Would You Use A Stainless Steel Ice Cube Tray?

i just found your blog while looking to learn more about all metal ice cube trays. I have mast cell activation disorder and anything put in plastic sends me into allergic reactions that often progress into full blown anaphylaxis.

I have been plastic free (or avoiding it as much as i can) for over 2yrs now. In all that time I have not been able to make or use ice for myself. we used a plastic ice tray and I got very ill- I never thought I would find ice in my life again. 

After reading your experience with them I am going to buy one. I am also going to look through your site and other links provided. 

Thank you for creating this blog!

Sadly, those stainless trays are made in China.  Can we really trust them?

I purchased metal trays about fifteen years ago and have used them ever since. There is a danger with leeched dioxins, etc with freezing as there is with heating. That is what I have heard from reputable sources. I avoid food and plastic whenever I can, and that is at least 90 percent of the time. With the metal trays, you need to run cold water over the tray enough times so that the lever will pull up. That is a necessary step in order to avoid damaging the tray.

I would use metal. It is my understanding that the toxins will leach rapidly into any liquid.

Have you ever noticed that your refrigerator is probably lined with plastic walls and door panels. I can taste this from foods that get exposed too long in the freezer - especially the ice even when it is made with filtered water. Assaulted from every angle. Go within. Make peace with god. Return more present authentic and aware of all that is.

That's a great idea. I've been using mine lately for coffee cubes. That way I can have ice coffee without diluting it with watery ice cubes. And I don't have to worry about hot coffee I in plastic trays.

To those with built in ice cube makers, you should know that they are major energy hogs http://www.earthtechling.com/2011/04/save-energy-cash-by-nixing-the-ice-maker/ They main reason I would want a metal tray would be for freezing things like leftover wine, broth or tea. I could pour them in hot & not worry about leaching chemicals.

I would use stainless steel if I needed to use an Ice Tray

Are you still using this? I need to replace my plastic trays in my effort to get all plastic out of my kitchen (and home).

I still have one of the metal trays (and a number of plastic ones). Frankly, I'm not sure why I keep the plastic ones, because I like the metal one so much better. I prefer it, not only because it's not plastic, but because you can break up the ice, remove the grid, take as many cubes as you wish easily (no flipping it over or struggling to get the cubes out of the holes in the tray) and leave the rest in the tray if you like. Plus, I rather like the fact that some of the ice often chips a bit. If they weren't so expensive now, I'd buy more stainless ones.

I recently noticed tiny flakes of somthing in all my ice made from all of my 3 different types of plastic ice trays ?! And yes I use a water filter on my kitchen faucet I use for the water . Anyone know what might the heck might be going on here ?

I have been doing a lot of research on plastic the last year & I love your blog... anyways, this is the first comment I've done.. What I know about plastic is that leaching happens more especially when it is heated & cooled (frozen). So, I would definitely prefer a stainless one over plastic! I love that you put the cubes in the glass bowl too.. plastic is oh so trashy! I'm a college student & don't really have any belongings other than my clothes.. but I'm slowly gathering non plastic home stuffs for when I've got a place of my own! (I found some awesome food storage containers at an Antique shop in town--I suggest checking out places like that too!) Anyways, love your blog & happy to see other people here who care about life & are anti plastic. xxoo Anna Fay

As a physician, pathologist, I heartily agree with your and your readers concerns re plastic. Our culture is steeped in plastic, with soft drinks, food wrapping of meat, so-called bottled water, and on and on. I would add an additional caution: Don't overlook all of the other ways that we ingest plastics, and so many other toxic chemicals. Read labels carefully, avoid food grown or processed in other countries which use our pesticides and fertilizers, fish which ingests fertilizer and mercury, chicken which may be fed arsenic-laden feed, and the list goes on. I don't think that the cancer rate in America is coincidental. The increased incidence follows the same curve as this country's use of chemicals for increased production, bacterial control, taste, coloring of food, wrapping in plastic, etc. So our apparent advancement has a hefty price tag. All of this is especially pertinent to young children, who have a lifetime of exposure ahead of them.

I don't like plastic; agreed there. I tried the silicon ones, and frankly, they REEK. My freezer itself doesn't smell, but the trays sure did after awhile, and no amount of handwashing could get the funky smell out (I don't have a dishwasher, so I don't know if that would work). Either way, I wasn't about to eat any ice from something so nasty-smelling. Plus, since at the time, I didn't use much ice, and the cubes evaporated fairly quickly. I just bought one of those freakishly expensive stainless steel ice cube trays, and my first attempt at dislodging the ice with the handle was very difficult, I will admit--but I think I filled the tray too full. One rinse with warm water, however, and it worked like a champ. I emptied the tray into a covered container that I bought just for that purpose--to prevent more funky smells and evaporation, and refilled the steel tray. It freezes FAST. Contrary to someone's worry above that this might not work for an ice-loving family, I think it would work perfectly--you just empty the tray into an larger container, and refill as necessary. It makes 18 big cubes.

@ Brigid The world was once seen as flat, smoking was thought to be good for you, and fluoride really doesn't do anything for your teeth. Anyway if your uninformed about plastic, a good documentary to watch is Addicted to Plastic It will really open your eyes to the problem of plastic, both environmental and health.

I don't know if it's the minerals in our water or that our ice cube trays are too soft, but I have a terrible time getting the cubes out. I twist and twist and they never pop out. I found myself wishing the other day that they would crack so that I could buy new stainless trays. :)

I also debated on my plastic ice trays. In the end I decided I would put them on the shelf and try something new (that is really old). I bought a nice glass mixing bowl at a thrift store and an ice pick at a local big box retailer. Another bummer about that was the awful and unnecessary plastic package it came in. I wish I could have found one another way. For ice, I pour a decent amount of water in the bowl and freeze it. I then take it out, flip the bowl upside down, place it on a cutting board, and wait for it thaw just a little so that the block of ice falls out of the bowl. I then put the block back in the freezer for a few minutes to get the surface moisture to refreeze. Once ready, I take the block of ice, place it on a cutting board, wrap a towel around it, and go to work with my ice pick. I end up filling another bowl with these interesting looking ice chunks that are every bit as good as cubes. They look great in a mixed drink! "Basic Instinct" references aside, I think this is a fun and effective way to make ice.

I found some vintage spring loaded ice cube trays on EBay for less than $10. I thought that Beth's cubes like a good size for a portion of babyfood. I could see why there would be a market for these trays given that many more people are making their own babyfood. Love all of the progressive products Emily

@Brigid We use a towel when using our stainless steel tray. That way our hands don't get cold. We haven't had any big problems with the handle sticking, so long as we don't fill it up too far. It does take a good tug, but I'm a weakling and I can use it just fine. (Might not be suitable for those with severe arthritis or similar conditions, though.) I do wonder how the stainless steel and aluminum ones compare. I saw an aluminum one at a resale store just recently, but I try to avoid aluminum around my food, too. It seems like the stainless one would be a bit sturdier. The part that scares me about plastic is that it DOES degrade -- and degrade into bad things. It used to be that they thought plastic would be around forever, but turns out it does break down. And even before it degrades much, it becomes less useful. We went through several soft plastic trays because they brittle as they aged. Turns out, that's what happens when BPA leeches out of plastic. So, yes, I do think there is cause for concern. How does the footprint compare? Well, by the looks of the antique aluminum tray I saw in the second hand store, as well as the construction of the tray we have, I think our tray will be around for some time -- much longer than a typical plastic tray is useful for. And, when it's time is up, it can be recycled.

NEVER!!! I remember those metal ice cube trays from my childhood. They were horrible! The lever always stuck, and then it would release suddenly and the ice cubes would explode all over the kitchen. I would always cut or bruise my hands in the process, and it always seemed to hurt twice as much because they were already cold. Also, my hands always stuck to the metal surfaces. OK, our trays were aluminum, but somehow stainless just seems like overkill. Has anyone ever shown that plastic leaches out of ice cube trays into the ice cubes, or are we all working on guesswork here? I'm pretty serious about buying organic, avoiding canned food, not using plastic containers in the microwave, etc., but this risk seems to be pretty theoretical. Our ice cube containers came with the fridge, and I bought another set at a garage sale. They last pretty much forever, so they are not going into the waste stream anytime soon, and they perform their allotted function (making ice cubes and releasing them easily) beautifully. I do think plastic has a place in the world—when the alternatives are less efficient or have a higher environmental cost. I find it hard to believe that the stainless steel tray doesn't have a bigger environmental footprint than the plastic trays, and like them, it's not biodegradable. While it may fit into a no-plastic lifestyle, from a more holistic point of view I'm not sure it's the better choice.

I like the idea of stainless ones, but I am sticking with my plastic ones. Seeing as how they never get heated up, I am not that worried about 5 year old plastic leeching into my ice cubes. When they need replacing, I will get metal ones, but for now will use up what I have. Thought-provoking post.

The cost of this is pretty darned prohibitive so I haven't made the plunge yet. Still using our cracked plastic ice cube tray .-= Billie´s last blog ..Funny Story =-.

I agree completely with Daharja! I don't think ice cube is a necessity! Currently we have two ice cube trays that we got used with no plastic number so I can't say that I trust them... But we have not used them for years! We are perfectly fine with the temperature of the drinks that come out of our fridge! We just don't serve us huge glass when the temperature is hot! The fact that I am not a fan of any diluted drink weight surely in the balance ;o) Also, when we had ice cubes in the freezer, they are usually so old that they taste like crap ;o) But, for answering your question, I have a bad flaw, I put health before environment, so if I would to choose, I would buy I new stainless steal one...

I also remember the metal ones from my childhood. I also remember as a child often having difficulty getting the metal bar to lift up and thus spilling ice all over! Regardless, I currently have plastic and have no problem with my ice touching plastic. Since these plastic trays still work, I will continue to use them until they are as used up as they can get, then purchase metal ones. .-= CC´s last blog ..Boxtops for Education =-.

I totally would, we had one when I was a kid, but we then got a fridge with an ice maker on it. We have an ice maker now, but I am sure it uses plastic... I am so glad I found your site. I made the declaration last month that I want to remove plastic from my life (mainly because I am concerned about the chemical leaching). It also has an environmental factor--as in that stuff is really terrible, have you read "Garbage Land" by Elizabeth Royte? She titles the chapter on it "Satan's Resin" and it so is. Its kind of scary how much plastic there is and the things you have to do to avoid it!

@kimberly I've tried silicone trays, but I found them more difficult to use. You have to put a plate under them or else they bend and spill, but I didn't have a plate the right size or shape. Plus, in my experience, the ice was not as easy to get out as it is using the steel tray.

@Daharja We did without ice cube trays for a while, but finally bought the steel tray. It wasn't a necessity, but it is convenient when we want to cool down drinks quickly (and living Florida, cold drinks are just about a necessity).

i think i'd just go for a silicone tray (new).

Am I being too ascetic when I say that I really don't consider ice trays one of life's necessities? We have a whole stack of them sitting in our freezer. Empty. I never bother filling them because we never use ice. And yes, I live in a cold country now (New Zealand) but it was the same when I lived in Adelaide, Australia, and temperatures regularly soared above 100F. I just don't think people really need ice cubes to live a fully and happy life. If you absolutely MUST, then buy secondhand stainless. Because the more I do research on plastic, the more I'm starting to think the stuff should be banned completely - there are too many studies coming out telling us it is dangerous and fouls up the planet too much. .-= Daharja´s last blog ..Composting our lives =-.

My partner is the ice-lover, and we have an icemaker in the fridge. I do buy yardsale plastic trays to freeze pesto/seasonings. We had those aluminum-type trays when I was a kid; I hated them then and try to avoid aluminum kitchen stuff now. I'm happy enough with my used plastic trays (at a quarter or less each) for the limited purpose I use them. I don't think the trays with the pull bar would work as well for my purpose.

Hi Beth, I fully agree with your pre-plastic equipment usage. The 'convenience' of plastic is no longer acceptable due to its waste impact. Promoting alternatives will help consumers who are often forced to buy plastic packaging etc.

Well seeing as I have one of them thar newfangled Ice Maker machines in my freezer, I would say nope. But if it went out - Sure. I too grow up with the metal ones, never had a problem working the nechanism (and I was a little kid) My mom hated them though. As it is for now, when I make frozen dog treats or herb (basil) cubes I use plastic ice trays- one is for the shape (dog treats) and the other size (basil cubes). BTW I found a source for breed specific handmade dog metal cookie cutters"> if any one is interested .-= Rob´s last blog ..Buiy Hand Challenge- Easy to make Cell Phone Cradles =-.

I just recently discovered my grandmothers metal trays (look just like yours, but as you said, not stainless steel) packed away somewhere, and started using them. They bring back great memories, they're not at all difficult to use, and I much prefer them to plastic that eventually discolors and cracks.

I was looking for something to replace my plastic ice cube trays. They were just crappy. I was looking into metal tray, on your advice actually. I never got around to getting one, my mom got me a silicone one, the cubes are so easy to get out and it's better than plastic, isn't it? I honestly don't know, but it will last me a long time I am sure so I am happy with it.

If I didn't have an ice maker, I'd probably hit the thrift store to see what kind of used plastic tray I could find there. The cost is less, it's getting a second life, blah, blah, blah. Now, if I got to the thrift store and they had plastic and metal, I'd go with the metal for the coolness factor! .-= Kellie @ Greenhab´s last blog ..Homemade Sandwich Wrap =-.

Yes, I would use a steal one, but we already have plastic ones so it seems a waste to replace them. Also, I rarely use ice so I don't really care about it being in plastic.

Convinced that water freezing in plastic = bad leaching and increased health risks -- and because our freezer doesn't have an automatic ice maker -- I opted to add our plastic trays to the "yard sale" pile and buy stainless steel. My husband *still* comments bitterly about their cost ($30 per tray!), yet will not use the plastic trays anymore, either. I don't know if I made a good decision or not, but it can't *hurt,* right?

My husband and I love our stainless steel ice cube tray! We had the plastic, but really didn't like the idea of the BPA leeching into our ice. And I swear I could taste it. At any rate, seeing how the trays got brittle with age (as the BPA leeched out), we finally decided that we didn't want anymore plastic ice cube trays. The steel ice cube tray is kind of a conversation starter. Plus, I think the ice does taste better.

Hi Beth, You know, I'm using the thrift purchased plastic ones right now for freezing leftover purees and such, as the fridge at the new house came with an automatic ice maker. I guess when the current plastic ones give out I wouldn't be opposed to using a stainless steel one, provided it was a) cost effective and b) not logistically tough to use like the old aluminum ones were. Although it looks like your experience was that they weren't difficult to use. Also, as of yet I'm not a parent. But if I were about to be one, I think I might be more inclined to upgrade before the arrival of a new baby, as starting off a little one with reduced exposure would be a priority for me and I could justify the initial cost of stainless steel ice cube trays by the overall extensive savings of making my own baby food cubes. I would assume there are other new moms or moms to be out there who might feel the same. .-= Myscha Theriault´s last blog ..Ten Travel Souvenirs You Can Make with Beads =-.

This is a perfect post for us! We don't have an ice cube tray and I wasn't about to go buying a plastic one. Not so much because of the plastic in my ice issue (which I'm on the fence about), but because I just don't want to bring anymore plastic into my life. I looked for a stainless steel ice cube tray a few months ago and couldn't find one. This looks just like what I was needing. They also have some other great stainless steel products for kids. Loving the stainless steel straw idea!

I'm pretty okay with plastic touching my food. I've always had an ice tray come with the fridge so it just seems lower impact to just use that rather than buy a whole new product. Also, if you have a small freezer, the dish of ice cubes might take up valuable room. .-= arduous´s last blog ..A Moment of Hope =-.

p.s. - Translink can now be used on BART

Funny you should be mentioning this - I was recently thinking of getting metal trays - but can't justify because the plastic ones are fine. I think they are totally cool and should the current trays ever become broken or are mysteriously misplaced, I will totally buy them.

Our plastic ice cube trays came with our fridge, and I will continue to use those until they no longer work. They're 6 years old now and show no signs of wear, so I imagine they have many years left in them. In honesty, I am not the ice cube maker or user in our house. If ours died I could quite happily live without. My husband, on the other hand, not so much. I think he would prefer used plastic over new stainless steel, and so I would be deferring to him. But I think the no-cube option is probably the lowest impact of all. ;) .-= Amber´s last blog ..Why I’m a Censoring Censorer =-.

I think stainless steel is always preferable to plastic - though I remember those stainless steel trays with levers from my childhood too, and I remember them being difficult to use. But I'd be willing to give them a try. Lucky for me my current frig has an icemaker so I don't need any trays at all. If I was going to buy new trays I would rather buy new ss ones than used plastic ones. That's a bit yucky to me. .-= Dawn Bertuca´s last blog ..Five Ways to Keep A Friendship Going - Even Over Long Distance =-.

I love that you always make me think and evaluate what I'm doing. Our refrigerator has an automatic ice maker which we use but also have about 6 plastic trays from when my first was a baby. We used it to freeze individual servings of mommy-made pureed baby food. This was all pre-plastic-fear times. I rarely use them other than for freezing stocks, herbs or "flavored" ice cubes so I won't replace them for now. I wouldn't put them in the dishwasher so they're not exposed to really high heat so I believe they're "safe" from leaching. But who really knows?? Thanks for always keeping me on my toes. .-= Gina´s last blog ..Help make a reader successful today =-.

My parents had metal ice cube trays like that when I was growing up too. For now, I'm sticking with the plastic ice cube trays that I alreayd have. I'm a big believer in use what you've got. I honestly don't use them much anyway. Most of the time the cube slots are filled only half way with water to make Pekingese size ice cubes. Blitzkrieg earns ice cubes as treats in the summer to help cool him off when in exetremely hot weather because Pekes with their double coat and smashed face are more prone to heat stroke. Can you fill the metal trays 1/2 way to make smaller sized ice cubes? .-= Condo Blues´s last blog ..Porch Chair Revamp Take 2 =-.

Hmmm, this might be a lot of work making ice for a family of six. I would try it though. At one point I got rid of almost all of my plastic food storage stuff and replaced it with glass. I love the glass but I'm finding it hard to store it in my freezer. It slips around a lot in the freezer and I have ended up breaking some stuff. I make a lot of broth to freeze and the quart jars are ok but hard to stack in the freezer. I broke down and bought some Ball brand plastic containers for the freezer and I have to say I don't feel good about it. I always tell myself that the plastic isn't as bad if I'm not heating it but not sure what the truth is. Kind of afraid to find out.