There is a special frustration reserved for the ice cube tray. You twist it, you tap it, you swear at it, and half the cubes shatter while the rest skid across the counter and land behind the toaster. The two tier ice cube tray set with a bin, scoop, and press plate is a direct attack on that routine, because it replaces the twist and tap with a single press that drops clean cubes straight into a storage bin. I filled the trays, froze them, pressed them, and served from the bin through a month of summer evenings, and this review is the record of how well the system actually works.
The standard note before the details. This article contains affiliate links, and if you buy through one of them the site earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. That commission does not change what I test or recommend, and the trays reviewed here were used like any kitchen set.
The set combines a pair of stackable trays, a lidded storage bin, a scoop, and a press plate that pushes cubes out of the tray cells. The rest of this review covers freeze time, cube quality, the release mechanism, and how the whole system fits in a crowded freezer.
Design and Build
The trays are a hybrid of rigid frame and flexible cells. Each tray holds a grid of individual cube cells in a base that keeps its shape, and the flexibility lives in the cells themselves, which is what lets the press plate push cubes free without shattering them. The plastic is food safe and BPA free, and the surface is smooth enough to rinse clean after a spill.
The bin is the quiet hero of the set. It is wide enough to hold a full batch from both trays, and the lid snaps on to keep the cubes from absorbing freezer odors, which is the failure mode of every open ice bucket I have owned. The scoop is large enough to grab several cubes at once, and the press plate sits flat over the tray grid, with a pattern of nubs that line up with the cube cells. The whole system stacks neatly, and the lid on the bin doubles as a stable surface when the trays sit on top.
Key Features
The press plate is the feature that separates this set from a plain tray. Instead of twisting or snapping, you place the plate over the filled tray and press down, and the nubs push each cube out of its cell from behind. In practice the cubes pop free cleanly and fall into the bin, and the whole operation takes about the same time as the old twist, with far less mess.
The two tier stacking is the other practical feature. The trays are designed to sit on top of each other while freezing, which uses vertical space in a freezer that is usually short on horizontal room. Each tier holds a full grid of cubes, so the set produces a generous batch at once, and the lidded bin keeps the finished ice separate from whatever smells live in the freezer. The system is a complete pipeline, fill, stack, freeze, press, store.
Real-World Performance
Freeze time landed right where it should. A full batch of trays reached solid cubes in about three and a half hours in my freezer at the standard setting, which matches the best plain trays I have used. The cubes came out clear and well shaped, and the lids earned their keep, because a batch that froze next to a container of curry sauce came out tasting clean rather than like last week's dinner.
The press plate was the feature I doubted and the feature that won me over. I filled both trays, froze them overnight, and pressed the first tray the next morning. The cubes dropped into the bin in a single motion, intact and uniform, with no shattering and no pieces skidding across the counter. The second tray behaved the same way, and the bin filled to the top with a full batch of whole cubes. Compared to the old twist and tap, the difference was obvious within seconds.
Daily use held up over the month. The scoop served drinks without fishing fingers into the bin, and the lid sealed out freezer odors between fills. I refilled the trays as I emptied the bin, and the two tier stack meant both trays always had room. The set became part of the evening routine, fill the trays when the bin runs low, press in the morning, and the rhythm never produced a single cracked cube in a month of use.
The honest limits are about footprint and cube size. The two tier system is not small, and it needs a clear shelf about the width of a large baking sheet to live in comfortably. The cubes are on the smaller side, perfectly fine for drinks but not the big slow melting bar cubes that cocktail fans prefer. And the plastic trays, while durable, will not win any beauty contests, they are functional kitchen tools rather than design objects.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Press plate releases clean, whole cubes every time
- Two tier stacking uses freezer vertical space well
- Lidded bin keeps ice free of freezer odors
- Scoop keeps hands out of the bin
- Fast freeze time of about three and a half hours
- Food safe, BPA free plastic throughout
Cons:
- Full set needs a clear shelf the width of a baking sheet
- Cubes are on the smaller side
- Plain plastic look does not add kitchen style
How It Compares
The natural comparison is between this complete set and the two other ways people make ice, a traditional flexible tray and an automatic Countertop Ice Maker. The table below lines them up.
| Feature | Two Tier Set | Traditional Tray | Countertop Ice Maker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice capacity per batch | Large, two tiers | Small | Medium, continuous |
| Release method | Press plate, no mess | Twist and tap | Automatic |
| Freezer space needed | Full shelf | Minimal | None, sits on counter |
| Odor protection | Lidded bin | None | Sealed |
| Cost | Low | Lowest | High |
The traditional tray is cheaper and takes less space, but the press plate system saves time and sanity with every batch, and the lidded bin fixes the odor problem plain trays ignore. The countertop maker makes ice automatically but costs many times more and needs counter space and regular cleaning. For most kitchens the two tier set delivers the best balance of capacity, convenience, and price.
Who Should Buy It
Buy the two tier set if you serve drinks often, fill and refill trays constantly, or simply hate the twist and tap that shatters cubes. It is also a great pick for families, because the bin and scoop make it easy for kids to serve their own ice without melting a tray over the counter.
Skip it if your freezer has no room for a baking sheet sized shelf, or if you need large cocktail cubes for slow melting drinks. For daily ice duty with zero mess, this is the set that earns its space. You can check the current price of the ice cube tray set on Amazon when you are ready to order.
How We Test
I filled both trays, stacked them in the freezer, and timed the freeze to solid cubes at a standard freezer setting. I used the press plate on every batch for a month, checked cube integrity and shape, and kept the bin lidded to test odor resistance against a strongly scented freezer neighbor. I served from the bin with the scoop daily to test the full routine.
I did not measure the exact water volume per cube, and I did not test the trays in a chest freezer or at the warmest freezer settings. For a broader look at ice making options, Wirecutter has a thorough guide to the best ice cube trays that covers materials and release designs. The ice cube tray set listing on Amazon shows the current price and the full set contents.
Ice Cube Tray Set With Bin and Scoop: Questions People Ask
How fast do these ice cube trays freeze?
The trays freeze a full batch in roughly three to four hours in a standard home freezer, which is typical for silicone and plastic hybrid tray designs of this size. In testing a full batch was solid in about three and a half hours at a normal setting.
How do I release the ice cubes without breaking them?
Use the included press plate, which pushes against the flexible tray cells so the cubes pop out cleanly and drop straight into the bin without cracking. In testing the press released every cube intact in a single motion.
Do the tray lids keep the ice from absorbing odors?
Yes, the lids seal each tier while the trays freeze, so the cubes come out clear and free of the onion and garlic smells that open trays tend to pick up. A batch frozen next to a scented container came out clean in testing.
Can the trays stack in a small freezer?
The two tiers are designed to stack as a set, which uses vertical space well, but the full unit still needs a clear shelf about the width of a large baking sheet. Measure your freezer shelf before ordering if space is tight.
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