The 6 Best Ice Cube Trays of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

W&P Peak Silicone Everyday Ice Tray

View On Amazon $15 View On Belk.com View On Revolve $14

If you’ve run into the common issue of cracking a vinyl or plastic ice cube tray when removing the ice, a bendable silicone tray is a great solution—like this W&P option. The low-effort, flexible ice mold pops out 12 square cubes. Measuring 1.25 inches, the tray’s ice cubes are small enough to drop into a cocktail on the rocks yet large enough to shake without quickly diluting.

The cubes produced during our testing were some of the prettiest and most consistent you can make in a residential refrigerator. They did not have any sort of plastic smell from the silicone. And despite the fact that the lid does not fully seal or attach to the tray, it still prevents any food or freezer smell from infecting the cubes. Each cube is easily removed from the silicone mold; however, sometimes cubes stick to the bottom of the mold, producing less-than-perfect ice.

We found that all these trays could be stacked nicely in the freezer and are dishwasher-safe. Plus, they come in neutral and fun colors like blue, charcoal, marble, confetti, and more.

Material: BPA-free silicone | Number of Cubes: 12 | Shape of Cubes: Square | Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.6 x 1.6 inches

Best for Whiskey

Tovolo Sphere Ice Molds, Set of 2

View On Amazon $11 View On Wayfair $14 View On Walmart $11

Tovolo’s plastic-silicone molds release orbs of ice. Half the mold is sturdy plastic, and the other is flexible silicone to easily extract ice from the mold, which can be a little tricky at first to use. Just put the mold together, fill it with water, and 24 hours later, you will have clear, 2.5-inch circular ice. (Tip: For the clearest ice, use distilled or pre-boiled water).

The design of these molds makes them a favorite among cocktail aficionados, and when put to the test, they produced an almost perfect sphere that melted slowly so as not to overly dilute a cocktail or spirit. They are almost perfect because, in reality, some inconsistencies can occur. And that, of course, results in less-than-perfect spheres every time. Keep in mind that the ice is also a bit large, so it might not fit in every glass every time.

Product tester Sarah Freeman found the molds release easily and noted that the fact that they are a combination of plastic and silicone means they resist freezer smells, which is a bonus.

In addition to the sphere, Tovolo offers mustache, rose, and highball-shaped ice molds. Plus, you can fill the mold with flowers or colorful juices. Once frozen, they add visual appeal to cocktails or punch bowls. The set comes with two BPA-free, dishwasher-safe molds.

Material: Plastic and BPA-free silicone | Number of Cubes: 2 | Shape of Cubes: Round | Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 3.5 x 6.5 inches

Best Stainless Steel

Onyx Stainless Steel 18-Slot Ice Cube Tray

View On Amazon $39 View On Food52 $30

The stainless steel construction of this Onyx ice tray not only means it's incredibly durable, but it also keeps the contents from absorbing freezer odors—making it great for freezing broths, herb cubes, or fruit juices without other flavors lingering. While this tray isn’t flexible like a silicone mold nor includes a lid, you use the stainless steel handle and removable divider to extract ice: when your ice is frozen, flip the handle up and pop out the cubes.

The Onyx tray is a beautiful addition to an area of the kitchen that doesn’t get much love, the freezer. In theory, the metal tray is a clever concept, releasing all cubes with the pull of a lever, but when we tested this tray it did not work as promised, ultimately making it difficult to justify the price tag. During one test, only three of the larger-sized 18 cubes were released from the tray, with the rest sticking to the metal divider. The manufacturer recommends letting the tray sit at room temperature for several minutes in order for the cubes to properly release, but it took closer to ten to 15 minutes before the remaining cubes were freed.  The ice could also potentially be removed by tapping or running warm water on the back of the tray.

Material: Stainless steel | Number of Cubes: 18 | Shape of Cubes: Square | Product Dimensions: 11.25 x 5 x 2 inches

Best for Clear Ice

W&P Peak Clear Ice Mold

View On Amazon $27 View On Wandp.com

For serious cocktail enthusiasts, invest in a mold that creates show-stopping cubes. This W&P model makes one large, crystal-clear 2-inch ice cube, and it's made up of a silicone mold and insulated sleeve that come together to make the cube.

During our testing, we slipped the mold into the sleeve and filled it with water. We found its top-down design froze the ice without any bubbles or impurities, while gravity pushed the bubbles to the bottom of the mold with a small section capturing impurities, leaving a clear cube at the top. The bottom of the sleeve pops out to make for easy removal of the mold.

Note that this ice mold makes only one cube at a time and stands quite tall in your freezer (5.75 inches high). Additionally, since these ice cubes are larger than the average cube, they can take up to 24 hours to freeze thoroughly. But the mold is snap to use, and Freeman found the results were just about flawless.

Material: Silicone | Number of Cubes: 1 | Shape of Cube: Square | Product Dimensions: 6 x 4.5 x 4.5 inches

Related: The Best Ice Buckets

Best Easy-Release

Kitch Easy Release White Ice Cube Trays

View On Amazon $9

If you often struggle with getting ice out of a tray, consider an easy-release option like these trays from Kitch. These flexible plastic trays are designed to pop out ice cubes without even needing to twist the tray or bang it on the counter, as compared to similar plastic ice cube trays. They also stack nicely in the freezer for convenient storage. 

In our tests, we found the Kitch tray to be easy to fill with notched compartments that allow for more even cubes, and the high walls prevent overflow or spillage while transporting. The standard-sized trays are made to fit and stack in traditional freezers. Each tray has handles for easy maneuvering. The resulting cubes come out of the tray easily without even doing the usual twist and smack that's required with similar plastic trays.

A great value, each tray easily makes 16 ice cubes and is available in a pack of two (for a total of 32 cubes) or four (for a total of 64 cubes)—perfect when making cocktails for large parties. The ice cube trays are also 100 percent BPA-free and dishwasher-safe.

The Kitch tray is a step up from your run-of-the-mill ice cube tray, thanks to its super easy release and sturdy stacking. The only downside is that over time, the trays can crack.

Material: Plastic | Number of Cubes: 16 | Shape of Cubes: Square | Product Dimensions: 12 x 4.5 x 3 inches

Related: The Best Coolers