Picking the proper size and shape of cubes for cocktails is usually the last thing on your mind when making drinks, but the right ice can really take your favorite drinks to the next level.
If you want to elevate your at-home cocktails, check out the ice cube molds and trays below. We have what you’re looking for, whether you want crystal clear spheres or perfect cubes.
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- Best Overall: W&P Peak Silicone Everyday Ice Tray
- Best Round Cubes: Tovolo Sphere Ice Molds
- Best Stainless Steel Tray: ICE001 18 Slot Ice Cube Tray
- Best Cube Mold: W&P Peak Silicone Ice Mold Tray
- Best for Simplicity: Kitch Ice Tray Easy
- Best Small Cubes: niceCube Mini Ice Cube Trays
- Best Kit: AiBas Ice Trays
1. Best Overall: W&P Peak Silicone Everyday Ice Tray
- If you’ve ever cracked a plastic ice cube tray, this flexible silicone tray by W&P is an excellent alternative. The loose ice mold produces 12 square cubes, 1.25 inches in diameter, making them the perfect size for a cocktail on the rocks.
- This tray has no plastic odor, and the lid prevents the ice from absorbing odors from the freezer, keeping your drinks from tasting funny or smelling off-putting.
- Each tray has a matching lid and stacks well in the freezer and is dishwasher safe, making them simple and convenient to use. They’re also available in exciting colors, like cyan, black, and limestone.
Pros
- Adaptable and bendable
- Ideal for ice shakers
- Stacks nicely
- Multiple colors
Cons
- Lid does not snap onto tray
2. Best Round Cubes: Tovolo Sphere Ice Molds
- These plastic-silicone ice molds from Tovolo produce beautiful, spherical ice circles. Half of the mold is made of durable acrylic to remove ice from the mold easily, and the other half is made of flexible silicone. Put the mold together, fill it with water, and you’ll have precise 2.5-inch spherical ice in 24 hours (for the most transparent glaze, use distilled or pre-boiled water).
- You get two BPA-free, dishwasher-safe molds in this set. The spherical molds’ design is what makes them popular among cocktail connoisseurs.
- You can get creative with this ice mold and add flowers or bright juices for an aesthetic impact to cocktails or party bowls.
Pros
- Extraction is simple.
- Melts slowly
- Beautiful design
Cons
- It can be challenging to use a sphere mold
- Ice cubes may not fit in all glasses due to their large size
3. Best Stainless Steel Tray: ICE001 18 Slot Ice Cube Tray
- This Onyx ice tray’s sturdy stainless-steel structure makes it sturdy and prevents the ice from absorbing freezer aromas, making it ideal for chilling soups, coffees, or fizzy drinks.
- While this tray isn’t as flexible as silicone molds, the stainless-steel grip and detachable separator make removing ice simple. Flip the handle up and take out the cubes once they’ve frozen.
- The cube can stick when attempting to extract them, so we recommend allowing the tray to stay at room temperature for several minutes before trying to remove them.
Pros
- Sturdy
- Larger cubes
- Won’t contaminate your cubes with bad aromas
- Comes with a detachable separator for ease of use
Cons
- Can be tricky to remove all 18 cubes intact
- No cover
4. Best Cube Mold: W&P Peak Silicone Ice Mold Tray
- If you want a mold that generates show-stopping cubes for dedicated cocktail fans, this W&P model is for you. It’s a silicone mold and an evacuated liner that come together to form a large crystal-clear 2-inch ice cube.
- This mold is generally easy to use, especially when compared to a round mold. The bottom of the cover pulls off, allowing you to easily remove the finished product.
- This ice mold only produces one cube at a time and takes up a lot of space in your refrigerator (at 5.75 inches high). Furthermore, these ice cubes are bigger than ordinary cubes; they can take a little more time to freeze completely.
Pros
- Produces crystal-clear ice
- Simple to use
- Big size
Cons
- Only makes one cube at a time
- It takes a long time to freeze
5. Best for Simplicity: Kitch Ice Tray Easy
- Try these Kitch trays if you frequently struggle to get ice out of a tray. Compared to conventional plastic ice cube trays, these bendable trays spring out ice cubes with no need to twist or smash the tray on the counter. They also stack nicely in the freezer for easy access.
- The Kitch tray is easy to fill, with slotted sections allowing for more equal cubes and high walls that prevent overflow or spilling while transporting. Traditional freezers can fit and stack the standard-sized trays, and each tray features handles to make it easier to move around.
- Each tray effortlessly makes 16 ice cubes and comes in packs of two or four, making them ideal for creating cocktails for large gatherings. In addition, the ice cube trays are preservative-free and dishwasher safe.
Pros
- Releases quickly and stacks well
- Large quantity of cubes
- Easy to take out cubes from the tray
- Better than traditional ice cube trays
Cons
- Will likely crack over time
6. Best Small Cubes: niceCube Mini Ice Cube Trays
- If you want to create the look and feel of crushed ice, these cubes are for you. Each of the two tiny ice cube trays yields 160 small cubes. The small size imitates broken or crushed ice, making them an excellent addition to some of your favorite cocktails. In addition, crushed ice cubes work great for coffee drinks, mochas, and smoothies. You can also use the little cubes to fill bottles.
- The manufacturer recommends twisting and stretching the trays to release the cubes, but getting them out from the center of the mold of each tray, despite the manipulation, can be challenging.
- Filling these trays is a little difficult because of the shallow shape, and you cannot stack them in the freezer. The tiny cubes are lovely and are a great option if you want to replicate crushed ice, but be warned that they may not be the most practical choice.
Pros
- Makes crushes ices easy
- Freezes quickly
- No need for an ice crusher
- Makes a large quantity of ice
Cons
- Ice melts rapidly
- It isn’t easy to get the cubes out of the tray
7. Best Kit: AiBas Ice Trays
- This kit includes everything you need to make three different types of ice. You get a large circular ice cube tray for spheres, a conventional large cube tray for massive 1.8″ by 1.8″ cubes, and a hexagon tray with a lid that creates 37 smaller ice cubes, though the honeycomb tray’s thin silicone construction causes some uneven cubes.
- Spillage while carrying the trays to the freezer is not an issue, thanks to the trays’ covers. These covers also allow you to stack the square and hexagonal trays. As a result, the cubes are easy to remove from their molds, and they don’t absorb tastes or odors from the freezer.
- All trays are made of non-stick silicone that is food-safe and odor-free. Since the silicone can withstand temperatures ranging from 104°F to 446°F, it may be used to freeze coffees, simple cordials, fruit drinks, and anything in between.
Pros
- Includes a variety of molds
- Makes fancy ice and regular ice
- Sturdy silicone material and lidded design
Cons
- You’ll have to make room in your freezer for them
- Can get oddly-shaped results
Buying Guide
Consider the following points to buy the right ice tray for you:
Material
Hard plastic used to be the standard for ice cube trays, but it was always difficult to get the ice out of the tray. Nowadays, the best trays are constructed of silicone and aluminum.
Steel trays are more challenging to remove cubes from, but they are durable enough not to crack or break over time. Silicone trays are malleable and stretchy, making it simple to remove the cubes. However, silicone will absorb the scents from your freezer over time.
Design
Since the ice cube trays spend the most time in your freezer, look for a tray you can easily fit in among other freezer items. A lid will undoubtedly help and keep freezer odors out of your ice cubes. Also, to avoid spilling, make sure the lid fits tightly.
Cube Size and Shape
Ice cube trays are available in a variety of sizes and forms, as you can see from the products above. There are small cubes that look like crushed ice, standard ice cubes that work well in various drinks, and enormous molds that produce giant cubes that melt much more slowly than traditional ice cubes (take note, Scotch fans). There are also cubes with unusual shapes, such as florals, daggers, circles, and more.
FAQs
What is the best way to clean and maintain an ice tray?
After each use, wash the tray using warm soapy water. If your plastic tray has developed an unpleasant odor, clean it with a mixture of baking soda and warm water.
Is it true that some materials freeze faster than others?
The size of the cube and the quality of the material determine how rapidly your ice freezes. The thinner the material is, the faster the ice freezes. Similarly, the smaller the cube, the faster it will freeze.
Conclusion
The best ice cube trays are determined by the type of ice you want to generate, what you plan to do with it, and if you wish to freeze other beverages or foodstuffs. All of these ice cube trays will meet your requirements and are simple to use, but we recommend the W&P Peak Silicone Everyday Ice Tray if you want something straightforward but still high-quality.
