The Best Ice Cube Trays, According to Our Allstars

Hand placing batter into an ice cube tray, two others with frozen ingredients in them — Photo:
Allrecipes / Melanie Giovenzana

Not only are ice cube trays a must for those who don't have an ice maker, but they are also great for making coffee ice cubes for your cold brew, freezing homemade stock and sauce during meal prep, and preserving your summer bounty of herbs.

Plus, you can get ice cube trays in different shapes and sizes to suit your favorite cocktails (like smaller cubes for your gin and jam) and even water bottles. To help pick the right ice cube tray for your needs, we asked our Allrecipes Allstars what they look for in ice cube trays and their favorites for iced coffees, smoothies, shakes, and more.

Our Top Picks

Our Top Pick:

DOQAUS Ice Cube Trays at Amazon ($10)

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Best Silicone:

Tovolo Perfect Cube Ice Mold Trays at Amazon ($17)

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Best for Spill-Proof:

OXO No Spill Ice Cube Tray with Silicone Lid at Amazon ($11)

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Best for Water Bottles:

Lily's Home Silicone Narrow Ice Stick Cube Trays at Amazon ($10)

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Best for Easy Release:

OXO Good Grips Ice Cube Tray at Amazon ($7)

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Our Top Pick

DOQAUS Ice Cube Trays

$8 at Amazon

Why It's Great: Silicone base for easy release; comes with lids; great value

Grain of Salt: Harder to remove many at once

This 4-pack of ice cube trays was overwhelmingly the top choice from our Allstars since it comes with slide-in lids that prevent spills and enable stacking, and the set can make up to 56 cubes total—all for an unbelievably great price. "These are by far the best ice trays I've ever owned," says Allstar Mary Burns.

The trays are made from plastic and silicone, with silicone at the base for easy release. If you usually use a few ice cubes at a time, these are a great option since you can pop them out one by one. Each cube has a maximum fill line, so you can fill it without making a mess in your freezer.

The Details: Made from plastic and silicone; each tray makes 14 ice cubes; dishwasher safe

Allrecipes / Mary Burns
Allrecipes / Mary Burns
Allrecipes / Mary Burns
Allrecipes / Mary Burns

Best Silicone

Tovolo Perfect Cube Ice Mold Trays

PHOTO: Amazon

$16 at Amazon $35 at Walmart $16 at Wayfair

Why It's Great: Thick material; easy cube removal; square-shaped cubes

Grain of Salt: Doesn't come with lids

This thick, durable, and flexible silicon tray makes it easy to remove the cubes without bending and twisting. The 30 perfectly square 1.25-inch cubes are exactly the right size for adding to any glass, or for freezing small portions of ingredients.

Allstar Pat Bernitt has multiple Tovolo trays and has been using them for over three years. "I use them to store homemade stock/broth, large batches of caramelized onions from the slow cooker, spaghetti sauce (for single servings), and even to freeze chili," she says of the Tovolo king cube mold (below).

The only con about these ice cube trays is that they don't typically include a lid. This means you can't stack them on top of each other until the liquids are frozen solid.

The Details: Made from silicone; each tray makes 15 ice cubes; dishwasher safe

Two gray ice cube trays on a marble surface — Allrecipes / Mary Burns

Best for Spill-Proof

OXO No Spill Ice Cube Tray with Silicone Lid

OXO Good Grips No-Spill Ice Cube Tray with Silicone Lid

PHOTO: Amazon

$11 at Amazon $11 at Sur La Table $11 at Walmart

Why It's Great: Protective silicone lids; can be placed in freezer at any angle; low profile

Grain of Salt: Cubes are on the smaller side

We love the reliability of the OXO Good Grips No-Spill Ice Cube Tray as it features a silicone lid that seals water into the trays to prevent leaks and ensures your cubes won't absorb freezer odors. Since the lid snaps shut, the tray can be stored on its side without spilling everywhere.

Both sides of the tray have ergonomic handles, so you can securely transport it to and from the freezer. Lastly, the rectangular shape makes this ice for everyday beverages and not so much for cocktails and food preservation.

The Details: Made from plastic; makes 14 ice cubes; dishwasher safe

Best for Water Bottles

Lily's Home Silicone Narrow Ice Stick Cube Trays

PHOTO: Lily's Home

$9 at Amazon

Why It's Great: Fits in standard-sized water bottles; comes with three trays; inexpensive

Grain of Salt: No overflow rim

There's no need to force refrigerator ice cubes into your water bottle! The long, skinny shape of these molds is specially designed to fit into narrow-mouthed bottles and tumblers. This pack includes three trays, so you'll have no problem keeping multiple beverages cold for hours. As a bonus, the smaller cube size freezes faster than the larger ones, allowing you to make them in a rush.

The Details: Made from plastic and silicone; makes 10 ice cubes; dishwasher safe

Best for Easy Release

OXO Good Grips Ice Cube Tray

PHOTO: Amazon

$7 at Amazon $11 at Target View on Oxo

Why It's Great: Sturdy and well made; sliding lid; affordable

Grain of Salt: Tray has to lay flat in freezer

Plastic ice cube trays get a bad rap and for good reason—a lot of them require a lot of work to get cubes out. Not this plastic OXO one, though. When you want to remove the ice, you just push down on one side of an individual cube and it comes out fuss-free.

"I've had this set for over a year, and I love it," says Allstar Ashley Berger. "The cubes pop out after one 'click' and are a good size for drinking!"

It looks similar to the other OXO model mentioned above, but this comes with a plastic sliding lid instead of a flexible silicone one. The nice part about this option is that you can slide the lid open a little or a lot to remove the exact amount of ice cubes you need. Like all trays with lids, it prevents the cubes from tasting funky from the freezer.

The Details: Made from plastic; makes 14 ice cubes; dishwasher safe

Allrecipes / Mary Burns
Allrecipes / Mary Burns
Allrecipes / Mary Burns
Allrecipes / Mary Burns

Our Takeaway

Our Allstars love the Doqaus Ice Cube Trays because its three trays have silicone bases for hassle-free cube removal, plus the lids allow you to stack them in the freezer and protect the cubes from odors.

How to Pick the Right Ice Cube Tray

Material

Most ice cube trays are made of plastic or silicone, but you can find old-fashioned metal trays. Plastic trays tend to be the most inexpensive and designed with a lid, but they can be harder to clean and may stain or absorb odors. Silicone is more expensive than plastic, but it's easy to clean and usually easier for removing cubes. Nonporous metal is the most durable, but removing the ice can be a learning curve.

At the end of the day, the material and design need to work together. "They need to be sturdy, release easily, and preferably have a lid or something to close them with!" says Berger.

Cube Size

Make sure you choose an ice cube tray with cube sizes suitable for your favorite drinks. For cocktails, consider a large sphere or square mold. Having one big cube will keep your drink from becoming watery. If you want to use an ice cube tray for preserving ingredients or freezing broth, go for trays with 1.25-inch square- or rectangular-shaped cubes. For everyday beverages, you can choose any traditional ice cube tray.

Common Questions

How do you make fancy ice?

If you've peeked at your TikTok FYP or Instagram Explore page in the recent past, you've probably seen the fancy ice craze. Flowers and herbs encased like jewels, or different colors for different flavored ice. The latter is easy—freeze your favorite drink mix and you're good to go—but freezing something in ice takes a bit more prep work. For clearer ice (a key to making this look good), use boiled or distilled water to avoid cloudiness. And just before you place the full tray in the freezer, drop a small amount—a single flower or a single spring of herbs—into the filled ice cube well. And voila, you have pretty ice to impress your guests (or just yourself).

Is silicone or plastic better for ice cube trays?

When it comes to durability and functionality, silicone ice cubes are better than plastic ones. If you want a more budget-friendly option, plastic trays tend to be cheaper. Plastic trays can crack and stain, so we recommend silicone for long-term use.

Should ice cube trays have lids?

You don't necessarily need an ice cube tray with a lid, but lids do provide a lot of benefits. They protect the contents in the tray from freezer odors and, of course, allow you to place the tray in the freezer without spilling. Lids are also great when filling up multiple trays, as you can stack them on top of each other in the freezer.

How do you clean ice cube trays?

Luckily, most ice cube trays are dishwasher safe. But if you prefer hand-washing, you can start by running water into the tray from the bottom and then using a brush or sponge dipped in warm water to scrub off any residue. If there are smells in the tray itself, pour some white vinegar in and let stand for 15 minutes before scrubbing again with warm water.

Why Take Our Word for It?

This piece was written by Stephanie Gravalese, a food and drink writer and recipe developer. Stephanie's work has been featured on Wine Enthusiast, Zagat, Food & Wine, The Guardian, and Food Network. For this article, Stephanie collaborated with our Allrecipes Allstars to compile the best ice cube trays for many different uses.