Best Ice Cube Storage Bins for a Tidy Freezer

An ice cube storage bin solves a simple problem: your tray can only hold one batch, so once it is frozen you need somewhere to keep the cubes while the tray makes more. The best options here bundle a tray, a lid and a bin together so you can run a steady supply, while a couple are storage bins alone for people who already own trays. The quick answer is that the GORILLA GRIP tray and bin set is the one to start with for most homes, thanks to its space saving shape and lidded bin, but the right pick depends on whether you want a scoop, a lid, a slim shape for a tight freezer, or a multipack for a busy household.

Lidded bins versus open bins

The first choice is whether you want a lid. A lidded bin, which covers the GORILLA GRIP, PHINOX, Brigii and DOQAUS sets, keeps stored cubes shut away from the rest of the freezer, so they pick up less frost and fewer food odours. That matters more than it sounds, because ice readily absorbs smells from strong food stored nearby, and a lid is the simplest guard against ice that tastes of dinner. An open bin like the Rubbermaid trades that protection for speed and simplicity. There is nothing to lift off before you scoop, and an open tub is quicker to rinse and dry. If your freezer is well organised and mostly holds sealed packages, an open bin is fine, but for a mixed, busy freezer a lid earns its place.

Scoops, and keeping cubes from fusing together

Only one set on this list, the 64 cube kit, ships with a scoop, which is the clean way to serve ice without reaching in by hand. For every other pick, keeping a small dedicated scoop or spoon with the bin does the same job and keeps fingers out of the ice. The other everyday annoyance is cubes fusing into a solid block. That happens when their surfaces melt slightly and refreeze together, usually after the freezer warms briefly each time the door opens. Freeze cubes fully in the tray before tipping them into the bin, store the bin toward the back where the temperature is steadiest, and give it a shake every day or two to snap any small bridges before they harden. A snug lid helps here too by cutting down the frost that glues cubes together.

Capacity and fitting your freezer

Capacity splits into two numbers: how many cubes a tray freezes at once, and how much the bin stores. The tray and bin kits here mostly freeze 56 to 64 cubes per batch, while the DOQAUS four tray multipack freezes several batches together for a larger or busier household. Storage only bins are rated differently, with the Rubbermaid holding roughly the ice from four standard trays. Fit is just as important as volume in a packed freezer. The GORILLA GRIP set uses a tall, space saving shape, and the narrow bin measures about 13.25 by 5.125 by 6 inches so it slides into a side channel or a door shelf where a wide tub will not fit. Measure the gap you actually have before buying, since a slim or stackable design often fits a space that a bulky bin cannot.

Material and keeping ice tasting clean

Bins of this type are commonly made from BPA free plastic, but the exact material is set by each product, so check the individual listing if that detail matters to you rather than assuming it across the board. Whatever the plastic, the bigger influence on taste is cleaning. Ice slowly takes on a stale, flat flavour when a bin is left unwashed, so wash the tray, lid and bin in warm soapy water every so often, rinse thoroughly and dry before refilling, and always wash a new one before its first use. Using filtered water and not letting old cubes sit for weeks both help, but a clean, dry, lidded bin is what keeps a batch of home made ice tasting fresh rather than of the freezer.