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Innovative Ice Cube Trays

No freezer is complete without a good ice tray. We tested some new designs that bring this kitchen must-have into the 21st century.

Published May 1, 2013.
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Top Pick

  • Performance

WinnerOXO No-Spill Ice Cube Tray

This tray has a flexible silicone cover that fits snugly, creating a seal that kept water from spilling from the indentations and blocked out freezer smells. The ice cubes released effortlessly from its rounded indentations. The lid can be removed for cleaning.
Model Number: 1132080Price at Time of Testing: $9.99
Full Ratings & Specs
  • Performance
This tray has a flexible silicone cover that fits snugly, creating a seal that kept water from spilling from the indentations and blocked out freezer smells. The ice cubes released effortlessly from its rounded indentations. The lid can be removed for cleaning.
Model Number: 1132080Price at Time of Testing: $9.99
Full Ratings & Specs
See Everything We Tested

What You Need to Know

We’ve all done battle with rigid plastic ice cube trays. Transferring filled trays to the freezer without spilling is dicey, and dislodging frozen cubes is tricky. Worse, most trays aren’t covered, so the ice readily absorbs smells. We tested three models (priced from $4.50 to $32.99) that attempt to solve these problems with silicone or plastic covers or other innovations. Unfortunately, most of the modifications backfired: Filling the one of trays through a small opening in its lid—a feature meant to prevent spilling—was difficult because the lid was opaque; as a result, we added too much water and ended up with cubes covered by a sheet of ice. The silicone tray of another tray is too wobbly to transfer to the freezer once filled. Our winner sports a sturdy plastic base with rounded indents for easily dislodging cubes and a flexible lid that you press into place while pouring off excess water. It prevented spills and kept ice odor-free.

Everything We Tested

Good 3 Stars out of 3.
Fair 2 Stars out of 3.
Poor 1 Star out of 3.

Highly Recommended

  • Performance

WinnerOXO No-Spill Ice Cube Tray

This tray has a flexible silicone cover that fits snugly, creating a seal that kept water from spilling from the indentations and blocked out freezer smells. The ice cubes released effortlessly from its rounded indentations. The lid can be removed for cleaning.
Model Number: 1132080Price at Time of Testing: $9.99
  • Performance
This tray has a flexible silicone cover that fits snugly, creating a seal that kept water from spilling from the indentations and blocked out freezer smells. The ice cubes released effortlessly from its rounded indentations. The lid can be removed for cleaning.
Model Number: 1132080Price at Time of Testing: $9.99

Recommended with reservations

  • Performance

Lekue Ice Box Ice Cube Tray and Bucket

At first we were enamored of this pricey model, which makes small, elegant ice cubes in the shape of faceted jewels. Its flexible silicone tray attaches to a roomy ice bucket and covers it snugly. But unless the ice tray is attached to the bucket, it’s too wobbly for safe transport of water to the freezer, and moving the whole kit every time we made ice proved cumbersome.
Model Number: 0250400B01C002Price at Time of Testing: $32.99
  • Performance
At first we were enamored of this pricey model, which makes small, elegant ice cubes in the shape of faceted jewels. Its flexible silicone tray attaches to a roomy ice bucket and covers it snugly. But unless the ice tray is attached to the bucket, it’s too wobbly for safe transport of water to the freezer, and moving the whole kit every time we made ice proved cumbersome.
Model Number: 0250400B01C002Price at Time of Testing: $32.99

Not Recommended

  • Performance

Fox Run No Spill Ice Tray

The major innovation in this tray was its cover with a fill opening, which delivered on its no-spills promise. But the opaque blue lid makes it impossible to see inside the tray during filling, so adding the right amount of water becomes a matter of guesswork. When the tray is overfilled, a solid sheet of ice atop the ice cubes made them hard to pry out, and after a few rounds of making ice, the lid stiffened and felt brittle.
Model Number: 5030Price at Time of Testing: $4.50
  • Performance
The major innovation in this tray was its cover with a fill opening, which delivered on its no-spills promise. But the opaque blue lid makes it impossible to see inside the tray during filling, so adding the right amount of water becomes a matter of guesswork. When the tray is overfilled, a solid sheet of ice atop the ice cubes made them hard to pry out, and after a few rounds of making ice, the lid stiffened and felt brittle.
Model Number: 5030Price at Time of Testing: $4.50

*All products reviewed by America’s Test Kitchen are independently chosen, researched, and reviewed by our editors. We buy products for testing at retail locations and do not accept unsolicited samples for testing. We list suggested sources for recommended products as a convenience to our readers but do not endorse specific retailers. When you choose to purchase our editorial recommendations from the links we provide, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices are subject to change.

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