Perfect Cube Ice Trays

THIS IS A RE-REVIEW: I HAVE A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM!! In just a few days after my initial review - my initial ecstatic review - my trays developed the "fug" or "funk" that some of the others have described. Whatever it was that flavored my ice cubes - they started tasting like a freezer condenser smells. So I ordered another round of these trays and another LARGE square cube tray - and added the spheres while I was at it - why not? The basic problem is that silicone is not a suitable substance for use in the freezer as it absorbs everything that comes into contact with it - whether from dishwashing or just sitting in the freezer waiting to freeze - the trays are magnets for lots of stinky stuff. Stinky stuff that will end up in your ice cubes. I detailed the solution to the first problem below: NEVER WASH YOUR ICE CUBE TRAYS WITH DETERGENTS - NEVER - WHETHER YOU WASH YOUR DISHES BY HAND OR IN THE DISHWASHER. A RINSE WITH HOT WATER SHOULD BE ALL THAT IS REQUIRED AND THAT ONLY FROM TIME TO TIME. (The manufacturers recommend washing the trays in a diluted solution of vinegar and water periodically. I am going to try that with my former set of trays but I don't "relish" vinegar-scented ice cubes!) Second: I use triple-filtered water in these trays. Not the stuff directly from the tap. Or if you want ice cubes that are clear you should use water that has been boiled and then allowed to cool. Third and this was my partners innovation: After they are filled, I am now placing the filled ice cube trays in freezer bags and then sealing them so the trays and iced cubes will not be exposed to the freezer at all - ever - during the freezing process. And, as I also described below, I store the finished frozen ice cubes in a sealed disposable freezer keeper so - again - they do not have the opportunity to absord "stuff" that will make them smell and taste nasty . This may seem like more trouble than they are worth but these cubes really are the PERFECT size and I feel they warrant all the attention! (What an innovative solution JP! Thanks for the suggestion.) MY ORIGINAL REVIEW: I usually don't care for silicone especially in bakeware. But these ice cube trays are just the ticket and they live up to their name = they make perfectly sized ice cubes. Even the silicone is a bit easier to use here and the ice cubes pop out effectively. Perhaps because the cube trays are really not that big - although 2 trays just fill a large Gladware container perfectly and you can store your ice cubes in an airtight environment. Even after many rounds of ice cube making the trays never lose their shape. I, too, do not understand the quibbles with these trays. They, themselves, do not impart any smell at all and lend no scent to the ice cubes either. I keep my freezer impeccably clean and I have a box of baking soda in the freezer as well as the refrigerator - so maybe that's the difference. Also, I never wash silicone in detergent as that will be absorbed by the trays and your ice cubes will be perfumed and make your cubes taste like Dawn or Ivory or Joy or whatever you use. Not good. Again, it's the size that is the innovation here and that is the aspect of the cubes that pleases me most.

These are great little ice cube trays for storing purees and liquids. I not only store homemade baby food, but stocks and broths as well (even tomato paste). The 1 oz size makes these perfect for using later. It's super easy to grab a couple 1 oz cubes for a home-made baby dinner or dessert, or throw in the appropriate number of stock or pastes cubes in recipes, already precisely measured. I like these trays even better than plastic for high-fat and gelatinous liquids (like homemade stock or tomato paste), because these substances get stuck in the more traditional plastic trays (trying to jam stuck cubes out with hot water and a fork is a lesson in frustration). Although the trays are made from flexible silicone, the inner ribs delineating the cubes are stiff enough that the trays can be stacked, as long as the cubes are not over-filled. I use a spoon or spatula to flatten the cubes, and lightly tap the trays on the counter to settle them & remove air bubbles (although this can be messy if done too vigorously with wet purees). Another benefit of the silicone is that I feel more comfortable putting still-warm liquids and purees in them. They are dishwasher safe, and fairly non-stick, so a quick hand wash is usually all that's needed. After a few months of using, they do smell a little like the freezer, but I don't find this lingers on any of the cubes. I'm not sure I'd use these for cold liquids that easily freeze like water, since traditional plastic does so well for that. The silicone trays make stuck cubes a thing of the past, but they are a little less user friendly to work in big batches. For example, sometimes I have to push each cube individually out from the back. I have found that twisting the tray and separating the cubes first helps pushing them out. I have to keep buying more sets, because I like to make big batches of baby food and stock, and my freezer takes a few hours (overnight is best) to completely freeze the cubes. I've got 4 sets so far, for a total of 8 trays.

Resistance to change manifests itself in many ways --- both large and small, sober and amusing. Sometimes you remain in a job for too long without seeking alternatives. Sometimes you can't muster the energy to unglue yourself from the couch. (We've all been there.) And sometimes, God only knows why, you hang on to the same disgusting ice cube trays you discovered abandoned in the freezer after moving into your apartment three years ago. The inertia that kept those cracked plastic ice cube trays in my freezer for three years was abruptly shattered one day when my girlfriend reached in for some ice cubes. "Ewwwww, gross." My girlfriend had planted the seed of shame that led me to log in and search for something new, something bold, something... something that was at least sanitary. And that is how I came to own the Tovolo King Cube Ice Tray. I love this product. It differs from the typical hard-plastic ice cube trays in that it's made of pliable, flexible silicon rubber. It produces 15 robust, crystal clear ice cubes. The cubes emerge almost completely transparent, which stands in stark contrast to the cloudy-looking cubes produced by traditional plastic trays. In my experience, the Tovolo trays produce cubes that seem to keep their form for much longer, so you don't have to worry as much about accidentally swallowing melted-down chunks. The one downside is that you have to kind of twist and squeeze the tray to wring out the cubes, which are often a bit stubborn about coming out. I bought these trays for my parents because I lick them so much and my mom tells me she sometimes has difficulty getting them out. ✔ PROS -Produces 15 robust, crystal clear ice cubes that are perfectly shaped -Trays hold up well with heavy use; they're sturdy -Dishwasher safe -Trays are attractive looking -Trays DON'T crack or stain like traditional plastic trays -Easily stackable in the freezer, even before the water is frozen -Good price point ✔ CONS -It can sometimes be a bit challenging to get the cubes out of the tray. ✔ FYI The trick to removing the ice cubes is to turn the tray upside down while twisting it and using your thumbs to push out the cubes. (It's not really as difficult as it sounds, although my mom finds it mildly annoying.) In sum, I'm so glad I purchased these trays. I would never go back to the cheap plastic kind. All in all a good product at a good price point.

Love it .makes my cubes nice and fast

When trying to fill a ice bin, the curvy cubes leave a lot of wasted space. I hoped to find square cubes without spending an arm and a leg. This worked out great. The cubes take up less space, so I can have more ice within the same bin. One trick to removing the ice, though, is to let the tray sit out for a couple of minutes, just long enough for the ice to start to melt. This makes removal a lot easier. I highly recommend it and will be purchasing another set. Since the tray doesn't take up a lot of space, I'll be glad to get rid of the traditional white trays.

Makes nice sized cubes but they arent super easy to get out.

My chihuahua loves chicken and goats milk but since he's so tiny, he doesn't finish either before they go bad. I've frozen chicken in a bag before but it's a pain to take small amounts off a frozen block. These molds are a game changer! They allow me to cook up a large batch of chicken (taking advantage of sale prices), blend it with broth, then pour it into the molds. After about 8 hours, or overnight, it takes maybe 3 minutes to pull them out and put them into a bag for a quick, portion sized addition to his kibbles. Similarly with the goat's milk, I just portion it out and freeze it; I'm saving a ton of money buying a larger size milk and he actually enjoyed it frozen! Win, win all around. Reading reviews helped a lot and I haven't had any issues removing the frozen cubes. Make sure they freeze completely, then simply bend the tray a little and push the center cube out from the bottom, pulling it once it's about half way out. I remove the center row first, then the sides. They don't twist and pop out like plastic ice cube trays but they stay frozen during removal (don't dip the tray in hot water) and I find it easier to store the cubes in a plastic bag than in the trays. Since I have an ice cube maker, these will be used primarily for my dog but they'd work great for preserving small amounts of leftover sauce, fresh herbs, making infused ice cubes, etc. They hold just over 1 oz, so I am thinking about getting a larger size but for now they're working out great.

I would have initially given this four stars. The only initial complaint I had was that the ice cubes were hard to remove. I have had these trays for over a couple years, where I have been pleased with the size and shape of the ice. I almost never use ice, which is why I probably never realized the increasingly bad smell/taste. Additionally, I only ever use ice for mixed drinks, so perhaps the drinks overpowered the off-flavor from this product. I thought the ice tasted a bit odd from time to time, but after cleaning the tray the flavors became undetectable every time this happened. I own the Tovolo Sphere Ice Molds, and I LOVE them. I do not get any off-flavor, and I find them easy to use. I am surprised that these are the same brand. I have never given a product one star before. This mostly stems from the fact that I have been trying to locate the horrible smell in my freezer for months and months. I never took the time to focus on what I thought would be the last thing to smell. Since I rarely made ice, I just didn't notice sooner. I finally took them out today for heavy scrubbing, and now I can smell it from the kitchen drying rack as I sit in the living room typing this review. I tried dish soap, bleach, vinegar, Pine-Sol, boiling water, and let them soak in soapy water for hours. Nothing. If anything it smells worse. I will simply have to get rid of these trays. I feel bad giving up. On a positive side, the construction of the trays feels sturdy, and the ice cubes do look nice. Overall, it's just not worth it. Maybe it's not 100% silicone, I'm not sure. Just please stay away if you are sensitive to plasticy aromas and flavors.

The cubes are about 1 inch by 1 inch each - they're silicon as ordered. I liked it - and find the cubes easy to take out by rolling the silicon sides.

I'm not using it for ice cubes, but maybe one day I will. I saw a recipe online that used and recommended these molds. Vegan jello made into single serving jigglers. Deep enough to add fruit. I was skeptical but it worked really well. It's firm so keeps it's shape. Maybe because the back is flat. The jello came out with little effort and in perfect shape.

It's an ice cube tray and it works. Love the color too. Summer drinks here we go! Can be a little tricky to remove ice but it's silicone so it won't crack, break or bend in the middle like the old school plastic ones. Just to help the one user out.. I got you don't worry! If it spills when you fill it too much, try filling it less. Thank me later.

Lo compré en color verde porque costaba menos que los otros juegos arriesgándome a que fuera demasiado brillante PERO no es así, es un color bastante vivo pero no desagradable. La textura del silicón es mediana, ni muy gruesa ni muy fina, y los hielos salen de buen tamaño. Me encanta!

Works surprisingly well though it’s a bit fiddly when you figure out how to remove the ice cubes the first time. Bonus: the ice cubes seem to melt slower than others and freeze a little clearer! Highly it’ll last and don’t crack over time like those plastic ones.