Explainer
Do ice makers have filters?
Most basic countertop ice makers have no water filter, since you fill them with water yourself, though some include or offer one, while built in and plumbed ice makers usually have a water filter on their supply line that needs replacing periodically to keep the ice clean.
By the Lush Editorial Team·Researched & Compared
It depends on the type of ice maker. Most basic countertop and portable ice makers do not have a water filter, because you fill them by hand with whatever water you choose, so filtering is up to you, though some models do include or offer a small filter. Built in, under counter, and refrigerator ice makers, which are plumbed to a water supply, usually do have a water filter on that supply line, which cleans the incoming water and needs replacing periodically to keep the ice clean and fresh. So whether an ice maker has a filter comes down to whether it is a fill by hand countertop machine or a plumbed in one. The countertop machines in our best countertop ice makers guide mostly rely on you providing clean water rather than a built in filter.
Countertop ice makers
Basic countertop and portable ice makers generally have no water filter. Because you fill the reservoir by hand, the machine simply makes ice from whatever water you pour in, so there is nothing to filter the water on the way in, and the quality of the ice depends on the water you use. Some countertop models do include a small filter or offer one as an accessory, but many do not. So for most countertop ice makers, filtering is in your hands: if you want cleaner ice, you use filtered water in the reservoir. The lack of a built in filter is part of the simple, no plumbing design of these machines, which rely on you to supply suitable water.
Plumbed and built in ice makers
Built in, under counter, and refrigerator ice makers, which are connected to a water supply line, usually do have a water filter. Because the water comes automatically from the plumbing, a filter on that line cleans the incoming water, reducing chlorine taste, sediment, and some impurities, so the ice and often the dispensed water are cleaner and better tasting. This filter is a replaceable cartridge that clogs and loses effectiveness over time and must be changed periodically, commonly every several months depending on use and the maker’s guidance. So plumbed ice makers typically have a filter as part of their water system, which is one more thing to maintain compared with a fill by hand machine.
Why a filter helps
A water filter improves the ice by cleaning the water it is made from. Tap water can carry chlorine taste, sediment, and minerals, and a filter reduces these, so the ice tastes fresher and is clearer, and the machine builds up less scale and residue from cleaner water. This is why plumbed ice makers include a filter on the supply, and why using filtered water in a countertop machine without one achieves a similar benefit. So the filter, whether built into a plumbed machine or provided by you using filtered water in a countertop one, is about ice quality and keeping the machine cleaner, not just a formality.
Replacing a filter
If your ice maker has a filter, it needs replacing periodically, because the cartridge removes impurities until it is saturated and then stops working well and can even harbor buildup. Plumbed ice maker and fridge filters are usually replaced every several months, or as the maker advises or an indicator shows, and using the machine with an old, exhausted filter defeats the point and can worsen taste. So part of owning a plumbed ice maker is changing its water filter on schedule. For a countertop machine where you use filtered water from a separate filter jug or tap, you maintain that filter instead, keeping the water you pour in clean.
Filter or not, keep it clean
Whether or not an ice maker has a water filter, it still needs regular cleaning and descaling, since a filter cleans the incoming water but does not stop scale and mold building up inside the damp machine. So both filtered and unfiltered ice makers should be cleaned and descaled regularly to keep the ice and the machine fresh. Using clean, filtered water, from a built in filter or by filling with filtered water, reduces scale and improves taste, but it is not a substitute for cleaning the reservoir, bin, and workings. So the filter and regular cleaning work together: the filter cleans the water, and cleaning keeps the machine itself hygienic.
The short answer
So whether an ice maker has a filter depends on the type. Most basic countertop and portable ice makers have no water filter, since you fill them by hand and choose the water, though some include or offer one, so filtering is up to you and using filtered water gives cleaner ice. Built in, under counter, and refrigerator ice makers, which are plumbed to a supply, usually do have a water filter on the line that cleans the incoming water and must be replaced periodically. Either way, a filter improves ice quality but does not replace regular cleaning and descaling, which every ice maker needs to stay fresh.
Common questions
Do ice makers have water filters?
It depends on the type. Most basic countertop and portable ice makers have no water filter, since you fill them by hand and choose the water, though some include or offer one. Built in, under counter, and refrigerator ice makers, which are plumbed to a supply, usually do have a water filter on the line that cleans the incoming water and must be replaced periodically. So filtering is built in on plumbed machines but up to you on most countertop ones.
Do countertop ice makers need a filter?
Most do not have one and do not strictly need it, since you fill them by hand, but the ice quality depends on the water you use, so if you want cleaner, better tasting ice, use filtered water in the reservoir. Some countertop models include or offer a small filter. So filtering is in your hands with most countertop machines: provide clean or filtered water rather than relying on a built in filter the machine lacks.
How often do you replace an ice maker filter?
For plumbed and refrigerator ice makers that have a water filter, usually every several months, or as the maker advises or a filter indicator shows, since the cartridge removes impurities until it saturates and then stops working well. Using an old, exhausted filter defeats the point and can worsen taste. So changing the filter on schedule is part of owning a plumbed ice maker, while a countertop machine without one relies on you supplying clean water.
Does a filter make ice maker ice taste better?
Yes, a filter cleans the water the ice is made from, reducing chlorine taste, sediment, and some impurities, so the ice tastes fresher and is clearer, and the machine builds up less scale from cleaner water. This is why plumbed ice makers include a filter and why using filtered water in a countertop machine gives a similar benefit. So filtering the water, built in or by you, improves ice quality and keeps the machine cleaner.
Do you still need to clean an ice maker if it has a filter?
Yes. A filter cleans the incoming water but does not stop scale and mold building up inside the damp machine, so both filtered and unfiltered ice makers need regular cleaning and descaling to keep the ice and the machine fresh. Using filtered water reduces scale and improves taste, but it is not a substitute for cleaning the reservoir, bin, and workings. So the filter and regular cleaning work together to keep the machine hygienic.