Quick Answer: Whirlpool sells three genuinely different things under “ice maker.” First, a real standalone countertop unit — the WHCI26VBA3A, about $116.99 at Target, making up to 26 lbs of bullet ice a day. Second, refrigerator ice-maker installation kits and replacement parts (roughly $67.50-$135) for Whirlpool-family fridges that shipped without one or whose factory unit failed. Third, and new for 2026: Whirlpool debuted what it calls the industry’s first refrigerator with a built-in nugget ice maker at KBIS 2026 — a 36-inch French Door model with dual ice makers for both nugget and cube ice, though Whirlpool hasn’t disclosed pricing or a firm ship date yet. Unlike Amana or Hisense — two other Whirlpool-family names on this site that sell zero standalone ice makers — Whirlpool itself is the one brand in the family that actually competes directly in the countertop category.
That’s the opposite problem from most brand searches on this site. With Amana and Hisense, the honest answer is “that brand doesn’t make one.” With Whirlpool, the honest answer is “it makes three unrelated things, and most searchers only mean one of them.” Here’s what each actually is, what it costs, and which one you’re probably looking for.
Whirlpool’s three “ice maker” products at a glance
| Product | What it is | Price | Ice type |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHCI26VBA3A countertop unit | Standalone portable ice maker | ~$116.99 | Bullet, 2 sizes |
| W11459724 / W11416493 kits | Add-on ice maker for a fridge that shipped without one | ~$67.50-$135 | N/A (fridge cube/crescent) |
| OEM replacement assemblies | Swap for a failed factory fridge ice maker | ~$70-$170 | N/A (fridge cube/crescent) |
| 2026 nugget-ice refrigerator | New French Door fridge with built-in dual ice makers | Not yet disclosed | Nugget + cube, dual dispensers |
Whirlpool WHCI26VBA3A Countertop Ice Maker
- Produces up to 26 lbs of bullet-shaped ice a day in two size options, with a first batch ready in about 6-13 minutes per the manufacturer's spec.
- 2.3-quart water reservoir, 1.5-lb ice storage bin, compressor cooling with an LED light — a 17.9-lb, 13.15" H x 8.93" W x 12.32" D countertop footprint.
- Carries an 18-month limited warranty, longer than the 1-year standard most budget countertop brands on this site offer.
- Sold at Target and Amazon — a mainstream retail presence most budget Amazon-native nugget brands don't have.
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The countertop unit: real, but bullet ice only
The WHCI26VBA3A is the part of this story most “Whirlpool ice maker” searchers actually want and don’t expect to find: a genuine standalone countertop appliance, not a refrigerator part. At 26 lbs of bullet ice a day for about $116.99, it sits squarely in the same budget tier as the Silonn SLIM21 (26 lbs/day, ~$69-90) and other reservoir-fed compact machines — plug it in, fill the tank, and it makes ice within minutes, no water line or drain required. The catch for chewable-ice fans: it only makes bullet-shaped ice, not the soft nugget/pellet texture the Euhomy and GE Profile Opal 2.0 are known for. If nugget ice is the whole point of the search, this isn’t the machine — see our best nugget ice maker guide instead.
Refrigerator ice-maker kits and parts
If a Whirlpool, Kenmore, Maytag, JennAir, KitchenAid, or Amana refrigerator is what actually needs “an ice maker,” you’re shopping for one of two different things. An add-on kit (W11459724 for top-mount models, W11416493 for bottom-mount/French-door) installs an ice maker into a fridge that never had one — these run $67.50-$135 and include the ice maker assembly, bin, wiring harness, and mounting hardware. A replacement assembly swaps out a factory ice maker that’s failed, typically $70-$170 depending on the model, since only the ice-making module needs replacing rather than the full kit. Whirlpool’s ownership of Amana since 2006 means these parts are frequently cross-compatible across the brand family — our Amana ice maker guide covers the same kits from that angle if you’re shopping an Amana-badged fridge specifically. Either way, match the exact part number to your refrigerator model before buying; Whirlpool-family parts aren’t interchangeable across the whole lineup the brand-name similarity might suggest.
New for 2026: the first refrigerator with a built-in nugget ice maker
At KBIS 2026, Whirlpool announced what it’s calling the industry’s first refrigerator with an integrated nugget ice maker — a 36-inch-wide True Counter Depth 3-Door and 4-Door French Door refrigerator with dual ice makers, dispensing both chewable nugget ice and traditional cubes from the same door instead of forcing a choice between a countertop Opal and a built-in cuber. This is a genuinely different approach from every other product on this page: instead of adding an ice maker to a fridge that lacks one, Whirlpool is folding nugget-ice production directly into the refrigerator itself, eliminating the countertop appliance altogether. Whirlpool’s own press materials don’t disclose pricing or a firm ship date beyond the February 2026 KBIS debut, and explicitly note that specs are “subject to change pending launch finalization” — worth treating as a preview rather than a buying decision until retail listings appear. We’ll update this guide with real pricing once it ships.
Whirlpool vs. the competition
- vs. Amana and Hisense (same Whirlpool family, zero standalone units): Both of these Whirlpool-family names sell no countertop or portable ice maker at all — only refrigerator parts. See our Amana ice maker guide and Hisense ice maker review for that “brand doesn’t make one” pattern. Whirlpool itself is the exception in the family.
- vs. Silonn SLIM21 (budget bullet ice, dedicated brand): Nearly identical output (26 lbs/day) and price tier, but Silonn has a longer track record as a purpose-built countertop ice maker brand, while Whirlpool’s countertop unit is a newer entry from a legacy full-size-appliance company. See our Silonn SLIM21 review.
- vs. GE Profile Opal 2.0 (nugget ice, premium): If nugget/chewable ice is the goal, Whirlpool’s countertop unit doesn’t compete — it’s bullet ice only. The Opal 2.0 remains the nugget benchmark; see our GE Profile Opal 2.0 review.
- Full brand rankings: see our best ice maker brands guide for how Whirlpool stacks up against every major name on this site.
Who should buy which Whirlpool product?
Buy the WHCI26VBA3A countertop unit if you want cheap, fast bullet ice and don’t care about the nugget texture — it’s a legitimate budget pick backed by an above-average 18-month warranty. Buy a refrigerator kit or replacement assembly if the actual problem is a Whirlpool-family fridge that either never had an ice maker or has a broken one — match the part number first. Wait on the 2026 nugget-ice refrigerator unless a full refrigerator replacement is already on your radar; it’s a genuinely new category but not yet purchasable with confirmed pricing.
The bottom line
“Whirlpool ice maker” isn’t one product — it’s a real $116.99 countertop bullet-ice machine, a set of refrigerator installation/replacement parts, and (starting in 2026) a first-of-its-kind refrigerator with nugget ice built in. Unlike Amana or Hisense, Whirlpool is the one name in its own appliance family that actually sells a standalone unit — just not a nugget one, at least not yet outside the new refrigerator line.
Last updated: September 25, 2026.