The Best Ice Cube Trays in Australia (2026): Easy-Release Picks That Actually Pop

What is the best ice cube tray in Australia right now?

The best all-round ice cube tray for most Australian homes is the Phenix 3-pack of large silicone moulds. It makes big, slow-melting 2-inch cubes, pops them out with a single push, and comes with stackable lids that keep freezer smells out of your ice. It carries a 4.5-star rating from more than 5,400 Amazon AU reviews, which makes it the most reviewed large-cube silicone tray we found on the local store. If you want something cheaper and more traditional, the BarCraft twist-release tray costs under thirteen dollars and is the highest rated tray in this entire guide.

If you have just moved into a first home, an ice cube tray is one of those tiny purchases that quietly annoys you for years if you get it wrong. The cheap twist trays that ship with a new fridge crack, leak on the way to the freezer, and weld the cubes in so hard you have to bash the tray on the sink. We went through the Australian market, the star ratings, and the real owner reviews to find trays that release cleanly, do not taint your ice with freezer odours, and survive an Australian summer of daily use.

Every product below is in stock on Amazon Australia at the time of writing, carries a genuine star rating, and has enough verified reviews to trust. We have grouped them by the job you actually want done: big cubes for spirits, a spill proof lid for a small freezer, a cheap reliable workhorse, single cube release, and food portion freezing.

The quick answer: our top ice cube trays at a glance

Short on time? Here is the TL;DR. Our top pick is the Phenix large silicone 3-pack for slow-melting cubes and food portions. The value pick is the Avanti 14-cup tray with a no-spill pour-through lid. The budget pick, and the cheapest tray here, is the BarCraft twist-release tray. Below those three you will find an OXO slide-to-release tray, two Joseph Joseph trays for clever cube release, a multipurpose Homagical silicone set, and an honest look at the hugely popular Amytor tray that we did not rank higher. Last updated June 2026.

• Best overall: Phenix Large Silicone Ice Cube Trays (3-pack), big slow-melting cubes with lids.
• Best value: Avanti 14-Cup Ice Cube Tray with Pour-Through Lid, no more spills to the freezer.
• Best budget: BarCraft 14-Cube Twist-Release Tray, under thirteen dollars and the highest rated here.
• Best slide-to-release: OXO Good Grips Ice Cube Tray (2-pack).
• Best easy-fill lidded tray: Joseph Joseph Flow Easy-Fill (2-pack).
• Best single-cube release: Joseph Joseph Duo QuickSnap.
• Best for food portions: Homagical Large Silicone Trays (3-pack).

How do these ice cube trays compare?

The headline trade-offs are cube size, material, and whether the tray has a lid. Silicone trays flex so cubes pop out easily and they make the biggest cubes, but they can be floppy to carry and the lids are often loose until frozen. Hard polypropylene and plastic trays are sturdier and cheaper, and the better ones use a twist or slide mechanism to release cubes. Lids matter more than people expect: they stop water spilling on the trip to the freezer, let you stack trays, and crucially block the freezer odours that make ice taste like last night's leftovers. The comparison below in each section spells out which tray wins for which job, so you can match the tray to your kitchen rather than buying the loudest listing.

How did we choose these ice cube trays?

NestPath does not run a test kitchen and we will never pretend to. We are an Australian first-home-buyer site, and our job is to read the market honestly so you do not have to spend an afternoon doing it. Here is exactly how we built this list.

• Australian availability first. Every pick is verified in stock on Amazon Australia, priced in Australian dollars, and shipping locally. We dropped well-reviewed trays that were out of stock or import-only.
• Real ratings, real review counts. We pulled live star ratings and review counts from the Australian storefront and excluded anything with fewer than three reviews, no matter how good the listing looked.
• We read the one and two-star reviews. The flattering reviews tell you nothing. We focused on the complaints, because a tray that "leaks even with the lid on" or "freezes so hard you have to bang it" tells you what daily life is actually like.
• Specs verified against the listing. Cube size, capacity, material and dimensions are taken from the manufacturer's own Australian listing, not guessed.
• Job-based picks, not a popularity contest. We chose one winner per use case so you can buy for your kitchen rather than for the algorithm.
• Cross-checked superlatives. Every "most reviewed" or "highest rated" claim here was checked across all of the picks before we wrote it down.

Best ice cube tray overall: Phenix Large Silicone Ice Cube Trays (3-pack)

If you want one tray to recommend to a friend, this is it. The Phenix 3-pack makes large 2-inch silicone cubes that melt slowly, which is exactly what you want for whisky, cocktails, or just keeping a water bottle cold all day without watering it down. With a 4.5-star rating from more than 5,400 Amazon AU reviews, it is the most reviewed large-cube silicone tray we found on the Australian store, and the feedback is overwhelmingly about how easy the cubes are to release.

Each of the three trays holds six cubes, so you get eighteen large cubes per batch, and the flexible food-grade silicone means you push from the bottom and the cube drops out without a fight. That flexibility is also why owners love it for more than ice. Australian reviewers freeze toddler food portions, pre-made chai, leftover rice, lemon juice and passionfruit pulp in it, then bag the cubes for later. One long-term US reviewer said hers were still producing perfect cubes after years of daily use, and a UAE owner noted the cubes "last all day in a Stanley mug." The removable lids let you stack the trays and keep the worst freezer smells out, which is the difference between fresh ice and ice that tastes like the freezer.

The catch with any tall silicone tray is structure. The lids are deliberately not airtight, which is a safety choice because water expands as it freezes, but it does mean you should keep the tray level on its way to the freezer. For the price of a single supermarket tray you get three, plus the flexibility to use them as a freezer-portioning system, which is why it is our overall pick.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The lids are soft and a little floppy until the contents freeze, so a couple of reviewers found them fiddly to store and prone to popping off if you over-fill and tip the tray. If you fill to the line and carry the tray flat, this is a non-issue. The cubes are genuinely large, so they will not suit a narrow glass or a small fridge dispenser.

Best value ice cube tray: Avanti 14-Cup Tray with Pour-Through Lid

This is the tray for anyone whose real complaint is the wet sleeve and the trail of water across the kitchen floor. The Avanti 14-cup tray has a clip-on lid with a flip-and-fill hatch, so you fill it through one hole, snap the hatch shut, and carry it to the freezer with nothing sloshing out. It holds a 4.5-star rating on Amazon AU and sits at a genuine value price of around fifteen dollars for a single tray that solves a daily annoyance.

The standout in the reviews is exactly that spill-proofing. One Australian owner summed it up with "no more icy water in the arm pit," and another wrote that this feature alone "solved a particular bug-bear of mine in keeping the water in the tray, and not on the kitchen floor." The tray is BPA-free plastic, measures about 29 cm long and 3.6 cm deep, and is stackable, so it suits a small freezer where you cannot afford to balance an open tray on a shelf. At 14 cubes per tray it makes a sensible everyday batch rather than party-sized volumes.

It is worth knowing how the lid is meant to work. You fill slowly so the water has time to flow through to each section, then seal the hatch. A couple of owners filled it with the lid already on and found it overfilled and the cubes fused together, so fill first, then close. This is a plastic tray, so it does not flex like silicone, which means you give it a small twist to release the cubes rather than pushing them from the base. For the money, the spill-proof lid is the feature that earns it the value crown.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Because it is rigid plastic, release is by twist rather than push, and a small number of early units arrived cracked at the corners. One reviewer felt the lid was pointless if you fill it to the brim, which really comes back to filling technique. None of this changes that it is the cheapest reliable way to stop spills on the freezer run.

Best budget ice cube tray: BarCraft 14-Cube Twist-Release Tray

The cheapest tray in this guide is also the highest rated. The BarCraft twist-release tray holds a 4.6-star rating from more than 1,550 Amazon AU reviews, the strongest score of any pick here, and it costs under thirteen dollars. It is the classic flexible-plastic tray done well: fill it, freeze it, give it a single twist and the cubes let go.

It makes 14 reasonably large square cubes from a tray about 32 cm long, and the semi-rigid plastic flexes just enough to release cubes without the floppiness of full silicone. Reviewers across several countries describe the same thing: one twist and every cube comes loose, "so much better than silicone" in the words of one, with large cubes that are easy to use in a tumbler. It is stackable thanks to the little feet on the base, has carry handles so it does not need a balancing act to the freezer, and is dishwasher safe. Owners also use it for fruit-infused cubes and for freezing stocks and sauces, since the plastic does not hold odours.

The honest caveat is that "twist to release" depends on technique and temperature. A handful of reviewers found their tray stiff and could not picture how to twist it, which usually means running a little lukewarm water over the back first to loosen the cubes. It comes backed by a 12-month guarantee. For a no-fuss everyday tray that the largest number of Australians rate highly for the least money, this is the easy budget recommendation.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

If you fill the cubes right to the top they freeze harder and need a firmer twist, so fill them about four-fifths full. The plastic is firm rather than soft, so people expecting a squishy silicone feel are sometimes surprised. A quick rinse with lukewarm water on the underside fixes any stubborn release.

Best slide-to-release tray: OXO Good Grips Ice Cube Tray (2-pack)

The OXO Good Grips tray is the design-led choice, and the one Wirecutter has named its longest-standing pick. The clever part is a sliding lid: you slide it back to release as many cubes as you want and keep the rest covered, which means the remaining ice stays protected from freezer odours. It carries a 4.4-star rating from more than 4,270 Amazon AU reviews and comes as a two-pack.

The rounded cubes are designed to pop out easily, the sturdy lid lets you stack trays neatly, and the cover keeps your ice tasting like ice. UK and US reviewers praise how the water channels slowly fill every compartment, how the lid slides on and off even when frosty, and how well the half-disc cubes hold up in a drink. It is a tidy, well-made tray that looks at home in a kitchen drawer and is built to last across years rather than seasons.

It is not flawless. Some Australian owners found that once fully frozen the slide lid can stick and the cubes can be stubborn to release, the opposite of the easy experience others describe. This seems to come down to how full you fill it and giving it a moment out of the freezer before releasing. If you want a covered tray with controlled, slide-to-release portions and you value build quality, the OXO is the one to beat.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

A minority of reviewers report the lid sticking and tough release after a deep freeze, and it is marketed as helping you release cubes rather than being fully spill-proof. Let it sit for a minute after taking it out and it behaves. At a mid-range price for a two-pack it is still excellent value for the design.

Best easy-fill lidded tray: Joseph Joseph Flow Easy-Fill (2-pack)

Joseph Joseph's Flow tray solves the slow, splashy fill. Its cavities are linked so water flows freely across the whole tray when you fill it, which means it fills faster, splashes less, and self-levels from whichever end you pour. The lid then forms the fourth wall of each cube so you still get separated cubes, and it stacks to prevent spills and freezer tainting. It holds a 4.4-star rating on Amazon AU and comes as a two-pack of 14-cube trays.

Owners consistently call out the quality and the clever fill. Reviewers describe excellent build, easy stacking thanks to the lids, and ice that takes longer to dissolve. The self-levelling fill is a genuine help at a small or shallow sink where you cannot get a jug under the tap easily. As a lidded, stackable tray for a busy household freezer, it is one of the most thoughtfully engineered options on the Australian market.

Two honest notes from owners. First, the lid is not fully watertight, so do not expect a sealed, carry-it-sideways experience. Second, several people with weaker grip found the lid hard to remove because there is no obvious lip to grab, and one felt the central-cavity lid design wastes a little space. If easy filling and odour protection matter more to you than a perfect seal, the Flow is a smart buy.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The lid lacks a pull-tab, so it can be fiddly to lever off, especially with arthritic hands, and it is not spill-proof if tipped. The linked-cavity design costs a little freezer real estate. Neither stops it being a genuinely clever, well-made everyday tray.

Best single-cube release: Joseph Joseph Duo QuickSnap

If your pet hate is releasing one cube and having five skitter across the bench, the Duo QuickSnap is built for you. You twist the tray to loosen the cubes, then push an individual switch to snap out exactly one cube straight into your glass, leaving the rest covered and protected. It holds a 4.4-star rating on Amazon AU and a generous 14-cube capacity in a single tray.

Australian owners are enthusiastic. One who "hates ice trays" said this is the one she can get around, with no cracks after months of use. Others bought a second after the little click-snap mechanism won them over, and several singled out the stackable lid for keeping "nasty freezer smells" out and the ice tasting clean. It is sturdy polypropylene, BPA-free, and large enough at 32.5 cm to make a proper batch.

The single-cube switch is the whole point, so if you only ever tip the whole tray into a jug, you are paying for a feature you will not use, and a simpler tray will do. But for anyone who serves drinks one at a time, keeps the rest of the ice sealed, and wants it to last, this is the most satisfying release mechanism here.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It is a single tray rather than a multi-pack, so the per-tray price looks higher than a basic plastic option. The switch mechanism is more parts to keep clean. For its intended job of one-at-a-time release, neither is a real drawback.

Best for food portions: Homagical Large Silicone Trays (3-pack)

This is the silicone alternative to our top pick, and a strong choice if you mainly want to freeze food in neat portions. The Homagical set is three trays of six large 2-inch square cubes, with leak-resistant removable lids for stacking. It holds a 4.5-star rating on Amazon AU and the reviews lean heavily toward batch-cooking and meal-prep use.

Owners freeze tomato paste, single-serve leftovers, iced coffee and lemon juice, and praise how cleanly the flexible silicone releases each portion without twisting or banging. The independent cavities mean cubes keep their shape, the silicone does not hold odours, and the lids let you stack the trays to save freezer space. As a low-cost way to turn your freezer into a tidy portion system, it does the job well and the large cubes also work fine for chilling spirits.

Be aware of two recurring notes. Several Australian buyers mentioned a strong chemical smell out of the packaging, easily fixed by soaking in soapy water and air-drying before first use, which is normal for new silicone. And the listing's mention of a hidden steel support ring did not match every unit shipped, so judge it as a flexible silicone tray rather than a rigid-framed one. With that expectation set, it is a capable and affordable multipurpose set.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

A noticeable new-silicone odour on opening means you should wash and air it before first use. Some units did not include the advertised internal frame, so the lids can feel floppy. Neither affects the cubes themselves, which release cleanly.

What should you look for in an ice cube tray?

The right tray depends on what frustrates you most about your current one. Here is how to think it through before you buy.

Silicone or plastic: which is better?

Silicone flexes, so cubes pop out with a push and you can make big cubes that melt slowly. The downsides are floppiness and looser lids. Hard plastic and polypropylene trays are sturdier, cheaper and stack better, and the good ones use a twist or slide to release. If easy release is your priority, silicone usually wins; if durability and a firm structure matter more, a quality plastic tray like the BarCraft or OXO is the move.

Does cube size matter?

Yes. Large 2-inch cubes have less surface area for their volume, so they melt slower and dilute your drink less, which is why spirit and cocktail drinkers prefer them. Standard and small cubes chill faster and suit soft drinks, water bottles and dispensers. If you mainly want lots of everyday ice, a 14-cube standard tray is more practical than a six-cube large-cube tray.

Do you need a lid?

A lid does three jobs: it stops water spilling on the way to the freezer, it lets you stack trays to save space, and it blocks the freezer odours that make ice taste stale. If your freezer is crowded or your ice ever tastes "off," a lidded tray is worth it. Just remember that most lids are spill-resistant, not fully watertight, because the ice needs room to expand.

How easy is the release, really?

This is where most cheap trays fail. Look for "push from the base" silicone or a "twist" or "slide" mechanism, and read the one-star reviews for words like "impossible to get out" or "had to bang it." A quick trick that works on almost any tray: let it sit out for a minute, or run lukewarm water over the underside, before releasing.

How do you care for an ice cube tray?

A few habits make any tray last longer and your ice taste better. Wash new silicone trays in warm soapy water, or even boil them briefly, before first use to remove the manufacturing smell, then air-dry. Do not fill cubes right to the brim, since slightly shallower cubes release far more easily and are less likely to fuse. Keep the lid on in the freezer to stop your ice absorbing odours from strong-smelling foods. Avoid metal brushes and harsh detergents on silicone, and never bend or knock a tray straight out of the freezer, because cold plastic is brittle and that is when corners crack. Check whether your tray is dishwasher safe before you put it in: most of our picks are, but the Cuisena-style plastic trays and some lidded silicone trays are hand-wash only.

You will also want these for your drinks station

An ice cube tray rarely travels alone. If you are kitting out a first home, a few small additions turn a drawer of ice into a proper drinks setup.

• A cocktail shaker set so those big slow-melting cubes have somewhere to go. See our guide to the best cocktail shaker sets in Australia.
• A drink dispenser for parties and summer barbecues, covered in our best drink dispensers guide.
• A countertop ice maker if a tray will never keep up with your household, compared in our best countertop ice makers roundup.
• A reusable water bottle that fits a large cube, from our best reusable water bottles list.
• Food storage containers to bag and store the cubes once you have popped them, in our best food storage containers guide.
• A cutting board for slicing the fruit you freeze into infused cubes, reviewed in our best cutting boards guide.

What about the competition?

One tray we deliberately did not rank higher is the hugely popular Amytor silicone 2-pack. It carries a 4.5-star rating from more than 8,100 Amazon AU reviews, which makes it the most reviewed tray in this entire guide, and on volume alone it looks like an obvious buy. We held back because the recent Australian reviews tell a more cautious story: multiple owners report that it "leaks even when the lid is on," that it is "definitely not easy release" and freezes so hard you have to bang the base, and that only the bottom is silicone while the rest is plastic. For a tray whose whole appeal is easy release and a useful lid, those are exactly the wrong complaints, so we point first-home buyers to the Phenix and BarCraft instead.

We also looked at trays that failed our review-count gate rather than our quality bar. The Maxwell and Williams Cocktail and Co lidded silicone tray and the Cuisena 14-cube 2-pack are both promising Australian options with perfect early ratings, but each had only one or two reviews at the time of writing, which is not enough to recommend with confidence. We will revisit both as their review base grows.

Ice cube tray FAQ

What is the best material for an ice cube tray?

Food-grade silicone is the most popular choice because it flexes so cubes release with a push and it makes the largest slow-melting cubes. Quality BPA-free plastic and polypropylene trays are sturdier and cheaper and release by twist or slide. For the easiest possible release, silicone wins; for durability and stacking, a good plastic tray is excellent.

Are silicone or plastic ice cube trays better?

Silicone trays make cubes easier to remove and let you make big cubes, but the lids are often loose and the trays can be floppy. Plastic trays are firmer, stack more neatly and cost less, and the better ones still release easily via a twist or slide. Choose silicone for release and cube size, plastic for structure and value.

How do you get ice cubes out of a tray easily?

Let the tray sit out of the freezer for one to two minutes, or run lukewarm water over the underside, before you release the cubes. With silicone, push each cube from the base; with plastic, give the tray a single firm twist. Filling cubes about four-fifths full rather than to the brim also makes release much easier.

Why does my ice taste bad?

Stale or odd-tasting ice is almost always freezer odours being absorbed by uncovered cubes. A tray with a lid blocks most of this, which is why every covered tray in this guide highlights it. Using filtered or boiled water also gives clearer, cleaner-tasting cubes.

What is the best large ice cube tray in Australia?

For big 2-inch cubes that melt slowly in a spirit or cocktail, our pick is the Phenix large silicone 3-pack, the most reviewed large-cube silicone tray we found on Amazon AU. The Homagical large silicone 3-pack is a close alternative, especially if you also want to freeze food portions.

Can you use an ice cube tray to freeze food?

Yes, and it is one of the best uses for a flexible silicone tray. Australian owners freeze tomato paste, leftover rice, baby and toddler food, lemon juice, herbs in oil, and single-serve sauces, then pop the frozen cubes into a freezer bag for storage. Large-cube silicone trays like the Phenix and Homagical sets are ideal for this.

About the author

Anish Puri founded NestPath in 2026 after going through the Australian first-home-buyer process himself. NestPath focuses on Australian first-home buyers because the existing review sites are American, generic, or both. Anish handles editorial selection across the homeowner hub. Reach out: hello@nestpath.com.au