Onyx 18/8 Stainless Steel # ICE001 18 Slot Ice Cube Tray

This review is for the set of 2 "Onyx 18/8 Stainless Steel # ICE001 18 Slot Ice Cube Tray," Sold by: Pure Essence Health. Purchased March 2015. I watched several of the stainless trays for some time, reading reviews and trying to sort out which I would take a chance on. These are not inexpensive trays and I didn't want to waste my money. My number #1 concern was that people said that the handles bent after one or two uses. I finally decided to take a chance, knowing that I could return them if they were cheaply made. I've used these trays for almost a week, filling and dumping the ice multiple times. I have had absolutely no indication whatsoever that either of my trays' handles might even be close to bending. These trays are super solid, including the handles. If I do have a problem in the future, I will definitely return and update. I want to back up here and state that when my trays arrived, my jaw literally dropped when I pulled the first one from the box. As a child, I used the old aluminum trays at my grandparents' house, so I think my brain was conditioned to still remember how light those felt in the hand. "Light" does not apply to these Onyx 18/8 stainless steel trays. And to clarify, I would not say that these are too heavy, but simply that they are "heavy," as in "solid." The bottom part of the trays are thick and feel quite dense. That's what I wanted in a tray, and I am MORE than satisfied with this purchase. The very first evening I had these, I filled them up, popped them in the freezer. I pulled them out a few hours later, making ice in them both twice before I went to bed that night. I had ZERO issues with cleanly getting the ice out with an easy lift of the handle. (No wrestling involved.) I filled the trays to just below the top of the ice dividers when I filled them with water. I recall how fractured ice was when I overfilled it in my grandparents' trays, so I learned then not to overfill. Even with using a lower level of water, I had more than enough ice from each tray. When I pulled the trays out to dump the ice, I didn't need to run water over them or leave them sitting on the counter for any length of time, as I wanted to see what would happen if I did that. I wanted to be able to report it here, since so many people reported needing to do those things. I have no idea if having hard water would make a difference, but just in case, I'll report that we have very mineral-rich (hard) water. Again, I'm reviewing the " 2 of Onyx 18/8 Stainless Steel # ICE001 18 Slot Ice Cube Tray, Sold by: Pure Essence Health." I love these and I have every intention of ordering two more.

Why do I use this title? I see a lot of reviews saying it doesn't work but that's because of several things: 1: people over fill it; this tray needs to be filled a small portion of the way up, not all the way to the ribs' end. 2: They didn't wait long enough. If you filled it high then you need to wait 2-5 minutes or run luke warm water over it and wait an additional minute. Otherwise, gently test the lever pulling it *up* (never fill it lever up to push down). If it doesn't crack very well, wait a while longer. 3: they damaged it. This is a sensitive device, if you force it you'll bend and warp the mechanism. You have to gently hinge it. 4: this is in regards to rust. If you keep it in the freezer except to occasionally wash it or to crack out some ice cubes it won't rust very quickly. If it does rust then a wire brush, some vinegar, and a little creme of tartar will clear that rust right up. Just make sure the brush is food safe and to clean with the grain. My review: this is an excellent device, I bought this as a personal moving out gift and have used it vigorously for about two weeks now. It freezes ice much faster than plastic, is very easy to use, and offers a great aesthetic appeal while eliminating waste or risking concerns about chemical leeching. I've avoided all the bad habits listed above or rectified them where necessary and it's worked just fine for these two weeks. No rust, no damage, easy to use every time. It will last you a lifetime and is good for the environment, all provided you take care of it.

I was a bit hesitant to purchase this tray because of the price. I got it for $30 (shipping included) and that seems kind of high to me. And yes, imho, value is important when reviewing a product. That said; I grew up using this type of tray. I think my mom was probably the last person in the USA to start using plastic trays-lol! My mom had the same trays until I was about 15 years old (then we got a frig with an ice maker), so I had a lot of experience using them. 1) This tray is definately heavier and sturdier and thicker than my moms. I'm guessing hers must have been aluminum. From some of the reviews, I was worried that this tray might be thin and cheap feeling (not the case at all). 2) Yes, the tray WILL stick to your fingers...if they are wet! Use dry hands and this shouldn't be a problem. 3) Don't pull the tray out of your freezer and try to release the cubes right away. If you do, it puts stress on the handle & will probably shorten its life. Plus, it will make the cubes splinter and crack (as a child, I liked little slivers of ice in my drink; not so much now that I'm older). INSTEAD, just let is sit on the counter for about 10 minutes. Sure, you can run it under some water if you are in a hurry for the cubes; but there will still be some cracking of the cubes from the water hitting the ice. 4) The ice cubes are a nice size, not small at all; perhaps some reviewers underfilled the tray? I filled mine to about 3 millimiters below the top of the dividers. 5) I don't get why some people are concerned about sharp edges? Maybe the got a defective tray. Edges definately not sharp with mine. I'd be hard pressed to cut or hurt myself with this. Plus, there is really no reason to be handling the bottom of the dividers anyway. You should NOT try to pry out the cubes. Let the tray sit on the counter for a few minutes & lift handle & if a cube sticks, just give it a light tap or push it out from the top of the divider. 6) On the subject of the handle. I doesn't seem any flimsier than when I was a child. And it should be very easy to pull up. If it is not (or maybe you have arthritis), again, let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes or run it under the water. A child could pull this lever. 7) I had to use goo-gone to get rid of the label on the bottom (Why is it, in the year 2012, many products still have the labels/stickers that you have to pry off with chemicals? Come on people!). It was on there so thick, that hot water & dish soap didn't help at all. So, I got the tray yesterday and have made my first couple of trays of ice & am very happy with the product. I got it because my frig ice maker is having problems & the old plastic trays I pulled out of storage had an odor about them. I'm still in a bit of sticker shock over the price. I don't really know if it is worth the price; I guess that will depend on how long it lasts. If I couldn't afford this particular tray, I think I'd probably have gone with the Rubbermaid Servin Saver tray sold on Amazon.

Oh wow! These are the best and we have 3 of these in the freezer right now. Well worth the cost. There are a few important tips for use though. It's important to not overfill the ice, or it's a beast to crack out and you could flex your top piece and ruin the handle. I've found an effective solution for daily use of these items is to fill full, but not to the ridge, and then once frozen, turn ice tray upside down under cold water for 10 seconds before trying to crack the handle. Regardless of what you've read in reviews, trust me, most people simply don't know how to use these traditional items correctly if they complain about durability and what not. If you're wise enough to run water on the bottom side prior to handle cracking, the handle is totally sufficient to crack the ice. Bending of metal is typically a symptom of the ice sticking to tray, not the resistance factor to the normally sized cubes themselves. Since we've given these a quickie rinse upside down before cracking, we've never had a problem with the handles. Depending on your mineral content of your water, you may need to scrub with wire brush or rest in vinegar once a year to recover that perfect metal appearance. These things are awesome and we choose them because we're firmly committed to never drinking waters which have sat in plastic. We fill ours with Berkey water, and are so happy we have these metal trays. I looked at plastic ice trays and ice cubes which came out of the plastic trays with a microscope once. Did you know that with each and every crack out of plastic, you get micro particulates of plastic in your ice? Yes it's true, and there is no substitute for clean water, stainless steel ice cube trays are real winners. Plastic items are for people who don't mind cancer, bio toxicity, leukemia, endocrine disruption, that sort of stuff. Are you a health conscious consumer? If so, you must reject all plastic containers, and get with metals and ceramics. We also bought the stainless steel popsicle holders and stainless steel to go drinking cups. Seriously, it's great to get away from plastics. This is our new ice cube tray for life and we've given a few of them away as xmas presents, purchased through various amazon accounts. Would really like to see these retail, since I'm trying to get away from online purchasing these days. But hey, if the retail giants want to force consumers into plastic, they can expect my continued absence. We're not interested in bottom dollar, we're interested in durability and health. These trays can last a lifetime if treated properly. Sometimes I half fill them for nifty whiskey cubes, just right and small. You can smash the tray down hard on a wood board while frozen before cracking, overfilled, if you want ice shards and chunks. These trays are a winner. Recommended.

I'll try to add a couple photos later. I've had this thing for a long time. At first I thought maybe there was something wrong with me when I used it, like I was doing it wrong. The more I did though, the more I noticed how badly designed the thing is. It should never have been made. The handle is thin and three-sided. The back two sides stick out about 2-3 mm. This is not good, because the handle needs to be pulled on with quite a lot of force to break the ice into cubes, and what winds up happening is that the thin back sides of the handle bite into the hand pulling it back. Today it left marks and nearly broke the skin on my fingers. I wrapped a bunch of paper towels around the handle and it made it easier to use, but this should not be a requirement. Before I go on, it's important the reader knows I'm a 6' male with a history of sports, endurance training, and weightlifting. My pain threshold is relatively high and my strength levels are above average. But even with that, I was unable to pull the handle of the ice cube tray hard enough to break the ice into cubes. I got about 1/3 of the way there, with the rest of them sticking to the metal apparatus. I tried breaking them off with an ice pick and the handle of a metal knife and neither method worked well. That's when I realized this is way too much effort and too much time spent on trying to get proper ice cubes out of this thing, something I've done with this contraption over a dozen times now, each time with difficulty. I know in the past that metal ice cube trays were used far more than they are today, but I can guarantee you there's no way they were nearly as shottily designed as this one. Do not buy this item if you intend to use it for it's stated purpose.

These trays work really well. Problem solved -- no more plastic. As I did in childhood with lighter weight aluminum trays, I run some water over bottom of tray, then over the top. You'l hear the cracking sound both times. Then you can use lever. Cubes drop out easily into the stainless steel bowl I use to store them. You'll find your own system. Others have methods a bit different from mine. These trays are sturdy and well made, heavier than the aluminum trays I remember from childhood in 1960's. If they bend, it is because you are misusing them. They are not inexpensive, but I expect these to last.

Great item... overpriced though, for what it is. But that being said... love it! It freezes quickly, and the ice tastes great. Yes, sometimes it IS hard to pull the lever up, but I discovered a trick that helps. Often times it is the ice sticking to the bottom of the ice tray that makes it hard to manipulate. So this is what I do... 1) Try to pull the lever while pressing on the opposite side to hold down the divider . 2)If it seems too hard to pull, turn the tray on it's side and run a little water on the underside of the tray... you will immediately hear the ice pop as it loosens from the bottom. 3) Once the ice is loosened it will be much easier to pull the lever up. And only fill the tray about 1/2 to 3/4 full. The cubes don't come out as perfect as the bagged ice you buy, but they are pretty good and much cheaper! I ended up buying 2 because I liked it so much. Hope this helps! ************************************************************************* Update: June 3, 2014 After almost 3 years, I have been very happy with this ice cube tray. The water freezes super fast, never has that "OFF" flavor that I THOUGHT was coming from the fridge... I guess previously it was actually coming from the old plastic ice cube tray leaching into the ice. I continue to run cold water on the bottom when I am trying to crack it, and also run water on the handle part which loosens everything up. This helps alot. However, I became impatient once to crack it open and just banged it on the counter and it broke (the little dividers shifted). I tried to put them back, but they wouldn't go back. But, I am going to order another one... it's that good overal @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ UPDATE 3/11/ 2015 DOWNGRADING MY REVIEW to 3 stars OK, I have had 3 of these and now 2 of them are in the trash. I LOVE stainless steel, love the clean, fresh ice cubes. BUT, this thing breaks apart after continued use. Yes, I did get a few years out of them, but for this price they should last a lifetime. Very disappointed at having to keep replacing them. I found another brand "Endurance" here on Amazon, and gave it a try. MUCH Better... VERY Easy to crack the ice, and it seems more sturdy. Look for this item and read my review... The Endurance brand is MUCH BETTER, in my opinion.

Reason for purchase: Why did I purchase a $30 ice cube tray? My husband has been complaining for some time about the large white flakes in our water. I purchased this product after I noticed that my plastic ice cube trays were rough and flaky at the bottom. I eventually realized that I had been consuming ice laden with plastic flakes for some time. Someone suggested that I just get new trays when that starts happening to the plastic, but it made me think...doesn't that mean that the process just starts all over again? The plastic is leeched out into the ice little by little each time a new tray is frozen until the bottom of the tray becomes coarse and flaky? I don't want plastic chemicals in my ice. The only alternative to plastic available at this time: When I started looking into alternatives for plastic ice cube trays, I found that the only choices were silicone, stainless steel, and aluminum. I am suspicious of using metal, and would have preferred something glass or ceramic, but I guess there is no way to crack the ice out of a glass tray. The aluminum trays were cheap, but aluminum is not a good choice for obvious reasons, and silicone isn't much better than plastic. I really did not want to pay $30 for an ice cube tray, but stainless steel was the best choice. Results: I have owned the tray for a few days now, and I can say that my ice water no longer has large flakes. Also, these ice cubes are much clearer than the ones that come out of a plastic ice cube tray. There is still a cloudy center, but it's smaller, and the rest of the ice cube is crystal clear where the plastic ones had a more frosted look throughout. The ice does not have a metallic taste. In all I got everything I expected from the tray and am satisfied with the purchase. My only complaint is that I really wish it was cheaper. Use Instructions: Thank you to the other commenters who gave advice on use of these trays. When I tried to crack the ice right out of the freezer it was difficult, 2 or 3 of the cubes shattered, and I felt like it was damaging the tray. There is a simple solution to this: Just wait a few minutes. Just pull it out of the freezer and come back to it five minutes later. Lifting the lever really is like cutting through warm butter. The only other problem this presents is that since the outside of the cubes are a bit wet from sitting out, they stick together a bit in the box. I have found this is no big deal, and they easily come apart. Yes this is an adjustment from the convenience of plastic trays, but I feel like waiting 5 minutes and slamming the ice a bit is worth it when you consider what we as a society have learned about the hazardous effects of plastic contamination in our food. Someone mentioned the white lime buildup in the bottom of the tray (hard water). Their suggestion was vinegar. I just tried this with white distilled vinegar and can confirm it completely removed the white streaks on the bottom of the tray within 15 seconds. Thanks all :) *Update 8/11/13: We recently bought a water distiller, and the distilled water does not leave the white residue in the bottom of the stainless steel ice cube tray. The white residue is apparently scale from hard water, and I'm glad I'm not driking it anymore! If you don't have a distiller, the white vinegar still works. Still love the tray, I actually bought a second.