Tovolo King Cube Ice Mold Tray

I ordered these last week in three colors as well as the Orb ice cube tray and the smaller cube version of this. I used to own similar ice cube trays from Ikea (smaller sized cube tray) but found over time a bad taste/smell formed and I noticed a film on the surface of drinks when I used the cubes. Both of these issues have been mentioned towards this brand as well. This brand may actually be the same brand found in Ikea, I am not sure. Because these issues and solutions were mentioned in other reviews (cleaning with vinegar etc, etc..) I felt I was making a pretty informed decision and was prepared for whatever issues may develop. After using the cubes for the first time about 10 minutes ago I have to say I LOVE these trays. They are not perfect, but the resulting cubes are exactly what I have always wanted. Lets get the bad out of the way first. They are silicone so I expect them to be soft and not hold their shape holding it with one hand. I expect to have to use two hands after they are filled. The individual walls are a bit thinner than I expected and they are less firm than their smaller cubed counterparts but they are pretty much what I expected. Fill with care to the top, hold it steady with two hands, and place on a flat surface in the freezer. The only bad thing I really have to say about these trays are I expected to be able to sit them on top of each other in the freezer. With the smaller cubed tray you can fill them, stack them, and they sit level on top of each other. These trays have a beveled bottom so if you place them on top of another tray of the same size, it sits into the tray below. If you want square cubes then you pretty much have to fill the tray to the top. If you want to rest them on top of each other you have to guess how far to fill to and then stack a tray into it. This will result in possible spills if you guessed the water level wrong and a ice cube that is no longer square. Certainly not an issue if you were not going to stack them and of course after they are frozen you can stack them. My solution was to mix the jumbo size cube trays and the normal size cube trays alternating between the two. I was able to stack them nicely and all the cubes came out square. The biggest pro to these cubes are they are huge! You know when you fill a cup with ice and a warm drink and you take a sip and it's not cold yet... Not with these!! I use really big glass mugs so I can fit 3-4 of these cubes into a mug. I filled it with liquid and by the time I sat down with the mug my first sip was cold! no waiting, no mixing, just pour and drink a cold beverage! The cubes also last a long time like other reviewers have said. Because your ice lasts longer you drink does not get as watered down and you can refill and still have an immediate cold drink. If you use a smaller glass you may have an issue of more ice than drink in your cup but my solution to that is, just get a bigger cup :) Since I have just gotten this product I am interested in how they will perform after freezing something other than water. Will they eventually hold a bad taste? and will I be able to get rid of it with vinegar? Will they somehow start to form a weird film that will float in my drink? I certainly hope not. Time will tell. If you want large ice cubes that will quickly cool your drink and last a long time, these trays are the way to go. I love em, and look forward to creating a bunch of cubes and storing them in a sealed container it the freezer. This way I can just reach in my freezer and quickly pull out the number I want.

Hands down great, the cubes are about as big as a standard glass would fit. 1) It melts slower while still cooling the drink equally well due to less surface area. 2) No more re-freezing and drink in your face, one cube does the job. 3) Looks sweet, and makes ice feel like a luxury item once again. I haven't had any trouble removing the cubes, it isn't hard folks (if you can't push a cube out of this thing then how in the world are you able to do much harder tasks like filing for taxes? actually... Think I just answered my own question there). The tray is actually very stretchy and flexible due to the silicone, allowing the cubes to easily pop out with a thumb movement while still hugging the others in place for dispensing; This is great for filling a line of glasses, or saving them in the freezer for later. Re-filling empty cubicles with water before putting it in the fridge is super easy, just one cube will keep the tray rigid as a whole when refilling. I would also recommend this for people who have ice makers, the shape and size is quite the luxury, had it for a few weeks, and putting ice in my water still feels "prestigious". I no longer use the ice of the common folk for my beverages. If you don't live in an area where the water is so hard that you can't cut it with a knife, then you won't have any trouble with this weird coating people are talking about. I live in Atlanta and use city water, the cube comes out as clear ice and nothing else. Cool Tip! For extra glassy ice boil your water first. This will remove all the air dissolved in it. Fun Fact! Hot water freezes faster than room temperature water. (look it up O_O)

tl;dr: This thing is pretty sweet. Buy it. Let me start by stating the obvious: this thing makes ice. And it does it well. If your freezer can freeze, removal's a breeze, but that's not why you're here. You read 600 reviews of a $9 ice cube tray to find out if this is the product that will finally turn your life around and I'm here to tell you it is. The cubes pop out easily and are nice and big with beveled bottom edges (pro tip: flip the cube over and it's got beveled top edges). And here's the kicker: these suckers are big. They fit in a Collins glass, but they create a nice big surface across the top of your beverage that is awesome for floating dark rum over your Mai Tai. If you're clumsy like me, this is a perfect alternative to trying to float using a spoon. It probably even works for virgin drinks (blueberry juice over ice tea? Sounds lovely!). So what about scotch? I take mine neat, but on a hot day a rock might be a welcome addition given a 90 degree liquor cabinet and these cubes cool beverages nicely but melt slowly. Anyone with half an understanding of thermodynamics knows that if it isn't melting quickly, it's not sopping up the heat in the beverage at large as quickly as quick melting crushed ice. This means these cubes really shine in their role as longer term solutions to your beverage's cooling problems. These are slow melting cubes for keeping your drink cool longer. You want it cold fast? Shake it with ice before pouring it over one of these. Final thoughts: this is a great tray, making large cubes. It's not the only size tray you should have, but it's well worth the purchase.

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 six 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. This particular Tovolo tray makes six larger-sized cubes, which are perfect for cooling pitchers of water or soda or ice tea. But I use them just as often for a glass of water or to cool down a warm glass of Diet Coke. The larger cubes 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 of the tray. ✔ PROS -Produces robust, crystal clear ice cubes -Larger-sized cubes don't melt as quickly and keep their form longer; perfect for cooling pitchers -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 and then use your thumb to push out the individual cubes. (It's really not as difficult as it sounds. And remember, these are large-sized cubes, so most of the time you'll only need one or two.) 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.

Let me begin by saying that this ice cube tray is awesome. I'm really enjoying the ice cubes that it produces much more than cubes from a traditional ice tray. The difference is all in the size. We've all used traditional ice cubes before, so you know that you fill your glass with them, make your drink, and about 10 minutes later all of the cubes have almost completely melted. Sure, you got a cold drink, but it was also significantly watered down, especially if you let it sit for a minute or two between sips. That's where the Jumbo cubes come in. They keep the drink cold with significantly less melting. What this means is that you'll need less cubes, less trips to the freezer and less watered down drinks. These cubes last so long that sometimes when I bring a glass of water to the bedroom I'll wake up hours later and still have 2 small cubes left in my glass and nice cool water. (Keep in mind the water was cold when I poured it and I keep my bedroom cool as well) Some of the other reviews mention that it's hard to get the cubes out of the tray. Given the difficulty I've had with the standard plastic ice cube tray I actually find this to be easier in comparison. With a traditional plastic tray I always break some of the cubes into fragments, sometimes they stubbornly won't come out and I always seemed to send a cube or two flying onto the floor. With the silicone tray I hold it upside down over the freezer container I use and give a firm push. You might have to wrestle for a second or two to get the first cube out but the other five come pretty easily in my experience. Finally, I've read about a white residue that some users had a problem with. I fill this ice cube tray using Mavea 1001125 Elemaris XL Water Filtration Pitcher, Black and have never had this issue. To sum everything up, this ice cube tray is a great choice and I highly recommend it to anyone who isn't using a narrow or very shallow drinking glass.

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 this tray and another round of the smaller square cube trays - 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 LARGE ice cubes that melt very slowly. 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 - 1 tray fills 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 LARGE size that is the innovation here and that is the aspect of the cubes that pleases me most. Again, a great idea.

These cubes are near perfect. They are plenty big enough to cool down a glass of scotch and since they have a low surface area to volume ratio they are going to take longer to melt and dilute your drink. They may also not cool it quite as quickly, but for my application that wasn't the point. A lot of people have commented on the off flavor that these can provide. I agree in that when I received my package they didn't smell the freshest. They definitely had some kind of lubricant from the manufacturing process on them. I rinsed them with blue dawn and then let them soak with some dilute vinegar solution (roughly 1:10 vinegar:water). I used apple cider vinegar because its what I had on hand. After a 10 minute soak and a quick rinse the tray had no discernible off odor and the cubes came out tasting like regular ice. I'd also heard that the cubes were difficult to remove, but I didn't have quite that experience. They don't fall out of the tray like an old school plastic tray, but I think thats done on purpose a bit. If you're going to take the time to make perfectly shaped cubes would you want to let them tumble out and chip corners off? A little push up on the bottom of each cube gets it out far enough that I can grab it and lift it out and the mold snaps right back to shape. Overall I'd say these are as close to perfect as you're going to get especially if you fixate on making pretty drinks. The cubes are not only functional, but look amazing and to me thats well worth a quick vinegar rinse and a few extra seconds to take them out of the tray. 5 stars!

My husband has the tevolo spherical ice mold so I wasn't too surprised he bought this in what seems to be a budding passion in ice making haha. What was even more interesting was the 15min discussion on this ice tray. This is definitely different from your traditional ice tray that comes with your freezer from decades ago where u fill, freeze and twist to crack them out into a receiving tray. This is pretty much like your silicone candy tray molds where the rubbery texture allows u to bend and push the ice cube out. This is where the familial discussion comes in. The instructions also advise wetting it to aid in its removal. All that is fine and I thought about how it would be better if the 6 cubes were actually separate within the same tray like the old school plastic ones. That way, one could "isolate" the wetting of that cube. Hmm, one star down? Not really, if the slits went through all the way to give me 6 separated compartments, then it will be too filmsy to transport when refilled with water. Then I overfilled one by accident and water got on the table. Instinctively, I said they should have shorter inner dividers or overflow weirs. That way, the excess water could overflow and fill the other molds. Hmm, yea no, because this is a silicone mold, one can't "twist " to break the ice cubes which would have connected after freezing and expansion. This would work if one could fold over the tray and that brings us back to the "separate compartment "argument. Whatever it is, we like the ice cubes it makes and have gotten use to it. Enjoy your ice. If you thought the same as we did above, you have found a friend. :)