Quick Answer: Whynter is a dedicated ice-maker brand (not a general appliance reseller) with a real price ladder: the $129.99 IMC-270MS portable bullet maker (27 lbs/24h), the $209.99 IBX-388WS/BG nugget model (40 lbs/24h), the $249.99 IMC-490SS portable bullet maker (49 lbs/24h), the $329.99 UIM-155 built-in (12 lbs/24h, no drain needed), the $429.99 FIM-450HS freestanding unit (44 lbs/24h, direct water line), and the $1,099.99 UIM-502SS built-in (80 lbs/24h, clear ice, NSF-rated filter). Independent reviews from home-appliance advisor sites rate the UIM-155 as reliable and quiet for the price, with manual defrosting every 4-5 weeks as the main recurring drawback across the built-in lineup.
Unlike Costway or Insignia, Whynter is a specialist — ice makers, wine coolers, and portable ACs are its core categories, not a side line. That focus shows up in the lineup: six current models spanning bullet, nugget, and clear ice across portable, freestanding, and built-in formats, each with a distinct role rather than overlapping SKUs.
The Whynter ice maker lineup at a glance
| Model | Ice type | Output | Format | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMC-270MS/MB | Bullet | 27 lbs/24h | Portable countertop | $129.99 |
| IBX-388WS/BG | Nugget (chewable) | 40 lbs/24h | Portable countertop | $209.99 |
| IMC-490SS | Bullet | 49 lbs/24h | Portable countertop | $249.99 |
| UIM-155 | Crescent | 12 lbs/24h | Built-in (no drain) | $329.99 |
| FIM-450HS | Bullet | 44 lbs/24h | Freestanding | $429.99 |
| UIM-502SS | Clear ice | 80 lbs/24h | Built-in | $1,099.99 |
Whynter IMC-490SS Portable Ice Maker
- Produces up to 49 lbs of bullet ice a day in three selectable sizes, with a 10-15 minute first batch.
- No plumbing or drain required — fill the reservoir and go, same as a countertop nugget maker.
- Stainless steel finish sized for a kitchen counter or home bar without requiring a built-in cutout.
- Sits between Costway's self-dispensing 56-lb unit and Insignia's 44-lb NS-IMN44BS4 on both price and output.
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The entry-level bullet maker: IMC-270MS
At $129.99, the IMC-270MS is Whynter’s cheapest unit and one of the least expensive real bullet-ice makers on the market. It’s rated up to 27 lbs/24h with 6-9 minute cycle times and two selectable ice sizes, no plumbing needed. It’s the right call for a single-person kitchen or RV rather than a household that entertains — the 40-lb IBX-388WS nugget model and 49-lb IMC-490SS both roughly double the daily output for a $80-120 step up.
The nugget option: IBX-388WS/BG
Whynter’s nugget maker sits at $209.99 for either the stainless (WS) or black (BG) finish, rated up to 40 lbs/24h with a 3-lb storage bin, self-cleaning cycle, and no plumbing required. That output lands between Costway’s $189.99 portable unit (33 lbs/24h) and its self-dispensing 56-lb model — Whynter’s nugget maker is the more direct match for buyers comparing chewable Sonic-style ice specifically, rather than Costway’s wider bullet-and-nugget spread.
Built-in without a drain: UIM-155
The UIM-155 ($329.99) is Whynter’s answer to under-counter installs that don’t want to run a drain line — it’s built to operate without one, which meaningfully cuts installation cost versus most built-ins. Independent testing from home-appliance review sites describes it as “remarkably easy to use” with reliable output for its 12-lb/24h rating, and dry crescent-shaped cubes that don’t clump in the bin. The catch: it isn’t frost-free, so it needs manual defrosting roughly every 4-5 weeks once buildup passes a quarter inch — a maintenance step our ice maker maintenance guide covers in detail.
The premium built-in: UIM-502SS
At $1,099.99, the UIM-502SS is Whynter’s flagship — a built-in unit rated up to 80 lbs/24h that makes clear ice (not bullet or nugget) through an NSF-rated water filtration system, with a 25-lb storage capacity. That output and clarity put it in the same conversation as premium under-counter builds from dedicated luxury-appliance brands, and well above Costway’s $999.99 COST02267 on both ice type and filtration. It’s the pick for a wet bar or kitchen island where clear, slow-melting cubes matter more than price.
Whynter vs. the competition
- vs. Costway (general home-goods, nugget-focused): Costway’s lineup runs cheaper at the entry tier ($189.99 vs. $209.99 for comparable nugget output) but Whynter’s built-in options (UIM-155, UIM-502SS) offer more format variety, including the only no-drain built-in and the only clear-ice built-in in this comparison. See our Costway review.
- vs. Euhomy (budget nugget specialist): Euhomy competes directly with the $209.99 IBX-388WS tier but doesn’t offer a built-in option at all — Whynter’s range extends further up and down the price ladder. See our Euhomy review.
- vs. GE Profile Opal 2.0 (premium nugget): The Opal costs roughly the same as Whynter’s IMC-490SS but focuses purely on nugget ice with Wi-Fi control; Whynter’s strength is format breadth (bullet, nugget, clear, built-in) rather than one refined nugget product. See our GE Opal 2.0 review.
For the full field, see our best nugget ice maker ranking, best undercounter ice maker roundup, and ice maker brands comparison.
The Whynter lineup by the numbers
| Metric | Figure | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Price range | $129.99-$1,099.99 | Per Whynter's own storefront pricing, the widest single-brand ice-maker spread we've tracked, covering portable, freestanding, and built-in formats. |
| UIM-502SS output | 80 lbs/24h | Matches or beats most dedicated under-counter clear-ice brands at roughly half the price of comparable built-ins. |
| UIM-155 defrost interval | ~4-5 weeks | Per independent hands-on testing, the main maintenance trade-off for skipping a drain-line install. |
Who should buy a Whynter ice maker?
Buy the IMC-270MS if you want the cheapest real bullet-ice maker and don’t go through much ice daily. Buy the IMC-490SS if you want the best output-per-dollar in the portable category. Buy the UIM-155 if you’re doing a built-in install and want to skip a drain line — accepting manual defrosting in exchange. Buy the UIM-502SS if clear, slow-melting ice matters more than price. Skip Whynter if you want app control or a smart-home integration — that’s still GE Profile Opal territory.
The bottom line
Whynter’s ice-maker lineup is the most format-diverse single-brand comparison on this site — bullet, nugget, and clear ice across portable, freestanding, and built-in formats, with real independent reviews backing the built-in UIM-155 as reliable for the price. It won’t out-app the GE Opal or out-cheap Costway’s entry unit, but for buyers who want one trusted brand across every ice-maker category, Whynter covers more ground than any competitor we’ve reviewed.