the Whynter UIM-155 instead.
An undercounter ice maker connects to a water line and lives in a cabinet, bar, or outdoor kitchen — giving you a serious, always-full ice bin without a countertop appliance in the way. Because these are the priciest and most permanent ice makers, install type and reliability matter as much as output. We ranked the leading 2026 models on ice production, ease of install, and long-term durability. Pricing re-checked July 2026: EdgeStar IB250SS still $1,049-1,139 across major retailers — unchanged since our last update.
Our top undercounter ice maker picks at a glance
| Ice Maker | Best for | Ice/day | Drain? | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EdgeStar IB250SS | Best overall | ~25 lbs | No | ★★★★★ |
| Whynter UIM-155 | Easiest install | ~12 lbs | No | ★★★★☆ |
| NewAir ClearIce40 | Best clear cube | ~40 lbs | Yes | ★★★★☆ |
| EdgeStar IB120SS | Best compact | ~12 lbs | No | ★★★★☆ |
| GE Profile Opal 2.0 | Best nugget (no line) | ~38 lbs | No line | ★★★★★ |
1. EdgeStar IB250SS — Best Overall
EdgeStar IB250SS Built-In Ice Maker
- Makes restaurant-quality, crystal-clear crescent cubes — up to 25 lbs a day.
- Stores about 20 lbs and fits a standard 15-inch built-in cabinet with front venting.
- Can be built-in or freestanding; one of the highest-rated residential units around.
- Drainless, freezer-style design — no floor drain or pump needed, just a water line.
The EdgeStar IB250SS is the undercounter unit we’d put in most homes. It combines dependable daily output, generous storage, and clear cocktail-grade crescent ice in a 15-inch footprint that slots into a cabinet or stands alone. It’s a drainless, freezer-style unit — per EdgeStar’s own specs, it keeps ice frozen rather than melting it, so there’s no meltwater to route to a floor drain, just a water line. It’s the priciest pick here, per 2026 Home Depot pricing, but for a plug-and-plumb install with no drain to plan around, nothing else in this class matches its finish and reliability record. See our EdgeStar ice maker review for the full built-in lineup, including the compact IB120SS and clear-ice IB450SS.
2. Whynter UIM-155 — Easiest Install (No Drain)
Whynter UIM-155 Undercounter Ice Maker
- Drainless design recycles meltwater — only a water line and outlet needed.
- The simplest built-in install at the lowest entry point in the category.
- Lower output (~12 lbs/day, ~6 lbs storage); watch long-term reliability.
If your cabinet has no floor drain, the Whynter UIM-155 is the answer. It recycles meltwater internally, so you skip the hardest part of an undercounter install. Output and storage are modest, and some owners report units failing after a few years, but for a low-fuss built-in in a bar or kitchen island, it’s the path of least resistance. See our Whynter ice maker review for how the UIM-155 fits into Whynter’s wider portable and built-in lineup.
3. NewAir ClearIce40 — Best Clear Cube
NewAir ClearIce40 Undercounter Ice Maker
- Produces slow-frozen, crystal-clear gourmet cubes ideal for cocktails.
- Roughly 40 lbs/day output with a stainless, built-in-ready cabinet.
- A strong middle ground between the high-output EdgeStar and drainless Whynter.
For anyone who cares about how the ice looks in the glass, the NewAir ClearIce40 delivers slow-frozen, perfectly clear cubes — the kind that melt slowly and don’t cloud a cocktail. At $399.99 list and around $300 street in 2026, it actually beats the pricier EdgeStar on raw output while undercutting it on price. If clear cocktail ice is the whole point, we rank it against the craft-cube Klaris machines in our best clear ice makers guide.
4. EdgeStar IB120SS — Best Compact
EdgeStar IB120SS Compact Ice Maker
- Slim 12-inch-class footprint for tight cabinets and small bars.
- Drainless operation keeps installation simple.
- Lower capacity, but perfect where space — not volume — is the priority.
When a full 15-inch unit won’t fit, the EdgeStar IB120SS squeezes a built-in ice maker into a narrower cabinet. It’s drainless and easy to live with — the right call for compact kitchens, RVs with a proper hookup, or a small wet bar. If you’d rather skip plumbing entirely, a countertop model may suit you better — see our best small ice makers for the most compact reservoir-fed picks.
5. GE Profile Opal 2.0 — Best Nugget (No Water Line)
GE Profile Opal 2.0 Nugget Ice Maker
- Not truly built-in, but the best way to get soft nugget ice near your counter with zero plumbing.
- Reservoir-fed with an optional side tank; Wi-Fi scheduling.
- Choose this if you want chewable ice and don't want to run a water line.
True undercounter machines make cube or crescent ice, not nuggets. If chewable nugget ice is what you’re after but you can’t (or don’t want to) plumb a built-in unit, the countertop Opal 2.0 is the workaround — see our best nugget ice maker guide for the full breakdown.
How to choose an undercounter ice maker
- Drain vs. drainless: This is the biggest install decision. Drainless, freezer-style units (Whynter, both EdgeStar models) only need a water line and outlet, per each maker’s specs; gravity-drain units (like the higher-output NewAir ClearIce40) need a floor drain or add-on pump for meltwater.
- Built-in vs. freestanding rating: Only front-venting units can sit flush in a cabinet. Never enclose a freestanding-only model — it will overheat.
- Ice output & storage: 12-40 lbs/day. Match it to how much ice you actually go through; the bin is not a freezer and will slowly melt if unused.
- Ice style: Crescent cubes (EdgeStar) chill and pour well; slow-frozen clear cubes (NewAir) look best in cocktails; nugget requires a countertop unit.
- Dimensions: Measure cabinet width, depth, and height plus clearance for the water line and drain. Standard built-ins are ~15 inches wide, ~24 inches deep, and ~34-35 inches tall — see our ice maker size guide for the full cutout breakdown and our ice maker installation guide for exact clearance and drain-routing rules before you cut into cabinetry.
- Filtration: Because these connect to a home water line, they take an inline filter spliced into that supply — not a reservoir cartridge. See our best ice maker water filters guide for the right inline pick.
- Finish: Not every “stainless” undercounter listing is a genuine match for your other appliances — see our best stainless steel ice makers guide for which built-ins actually deliver a true brushed-steel front.
- All-in budget: Beyond the $1,000-1,500+ unit price, plan for a plumber if you don’t already have a water line and drain nearby — our ice maker cost guide breaks down typical installation add-ons, and our ice maker water line guide covers the tubing size, valve type, and pressure your specific model needs.
- RO-fed supply lines: If the water line will run off a reverse osmosis system instead of straight tap water, add a storage tank to the plan — see our reverse osmosis water and ice makers guide for why most RO systems can’t match an undercounter machine’s demand without one.
Undercounter ice makers by the numbers
Undercounter units earn their higher price and install effort in the figures:
| Metric | Figure | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Undercounter daily output | 12-40 lbs/day | The range across the models above per EdgeStar, Whynter, and NewAir spec sheets — the NewAir ClearIce40 tops it at ~40 lbs/day, more than triple the drainless Whynter's ~12 lbs/day. |
| Built-in fridge icemaker output | ~3-5 lbs/day | The figure appliance makers such as GE and Whirlpool publish for a standard freezer icemaker — roughly ten times less than a mid-range undercounter machine. |
| Standard built-in width | ~15 in | The cabinet opening most front-venting undercounter units are designed for; compact models like the EdgeStar IB120SS drop to a ~12-inch class for tight bars. |
| Bagged-ice cost avoided | $2-4 / 10 lb | Typical retail bag pricing — a household buying ice twice a week can spend $250-350 a year, which a built-in unit eliminates. |
The bottom line
The EdgeStar IB250SS is the best undercounter ice maker for most homes — big output, clear crescent ice, and a true built-in fit, with no floor drain to plumb in. Pick the Whynter UIM-155 if you want the same drainless simplicity in a lower-output, lower-price unit, or the NewAir ClearIce40 if crystal-clear cocktail cubes are the goal and you have a drain available. Specifying one for a workplace break room? Our best ice makers for an office guide covers the headcount math that decides countertop versus plumbed. Need more than ~40 lbs a day — or NSF-grade equipment for a bar or business? Step up to our best commercial ice makers, where 100 lb/day machines start around $300. Building an outdoor kitchen instead? An indoor unit like the EdgeStar isn’t weatherproof — see the outdoor UL-rated built-ins in our best outdoor ice makers guide. And if noise is what’s driving the decision, a built-in is already the quietest format there is — a cabinet door absorbs what no compressor spec can, as our best quiet ice makers guide explains. Curious how EdgeStar and Whynter compare to the rest of the field as companies, not just products? Our best ice maker brands guide covers who’s been building undercounter units longest. Looking for a lower-cost built-in? Costway’s COST02267 undercuts the EdgeStar and Whynter on price at 66-80 lbs/day — see our Costway ice maker review for the full breakdown.
Last updated: August 16, 2026 — corrected a drain-requirement error: the EdgeStar IB250SS and IB120SS are drainless, freezer-style units per EdgeStar’s own product specs (they keep ice frozen rather than melting it), not gravity-drain models as previously stated. Pricing re-checked against current retailer listings — unchanged.