A refrigerator appliance comprising: a cabinet defining a chilled chamber; an ice maker in thermal communication with the chilled chamber, the ice maker defining a vertical direction,, a lateral direction,, and a transverse direction,, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the ice maker comprising: a mold body,, a plurality of mold cavities defined in the mold body,, each mold cavity of the plurality of mold cavities extending between a floor and an opening along a longitudinal axis,, each mold cavity of the plurality of mold cavities enclosed by at least one sidewall between the floor and the opening,, the longitudinal axis of each mold cavity oriented generally along the vertical direction;; a heater in thermal communication with the floor of each mold cavity of the plurality of mold cavities,, the heater configured to maintain water within a lower portion of each mold cavity in a liquid state; and a drain conduit in fluid communication with the mold body and configured to receive a flow of liquid water from the mold cavities, characterized in that the drain conduit is further in fluid communication with a recirculation assembly,, the recirculation assembly comprising a recirculation pump and a filter downstream from the recirculation pump and upstream of the mold cavities,, and wherein the recirculation pump is configured to urge liquid water from the drain conduit to the mold cavities via the filter. a cabinet defining a chilled chamber; an ice maker in thermal communication with the chilled chamber, the ice maker defining a vertical direction,, a lateral direction,, and a transverse direction,, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the ice maker comprising: a mold body,, a plurality of mold cavities defined in the mold body,, each mold cavity of the plurality of mold cavities extending between a floor and an opening along a longitudinal axis,, each mold cavity of the plurality of mold cavities enclosed by at least one sidewall between the floor and the opening,, the longitudinal axis of each mold cavity oriented generally along the vertical direction;; a heater in thermal communication with the floor of each mold cavity of the plurality of mold cavities,, the heater configured to maintain water within a lower portion of each mold cavity in a liquid state; and a drain conduit in fluid communication with the mold body and configured to receive a flow of liquid water from the mold cavities, characterized in that the drain conduit is further in fluid communication with a recirculation assembly,, the recirculation assembly comprising a recirculation pump and a filter downstream from the recirculation pump and upstream of the mold cavities,, and wherein the recirculation pump is configured to urge liquid water from the drain conduit to the mold cavities via the filter. a mold body,, a plurality of mold cavities defined in the mold body,, each mold cavity of the plurality of mold cavities extending between a floor and an opening along a longitudinal axis,, each mold cavity of the plurality of mold cavities enclosed by at least one sidewall between the floor and the opening,, the longitudinal axis of each mold cavity oriented generally along the vertical direction;; a heater in thermal communication with the floor of each mold cavity of the plurality of mold cavities,, the heater configured to maintain water within a lower portion of each mold cavity in a liquid state; and a drain conduit in fluid communication with the mold body and configured to receive a flow of liquid water from the mold cavities, characterized in that the drain conduit is further in fluid communication with a recirculation assembly,, the recirculation assembly comprising a recirculation pump and a filter downstream from the recirculation pump and upstream of the mold cavities,, and wherein the recirculation pump is configured to urge liquid water from the drain conduit to the mold cavities via the filter.