Best Refrigerator Ice Makers: Fast & Reliable Picks

The best refrigerator ice maker for most shoppers is the Samsung DA97-15217D Ice Maker Assembly — a genuine OEM module that drops into a long list of Samsung French-door refrigerators and directly replaces the DA97-15217A it superseded. It suits anyone whose fridge already has the ice-maker wiring, fill tube, auger and bin in place and who wants the part that matches the factory unit instead of a lookalike. If your refrigerator is a Whirlpool, Maytag or Kenmore rather than a Samsung, the Nurfosttek 2198597 is the better-targeted pick at 185 W, 115 V, 60 Hz. If you are repairing on a tight budget, the FrigeSwift 4317943 kit gets a Whirlpool side-by-side making ice for the least money. Every unit below is a built-in module — the kind that lives inside the freezer or the door — so this guide also covers the case where a built-in module is the wrong answer and a portable countertop machine is the right one, plus the cube-versus-nugget trade-off, water-line fit, noise during the harvest cycle and what these units actually cost to run.

Top 3 Picks

Best overall: Samsung DA97-15217D Refrigerator Ice Maker Assembly. It is the genuine OEM part, which matters more than usual here because Samsung’s in-door ice maker sits in a tight cavity where aftermarket tolerances show up as jams, leaks and frost build-up. It suits Samsung French-door owners who want the repair done once, and the replacement cross-reference to DA97-15217A covers a large installed base of models.

Best budget: FrigeSwift 4317943 Icemaker Kit. The 4317943 format is a long-established Whirlpool-family icemaker, and a kit at this tier gets a side-by-side back in service for the price of a couple of bags of ice per month. It suits owners of older Whirlpool, Kenmore, KitchenAid and Maytag side-by-sides where the fridge itself is not worth an OEM-priced part.

Best premium: Mintu W10300022 / WPW10300022 Refrigerator Ice Maker. This one carries the widest published cross-reference list in the group — AP6019085, W10122556, W10300022 and W10377190 — which means fewer wrong-part returns and a better chance of a first-time fit on Whirlpool French-door and side-by-side models that use that assembly. It suits anyone who would rather pay more than pull the icemaker twice.

Quick Comparison

How We Chose

These picks were assembled from published part-number cross-references, manufacturer fitment data and the structural differences between icemaker families — not from bench testing, teardowns or long-term ownership. The first filter was fitment risk: an icemaker is a mechanical part that has to align with a fill cup, a bail arm or sensor, a mounting bracket and an auger, so a part that is one revision off can leak, jam or frost over. Parts that publish a broad, verifiable cross-reference list rank higher than parts that claim universal fit.

The second filter was category fit. Whirlpool-family modular icemakers, Frigidaire/Electrolux assemblies and Samsung in-door assemblies are three different mechanical ecosystems with different failure modes, so a single “best” pick across all of them would be meaningless. Each product here is matched to the refrigerator family it is actually built for.

The third filter was the upgrade path and the repair economics. A $150–$300 OEM assembly makes sense on a five-year-old premium French-door refrigerator and very little sense on a fifteen-year-old top-freezer. Budget-tier replacements therefore earn their place when the alternative is replacing the appliance, and premium-tier parts earn theirs when a wrong fit costs a second installation. We also weighed water-line compatibility, harvest noise class and the real energy cost of making ice, all of which are covered with numbers in the buying guide below.

1. Nurfosttek 2198597 Ice Maker – Best for Whirlpool and Maytag Owners Replacing a Failed Modular Unit

The Nurfosttek 2198597 is the pick for the largest single group of broken-icemaker owners in North America: people with a Whirlpool, Maytag, Kenmore, Amana, Roper, Estate or KitchenAid refrigerator that uses the classic modular harvest icemaker. The listing states 185 W at 115 V, 60 Hz, which is the standard North American specification for this class of module and tells you something useful — the harvest heater in this unit is at the top of the normal range, which generally means faster cube release and less time sitting in the mold. It is a mid-range part rather than a bargain-bin one, and the price gap over the budget options buys closer tolerances in the mold and ejector.

Key specs

• Power: 185 W, 115 V, 60 Hz — standard North American refrigerator icemaker supply
• Type: modular harvest icemaker (mold, heater, ejector and bail arm in one unit)
• Fitment: Whirlpool and Maytag refrigerators that accept the 2198597 format
• Water connection: standard 1/4 in. fill-tube class, fed from the refrigerator’s existing inlet valve
• Mounting: bracket-and-screw mount into the existing freezer or door cavity
• Controls: mechanical bail arm; arm up stops production, arm down resumes it
• Price tier: mid-range

Why it works

Modular icemakers are the most repairable ice-making design ever put in a refrigerator. The whole ice-making mechanism — mold, heater, thermostat, ejector and motor — is one cartridge that unclips or unscrews from the freezer wall, and the wiring harness plugs into a socket that stays with the fridge. That means a competent DIY repair takes well under an hour with a nut driver and no refrigerant work, because nothing in the sealed system is touched. The 2198597 format is the most widely used version of that design, which is also why replacement parts are so plentiful.

The 185 W figure is worth understanding rather than skimming. That rating is essentially the mold heater, which runs for roughly two and a half to three and a half minutes per harvest to release the cubes from the mold before the ejector sweeps them into the bin. A higher-wattage heater releases cubes faster, which shortens the cycle and slightly increases daily output. It does not mean the unit draws 185 W continuously — between harvests the module draws effectively nothing, which is why the energy math in the buying guide comes out far lower than people expect.

Fitment is the main caveat. The 2198597 format is used across a very wide range of Whirlpool-family models, but not all of them, and the harness connector and mounting bracket differ between some revisions. Before ordering, pull the refrigerator’s model and serial plate — usually inside the fresh-food compartment on an upper side wall or behind the crisper — and confirm the original part number rather than assuming the format matches.

Pros

• Standard 185 W, 115 V, 60 Hz specification, so no adapter or voltage concerns
• Modular cartridge design keeps installation to basic hand tools
• Broad Whirlpool and Maytag fitment across top-freezer and side-by-side models
• Mechanical bail arm is simple and reliable, with no sensor or board to fail
• Mid-range pricing that still undercuts most dealer-counter OEM parts

Cons

• Not a universal fit — the harness and bracket differ across some Whirlpool-family revisions
• No ice-type options: it makes standard crescent cubes and nothing else
• Production is capped by freezer temperature, so a warm freezer will still make slushy, slow ice
• Mechanical bail arm means no diagnostics; when it fails you replace rather than troubleshoot

How it compares

The nearest alternative in this list is the FrigeSwift 4317943 kit. Both are Whirlpool-family modular icemakers and both will fit a large overlapping set of side-by-sides. The difference is positioning: the FrigeSwift is a budget kit aimed at getting an older appliance running again at minimum cost, while the Nurfosttek is a mid-range part with a specified higher-wattage heater and tighter build expectations. If your refrigerator is a ten-year-old side-by-side that you plan to replace within a couple of years, the budget kit is the rational choice. If the fridge is newer and you intend to keep it, the mid-range module is the better buy, because the difference in price is small next to the cost of a second repair.

2. FrigeSwift 4317943 Icemaker Kit for Whirlpool Refrigerator – Best for Low-Cost Whirlpool Side-by-Side Repairs

The FrigeSwift 4317943 is the budget pick, and it is aimed squarely at a specific decision: is it worth spending more on an icemaker than the refrigerator is likely to return? The 4317943 is one of the oldest and most widely produced Whirlpool-family icemaker formats, found in a long run of side-by-sides and top-freezers sold under Whirlpool, Kenmore, KitchenAid, Maytag, Amana and Roper badges. Because the design is so common, the aftermarket supply is deep and prices stay low, which is exactly why a kit at this tier can make sense.

Key specs

• Format: 4317943 replacement icemaker kit
• Electrical class: 115 V, 60 Hz, standard modular icemaker wiring
• Contents: icemaker head plus mounting hardware and the fittings typical of this kit class
• Type: modular harvest icemaker with mechanical bail arm
• Water connection: 1/4 in. fill-tube class, fed by the refrigerator’s existing inlet valve
• Price tier: budget

Why it works

Buying a budget icemaker is a bet on the rest of the appliance, not on the part. The icemaker is the single most failure-prone assembly in a refrigerator that is otherwise healthy: the compressor, sealed system, evaporator fan and control board routinely outlast two or three icemakers. If the fridge is holding temperature correctly and the only symptom is no ice or a jammed ejector, replacing a $35–$70 module is dramatically cheaper than a service call, and it is the highest-return repair available on an older machine.

What you give up at this tier is consistency, not function. Budget modules use the same basic mechanism, the same bail-arm control and the same 115 V supply, so when they fit, they make ice indistinguishably from a mid-range part. The variability shows up in mold surface finish, which affects how cleanly cubes release; in the ejector motor, which is the part that strips if a cube jams; and in the thermostat calibration, which determines how full the mold fills before the harvest begins. None of those are visible on a listing photo, which is why the practical rule is to buy budget when the fridge is near the end of its life and mid-range when it is not.

One thing to check before ordering is what “kit” includes. At this tier, some kits ship with the fill cup, fill tube, water valve and mounting screws, and some ship with the icemaker head alone. If your original unit failed because of a cracked fill cup or a frozen fill tube rather than a dead mold heater, a head-only purchase will leave you making the same trip twice. Look for a listing that states the contents explicitly.

Pros

• Lowest entry cost of any repair on this list, which matters on older appliances
• 4317943 is an extremely common format, so fitment information is easy to verify
• Standard 115 V, 60 Hz wiring — no electrical modification
• Kit format can include the hardware that a bare replacement head omits
• Simple mechanical design with no sensors or control board to fail

Cons

• Build consistency is the weakest part of the budget tier; mold finish and thermostat calibration vary
• Kit contents differ between sellers, so you may need to buy the fill cup or valve separately
• Crescent cubes only — no nugget or craft-ice option exists in this format
• Shorter expected service life than a genuine OEM assembly in most cases

How it compares

Against the Nurfosttek 2198597, the FrigeSwift trades a specified higher-wattage heater and tighter build expectations for a lower price. Against the Mintu W10300022, the gap is larger and more meaningful: the Mintu is a premium assembly for a different generation of Whirlpool refrigerators that use a different mounting and harness arrangement, so the two are not interchangeable — you buy the one your model number calls for. If your refrigerator’s original part number is in the 4317943 family, the FrigeSwift is the value pick. If it is in the W10300022 family, the Mintu is the correct part and the budget kit is not an option at all.

3. Samsung DA97-15217D Refrigerator Ice Maker Assembly – Best for Samsung French-Door Refrigerators

The Samsung DA97-15217D is the best overall pick, and the reason is not performance — it is risk. This is a genuine OEM assembly that replaces the DA97-15217A, and it is built for Samsung French-door refrigerators whose in-door or in-cavity ice maker has failed. Samsung’s ice-making cavity is tighter and more integrated than the Whirlpool-family modular design, and the assembly interacts with a fill tube, a drain path and a frost-management system. Aftermarket copies of this part have a well-documented tendency to fit “almost” correctly, which is the worst possible outcome: it installs, it looks right, and then it frosts over or drips into the ice bin three weeks later.

Key specs

• Type: genuine OEM Samsung ice maker assembly
• Replaces: DA97-15217A (and the intermediate revisions of the same family)
• Electrical class: 115 V, 60 Hz, factory harness connection
• Mount: in-cavity assembly for Samsung French-door models using this part family
• Water connection: factory fill-tube interface, no adapter required
• Contents: complete assembly as supplied by the manufacturer
• Price tier: mid-range

Why it works

Samsung’s ice maker is a different animal from the classic modular design. Instead of a bail arm swinging over a mold, it uses a sensor-driven cycle, and the assembly sits in a cavity where airflow, drain routing and defrost behavior all affect whether ice forms correctly. When the assembly is even slightly out of tolerance, the failure mode is usually not “no ice” — it is frost, clumping, or ice that tastes stale because the cavity is not draining properly. That is why the OEM part is worth its price here even though it sits in the same tier as the Nurfosttek 2198597.

The DA97-15217D also supersedes an earlier revision that was the subject of a very large volume of owner complaints across the Samsung French-door line. Buying the current “D” revision rather than an old-stock “A” is one of the few cases where the letter at the end of a part number genuinely matters. If you are shopping for this part and the listing shows only the “A” suffix, keep looking.

Installation is more involved than the Whirlpool-family swap. Access usually means removing the ice bin, the door or cavity cover, and sometimes the auger assembly, and the assembly is retained by several screws in an awkward position. It is still a DIY-viable job with a Phillips driver and a plastic trim tool, but budget ninety minutes rather than thirty, and photograph the harness routing before you disconnect anything. Expect the first two or three harvests after installation to produce small or hollow cubes — that is normal while the cavity reaches temperature and the fill level stabilizes.

Pros

• Genuine OEM part, so cavity fit, drain routing and airflow match the factory design
• Current “D” revision supersedes the earlier “A” that generated so many complaints
• Correct fill-tube interface with no adapters or shimming
• Factory harness plugs straight in — no splicing or terminal work
• Protects the rest of a premium refrigerator that is otherwise working well

Cons

• Costs noticeably more than the budget Whirlpool-family modules on this list
• Installation is fiddly and takes longer than a modular cartridge swap
• Only fits Samsung models that use the DA97-15217 family — no cross-brand use
• Requires an exact model-number check; “Samsung ice maker” listings are frequently wrong

How it compares

The nearest alternative is the LUOWENWEN DA97-07603B, the other Samsung-compatible assembly in this list. They are not competing parts — they serve different Samsung generations. The DA97-15217D is the OEM assembly for the French-door models that use that cavity design; the DA97-07603B is the assembly for older Samsung French-door and side-by-side models on that separate part family. Confirm which one your refrigerator calls for by model number, and if the answer is DA97-15217x, the OEM part is the safer of the two options because it is the manufacturer’s own component rather than a compatible replacement. If cost is the deciding factor and the refrigerator is near the end of its service life, the compatible Samsung part is a defensible compromise.

4. Frigidaire IM116000 Ice Maker Assembly Kit – Best for Frigidaire and Electrolux Owners Who Want a Complete Kit

The Frigidaire IM116000 is the pick for owners of Frigidaire, Electrolux, Gibson, Kelvinator and Kenmore-built-by-Frigidaire refrigerators who want the whole job solved in one order. Where a bare replacement head assumes your fill cup, fill tube and mounting hardware are all reusable, a kit at this level is intended to cover the parts that commonly fail alongside the icemaker itself. That matters because a surprising share of “my icemaker is broken” diagnoses turn out to be a cracked fill cup spraying water into the wrong place or a fill tube that has frozen solid.

Key specs

• Format: IM116000 ice maker assembly kit, white
• Electrical class: 115 V, 60 Hz, standard Frigidaire-family icemaker wiring
• Contents class: icemaker assembly plus the fill cup, fill tube and mounting hardware typical of this kit
• Type: modular harvest icemaker with mechanical control
• Water connection: 1/4 in. fill-tube class fed by the refrigerator’s inlet valve
• Finish: white, matching the standard freezer-cavity interior
• Price tier: mid-range

Why it works

The value of a kit is not the parts themselves — it is the elimination of a second shipping cycle. If you order a bare icemaker head, install it, and then discover that the fill cup is cracked, you have a refrigerator sitting open for another week. Because fill cups, tubes and mounting brackets are all exposed to freeze-thaw cycling for years, they are statistically likely to be at least partly degraded by the time the icemaker itself fails. Replacing them at the same time costs very little extra and removes the most common cause of a repair that “didn’t work.”

Frigidaire’s ice-making platform is a middle ground between the Whirlpool modular design and Samsung’s tightly integrated cavity. The assembly is a self-contained unit with a mold, heater, ejector and control, and it mounts into the freezer or door cavity with screws and a plug-in harness. Access is usually straightforward: remove the ice bin, remove the two to four retaining screws, unplug the harness, and slide the assembly out. The whole job is typically under an hour for someone comfortable with a screwdriver.

One important behavior to plan for: after any icemaker installation, the refrigerator needs time before production normalizes. Give the freezer a full twenty-four hours at its normal setting to reach temperature, then discard the first two or three harvests. Those early cubes pick up manufacturing residue and any debris loosened during installation, and they are frequently hollow or irregular because the mold thermostat has not yet cycled at full temperature. Discarding them is not optional if you care about how the ice tastes.

Pros

• Kit format covers the fill cup, fill tube and hardware that commonly fail alongside the icemaker
• Fits a broad range of Frigidaire, Electrolux and Kenmore-built-by-Frigidaire models
• Standard 115 V, 60 Hz connection with a factory-style harness plug
• White finish matches the standard freezer cavity
• Simpler installation than a Samsung in-cavity assembly

Cons

• Mid-range pricing when the icemaker head alone might have been enough
• Not cross-compatible with Whirlpool-family or Samsung refrigerators
• Crescent cubes only — no nugget or craft-ice output
• Kit contents still vary between sellers, so verify what is included

How it compares

The nearest alternative is the REEPLAR 241798231 / 241798224 / 241798211 replacement, which covers an overlapping set of Frigidaire and Electrolux models at a lower price. The distinction is breadth versus depth. The REEPLAR part is a multi-number compatible replacement, which is convenient when your model’s original number has been superseded several times and you are not certain which one applies. The IM116000 kit is a branded assembly with the accessory parts included, which is the better choice when you have already diagnosed the failure and know you need the fill cup and tube as well. If you are buying blind and just want the cheapest path back to ice, the budget Frigidaire-compatible parts will usually get you there; if you want the fewest possible variables, the kit is worth the difference.

5. REEPLAR 241798231 / 241798224 / 241798211 Ice Maker Replacement – Best for Cross-Number Frigidaire, Electrolux and Kenmore Swaps

The REEPLAR replacement is the pick for the most confusing situation in refrigerator repair: a Frigidaire-family refrigerator whose original icemaker part number has been superseded so many times that the sticker on the unit, the parts diagram and the current catalog all disagree. This listing is built around three numbers — 241798231, 241798224 and 241798211 — which are all part of the same Frigidaire/Electrolux icemaker family, and it states compatibility with Frigidaire, Electrolux and Kenmore refrigerators that use them.

Key specs

• Format: multi-part-number compatible icemaker replacement
• Cross-references: 241798231, 241798224, 241798211 (same icemaker family)
• Electrical class: 115 V, 60 Hz, standard Frigidaire-family wiring
• Type: modular harvest icemaker with mechanical control
• Compatibility stated: Frigidaire, Electrolux and Kenmore refrigerators using this part family
• Price tier: budget

Why it works

Multi-number listings solve a real problem. Appliance manufacturers revise icemaker part numbers for reasons that have nothing to do with the shape of the part: a supplier change, a material change, a packaging change, or a minor revision to the thermostat. The result is that a refrigerator built in one year and an otherwise identical one built three years later carry different part numbers for an interchangeable component. A listing that explicitly names three numbers from the same family is doing the cross-referencing work for you, which is exactly what you want when the sticker is worn or the model plate is hard to read.

This is a budget-tier part, and the honest framing is that budget icemakers are a calculated gamble. The mechanism is the same — mold, heater, thermostat, ejector motor, bail arm — and the electrical interface is the same. What varies is the quality control on the mold surface and the thermostat calibration. In practice that means most budget modules work fine and a minority produce cubes that stick in the mold, harvest slowly, or fill inconsistently. If the refrigerator is eight to fifteen years old and you are trying to avoid a replacement purchase, that gamble is usually worth taking. If it is a newer premium appliance, it usually is not.

There is also a diagnostic step worth doing before you buy anything. A Frigidaire-family icemaker that has stopped producing ice is often not dead — the bail arm may be up, the inlet valve may have failed, the fill tube may be frozen, or the freezer may simply be running warm. Test those first, because a replacement icemaker will not fix a failed inlet valve, and you will have spent money and an afternoon for nothing.

Pros

• Explicitly covers three part numbers from the same Frigidaire/Electrolux family
• Budget pricing makes it viable on older appliances with limited remaining life
• Standard 115 V, 60 Hz interface with no electrical modification needed
• Drop-in cavity fit for the models it is designed for
• Broad brand coverage across Frigidaire, Electrolux and Kenmore

Cons

• Budget-tier quality control means mold finish and thermostat calibration can vary
• Not compatible with Whirlpool-family or Samsung refrigerators
• No accessory parts included beyond the icemaker itself in most configurations
• Cross-number coverage still requires a model-number check to be certain

How it compares

Against the Nurfosttek 241798224 / 241798231 — the other budget Frigidaire-family entry here — the two are functionally very close and target the same refrigerators. The REEPLAR leans on a wider published cross-reference list across three numbers, which is useful when you are unsure which number applies to your build. The Nurfosttek entry is the simpler, more direct listing. If you have already confirmed your part number, buy whichever is cheaper on the day. If you are cross-referencing from an old sticker and want the most forgiving listing, the REEPLAR’s three-number coverage gives you more room for error. Against the Frigidaire IM116000 kit, the REEPLAR is the cheaper path but you lose the included fill cup and tube.

6. Nurfosttek 241798224 / 241798231 Refrigerator Ice Maker – Best for the Lowest-Cost Frigidaire and Kenmore Drop-In

The Nurfosttek 241798224 / 241798231 is the budget pick for Frigidaire and Kenmore owners who have already confirmed their part number and simply want the cheapest working replacement. Where the REEPLAR listing spreads its coverage across three numbers, this one concentrates on two, which makes the decision simpler: either your refrigerator uses the 241798224/241798231 family or it does not. If it does, this is one of the least expensive ways back to ice.

Key specs

• Format: 241798224 / 241798231 refrigerator icemaker
• Fitment stated: Frigidaire and Kenmore refrigerators using this part family
• Electrical class: 115 V, 60 Hz, standard modular icemaker wiring
• Type: modular harvest icemaker with mechanical bail-arm control
• Water connection: 1/4 in. fill-tube class, fed by the refrigerator’s inlet valve
• Mounting: screw-and-bracket into the existing freezer or door cavity
• Price tier: budget

Why it works

This part is for a specific repair decision, and it is worth being explicit about what that decision is. When a refrigerator is worth $200 in resale and a new one costs $900, spending $200 on an OEM assembly is not a repair — it is a donation. Spending $35–$70 on a compatible module to keep the appliance running for another two or three years is a reasonable trade, provided you accept that you are buying time rather than durability.

The failure profile of these units is predictable and mostly benign. The mold heater is the most common failure point, followed by the ejector motor stripping when a jammed cube resists the sweep, and third by the thermostat drifting out of calibration so the mold either overfills or harvests too early. All three failures are total — the unit stops making ice — rather than intermittent, which makes diagnosis straightforward: if the freezer is at temperature, the inlet valve is supplying water and the bail arm is down, and you still get no ice, the module is the problem.

Two installation details matter more than people expect. First, the fill tube must be aligned so water lands in the mold and not beside it; a tube that is a few millimeters off will spray into the freezer and build a slab of ice under the bin. Second, the harness connector must seat fully — a partially seated plug produces the maddening symptom of a unit that runs a harvest cycle but never fills. Push the connector until it clicks and tug it gently to confirm.

Pros

• Among the lowest-cost routes back to working ice in a Frigidaire or Kenmore refrigerator
• Standard 115 V, 60 Hz wiring with a factory-style harness connection
• Mechanical bail-arm control, so there is no board or sensor to diagnose
• Simple modular design that installs with basic hand tools
• Two

  Ready to decide? Our #1 pick for 2026 is the Nurfosttek 2198597 Ice Maker.

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