Lékué Ice Box Tray Review

Regardless of what appears to be the favored opinion lately, my low-stakes sizzling take is that pellet ice is horrible. On the opposite finish of the spectrum, the large two-inch cubes in your whiskey glass aren’t any higher. Maybe the worst model of ice are these stabby crescents that come clanking out of the built-in ice dispenser of your father or mother’s ’90s fridge and style distinctly of “freezer.”

Satisfied there was no “worthy” at-home answer for on-demand ice that was worthy of my hard-earned cash, I resigned myself to utilizing the standard customary plastic ice dice trays that each rental condominium freezer has. In spite of everything, they labored nicely sufficient. They froze water into a superbly cheap dimension and form, and stacked properly with no need an excessive amount of house in my perpetually packed freezer. They launch simply with a fast twist. The draw back? I solely had a couple of dozen cubes at any given time. I’d try to squirrel a zip-top bag of them away for future use, however they inevitably received misplaced someplace behind three-month-old leftover stew or Parmesan cheese rinds and I’d neglect about them.

After a couple of years, the arduous plastic trays began cracking. Earlier than I repurchased extra trays, I took to the web to see if at-home ice dice tray expertise had improved in any respect—and reader, it had. I landed on the Lékué Ice Field, 2-in-1 silicone ice dice tray and storage container that’s higher than every other silicone ice mildew I’ve used.

It’s designed to take a seat on prime of the storage field, offering a sturdy base that stops water from sloshing and spilling in every single place earlier than freezing. As soon as frozen strong, the ice releases simply with a fast twist and a poke of every dice. No want to show every dice solely inside out—an additional step that’s so frequent with many silicone molds. And the “cubes” freeze into quirky little gemstone-shaped nuggets. The irregular form permits them to nest snugly right into a rocks glass, chilling a nightcap in a approach that’s each temperature and aesthetically pleasing.

When not referred to as into obligation, the gem-shaped crystals await motion in a treasure chest of a storage bin. The ice tray additionally doubles as a lid, protecting all 132 cubes contemporary and freed from odors in its glossy black and ivory bin. The sq. sides and rounded corners enable the field to retailer simply and far more compactly in my freezer than cylindrical deli containers and mason jars.

Lékué makes use of platinum silicone for the ice tray, which is a step above extra frequent meals grade silicone and is stronger, extra elastic, and longer lasting. Lékué is so assured within the long-term sturdiness of their platinum silicone items, they’re warrantied for 10 years after the date of buy. That’s significantly longer than the few years I received out of my conventional plastic ice trays earlier than they began cracking.

I just lately attended a small feast and a visitor requested for ice for the apple brandy cocktail she had purchased for the group. The host introduced out her Lékué ice field with sufficient ice for all of us, which was met with enthusiasm on my own and a number of other others within the small group. Seems, 4 out of the 7 ladies at this social gathering personal, and are completely tickled with, the shape and performance of the Lékué mixture ice tray/storage field. And with dozens of Food52 buyers spreading reward for Lékué, clearly my mates and I aren’t the one ones enamored.