Do You Need a Different Ice Box in the Freezer
Open, free-floating ice trays, even silicone ones, are not suitable for storing ice. They tend to break, stink, and there is always one ice cube that will never let go.
You may have a fridge with an ice maker, but even that gets moldy; other people resort to holding a store-bought ice pack or changing four sets of slippery trays. But ice resistance restrictions remain … until now. This summer, stop storing ice in trays and start storing it in the right ice container.
Use an insulated ice box with a lid.
An ice box like this one from Lékué is a double-walled container with a lid, which is key because the lid keeps out the weird freezer smell and the occasional crumbs from your ice. The lid is also silicone and doubles as an ice cube tray that produces irregularly shaped ice cubes, the most adorable ice cubes I’ve ever seen.
A box like a Lékué is different from just storing ice in a bowl in the freezer. I’ve done this before and it’s just terrible – the bowl conducts heat every time I use it and without fail I end up with five or six cubes melted and re-frozen on the base of the bowl. The double-walled ice box provides insulation so you can take it out of the freezer and leave it covered in your home bar with far less melting than one of those beautiful but nearly useless buckets.
The right ice box is also better for parties.
The architecture of storing your ice in a fancy flat lid box makes it a sure winner for parties as well as party prep . The shape of the box holds a lot of ice together without spilling a shapeless ice pack over half the freezer. The flat lid allows you to store things on top without worrying about the trays collapsing or other debris getting into the bucket. Even if you have a refrigerator with an automatic ice maker, you should keep a box of ice on hand when the party starts, fill it up and put it on the table so it’s easy to reach and the kitchen is not crowded.
You will have much less ice
Frequent lack of ice will also become a less constant torment. You can store multiple ice cups in a container, and the view of all your ice in one container makes it obvious when it’s low. Yes, you still have to physically pour water into the tray with a lid, but it fits right on top of the box to keep the freezer organized. And if you want to take your organization to the next level, keep more than one ice box: a milk carton for alcohol smoothie ice cubes, another for Michelada ice cubes , and a third for Mojito ice cubes. Oh, and one for sober ice cubes. Sure, some might call it bougie, but I just call it ready to fly.