6 Ice Cube Tray Sets Under $20 That Upgrade Your Drinks

Here's a small truth nobody tells you about ice: the shape and size genuinely changes your drink. A standard ice tray makes cubes that melt fast, dilute your cold brew or cocktail in minutes, and never quite fill a highball glass the way you want. Larger cubes and spheres melt slower — which means your bourbon stays at the right strength, your sparkling water stays cold longer, and your drinks just look better.

All of these trays are under $20, and most come with lids (which matters more than you'd think — open trays pick up every smell in your freezer). Here's what's worth buying.

Why Ice Tray Size and Material Matter

Silicone is the only material worth buying for ice trays in 2025. Plastic trays crack, stick, and absorb freezer odors over time. Silicone releases cubes cleanly by twisting or flexing the tray — no more running it under hot water and hoping for the best. BPA-free food-grade silicone is odor-neutral and dishwasher safe, and it lasts years with normal use.**

Sphere vs. cube: spheres have the smallest surface area for their volume, so they melt the most slowly. Large 2 in. cubes are nearly as good and fit more glasses. Standard 1 in. cubes are fine for everyday use. If you drink whiskey, bourbon, or anything you'd pour over ice in a nice glass, spheres or large cubes are a genuine upgrade.

Best Combo Set: Adoric Silicone Sphere and Square Ice Mold Set

The Adoric set is the best starting point if you want to try both sphere and large-cube ice without buying two separate trays. One mold makes a 2.5 in. sphere, the other makes four 2 in. square cubes — both with lids.

The flexible silicone releases cleanly and the lids snap on securely to block freezer odors. Reviewers consistently mention the lids actually fit (a disappointingly rare feature). Each tray produces ice that looks like what you'd get at a craft cocktail bar. At around $12 for the pair, this is the best value in the category.

Best Stackable Design: W&P Peak Silicone Everyday Ice Tray

If you want ice trays that actually fit in a packed freezer, the W&P Peak tray's stackable design with a protective lid is genuinely smart engineering. It holds 56 standard-sized cubes per tray in a compact profile.

The lid doubles as the base for stacking a second tray directly on top, so you can fill your freezer vertically instead of taking up shelf real estate. The charcoal color looks intentional rather than default-gray, and the silicone is thick enough that the tray doesn't flop when you carry it full. A good everyday workhorse tray.

Best Sphere Maker: OGGI Flexible 6-Cavity Silicone Ice Ball Tray

The OGGI ice ball tray makes six 1.75 in. spheres at once — which means a full pitcher of iced tea or a round of drinks for guests, all in one freeze cycle.

The flexible silicone pops out spheres cleanly, and the gray colorway looks sleek on the freezer shelf. Six spheres per tray is genuinely practical compared to single-sphere molds, and at under $15 it's the better value for anyone who entertains or makes a lot of iced coffee. The spheres melt slowly enough that iced coffee stays cold for over an hour without getting watery.

Best for Large Cubes Plus Spheres: glacio Silicone Combo Set

The glacio set is consistently one of the top-rated ice tray options on Amazon for good reason: you get one 2 in. cube tray and one 2 in. sphere tray with lids, specifically designed for whiskey and cocktails.

The trays have a built-in easy-fill funnel on the sphere mold that prevents overfilling and spillage — a small detail that makes filling much less annoying. Both trays stack with their lids, and the silicone is thick and durable. This is the set to buy if you drink spirits regularly or want to gift something useful to the person who just got into cocktails.

Best 3-Pack with Lids: Excnorm Silicone Ice Cube Trays

Three trays with leak-proof lids for under $15 is genuinely good value, especially if you run through ice quickly or want to keep a rotation going in the freezer.

The Excnorm trays make large square cubes that are big enough for a rocks glass but not so large that they're inconvenient for everyday drinks. The stackable lids prevent ice from picking up odors, and the flexible silicone bottom means you press up from underneath to release cubes without twisting. Good for families or anyone who goes through ice fast.

Best Crystal-Clear Ice: W&P Crystal Ice Tray

If you've ever seen those perfectly clear cubes at an upscale bar and wondered how they do it, the W&P Crystal tray gets you most of the way there at home. The insulated design slows the freeze rate, which pushes air bubbles out and produces noticeably clearer ice.

The cubes are large (1.5 in.) and have an etched surface pattern that catches light beautifully — they genuinely look different from regular cloudy ice. This is the premium pick in the under-$20 category and a great gift idea for someone who loves their home bar setup.

Quick Tips for Better Ice at Home

• Fill trays 90% full instead of to the brim — water expands when it freezes and overfilled trays spill
• Place filled trays on a flat shelf, not a tilted freezer drawer, for more even-shaped cubes
• Once frozen, transfer cubes to a zip bag to free up the tray and keep ice fresh longer
• Boiling water first and letting it cool slightly can help reduce cloudiness in standard trays
• Silicone trays with lids are the single best upgrade for freezer-odor-free ice

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