I Don’t Have an Ice Dispenser but These Easy-to-Use Silicone Trays Are the Next Best Thing

Not only is my fridge pretty small, but it also lacks an ice dispenser. I’m an iced coffee drinker, so you can imagine how much of a bummer this is for me. Sure, I could invest in ice trays — and one of my roommates did. He bought a couple of basic plastic trays that even came with their own slide-off lids. I was actually quite excited to use them, only to find that I wasn’t physically able to pry off those pesky lids. Call me a weakling, but I’m not partial to working up a sweat while trying to make a simple cup of coffee. For a while, I simply settled for drinking lukewarm coffee, which did the job, but wasn’t nearly as satisfying as I would’ve liked.

Then, I got a chance to try two of W&P’s silicone ice trays: the pebble tray and the crushed ice tray. After covering one of their cup cube freezer tray launches earlier this year, I’d had the brand in the back of my mind, so I was thrilled to get to use their products firsthand. And let me tell you, these easy-to-use trays were everything I’d hoped for. No more unwelcome arm workouts for me!

All of W&P’s ice trays are made of food-grade silicone, which has a thin and flexible but sturdy feel. They come in multiple shapes and sizes, so whether you prefer classic cubed ice or long rectangular chunks for tall glasses, you’ll be able to find something that suits your needs. When browsing the different molds, I instantly took a liking to the pebble tray, which produces those cute, tiny cubes that you get in your drink at trendy cafes and cocktail bars. I also liked the crushed ice tray, which I figured could be good for my stainless steel water bottle, as I don’t like the sound of big cubes banging around in there when I bring it places. Each tray also comes with its own lid, which is great for preventing freezer odors from penetrating your ice.

Unlike plastic ice trays, which I frequently struggled to open and extract ice from, these trays are seamless in every way possible. When I first filled them up, I was worried their flexible silicone would allow the water to spill over the sides, but by some principle of physics that I don’t understand, that never happens. If you do overfill your tray, though, you can simply pull the lid over it and essentially shave the excess water right off the top. The lids slide into place and stay put, which allows me to store the trays on top of each other in my tiny freezer. Even stacked, they’re so compact and barely take up space.

But by far, the best part is how easily the ice pops out. Once you take your silicone tray out of the freezer, you just bend it a few times (the crunches are so satisfying). Then, remove the lid, hold the tray over your cup, and poke out as many cubes as you want in one go. And with two trays, I feel like I never run low on ice, regardless of the fact that I now add it to everything — coffee, water, smoothies, you name it. These might just be the best things in my kitchen.

Buy: W&P Pebble Ice Tray, $14, and Crushed Ice Tray, $16