Ice Cube trays that don't suck.

[red_october]

OK all you happy people out there in appliance-land, I've got a question for you.

The ice cube trays I have now suck. They heave the ice cubes on the floor when I break them appart, and it's a royal pain to get the ice cubes out. I drink a lot of drinks and like lots of ice in my drinks, so this is very annoying. These are the kind of ice cube trays that are plastic and are designed (it would seem) to be inverted and twisted over an ice bin, but since my tiny freezer has no room for an ice bin, I can't use them with an ice bin, and it's hard to get the cubes out. Did some refrigerator manufacturer ever make ice cube trays that worked really well? What is the best design?

 

[maytagbear]

I quit making ice,

and when I really want some, I go across the street and down two blocks to a mini-mart, and buy a 10 pound bag, which lasts me a few weeks.

Otherwise, I am content with drinking my caffeine free diet Coke at room temperature.

Ice cube trays are fairly dismal nowadays. The best were made by Inland division of Frigidaire. Metal, with wax and levers.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[sudsmaster]

When I was in Japan the hotel fridge had some very nice ice cube bottles. These were small flat bottles with impressions for cubes molded inside one of the sides. You filled the bottle with water so that the depressions were filled, then when the water was frozen, you flexed the entire bottle and the cubes would break free but still be contained in the bottle. Then you just shook out the cubes you needed for a drink etc. Very neat and I haven't seen anything similar here in the states, and I've looked. I especially like that the finished cubes, by being contined in a bottle, don't get that frosty "stale ice box" odor and flavor, either.

 

[63getelevision]

GEs Ice N Easy

I bought these years ago from a GE dealer, they came with new GE fridges, and were available seperately. The set of three trays and the bin are of a pliable plastic, maybe a variant of Lexan, and my success rate is about half and half. Most of the time all the cubes are intact. They served in a '61 Frigidaire, an '81 Kenmore, and now, a '98 or 9 Amana. I know you said you don't have room for a bin, but I thought these would be of interest anyway.

 

[rp2813]

Maybe you can find yourself some old school metal ice trays with the lever on top to loosen them. Pull back on the lever, crack 'em loose, remove the lever/divider assembly and you have a trayfull of loose cubes for your drinks.

Depending on your age, you may or may not remember this type of tray. It's what all manual defrost metal evaporator/freezer compartment fridges used to come equipped with back in the olden days. If you filled them with hot water, they'd serve to "re-charge" your evaporator and it would make the ice quicker. Seems backwards, but it's all in the physics.

 

[exploder3211]

What about those metal trays with a leaver that popped the cubes out (some one may have mentioned this and i over looked it)

 

[earthling177]

Sudsmaster, I've seen the ice tray bottles you mentioned somewhere here in US even recently, I can't remember if it was Linen'n'Things; Bed, Bath and Beyond; or maybe Sur la Table. They looked neat, but we have an automatic ice maker with thru-the-door dispenser, so it's very unlikely we'd use the one you mentioned unless we started to say, freeze home-made stock. Good luck!

 

[foraloysius]

What about a portable ice maker? If you're using a lot of ice that would be a convenience worth the money. Personally I hardly use any ice, I have my fridge set to a rather low temperature. I don't like my Coke watered down at the end.

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?cmCat=search&itemId=prod7480457

 

[foraloysius]

In case I need ice I use ice cube bags.

 

[coldspot]

ice cube bags are the way to go. I get them at walmart or k mart there only about $1.89 for 20 bags and easy to use.

 

[sudsmaster]

Ice cube bags, another great idea. But I imagine they are disposable, once you rip them open to get the ice out that's it, right?

I will look for the elusive ice cube bottle in the places you mentioned, Paulo. I do have a very good sxs KA fridge with a good icemaker, so there's no immediate need. But I like the idea so much I'd like to get a couple of the ice cube bottles anyway.

I did find a patent for same, dated 1989. Perhaps that's why they are relatively scarce.