Onyx · $25–75

Stainless Steel Ice Cube Tray

Plastic-free

A fully stainless 18/8 lever-action ice tray in the vintage design - no plastic, no aluminum, no coating, no BPA. The reference plastic-free ice tray.

Plastic-free verdict: Plastic-free

Every part is 18/8 stainless steel: the tray, the divider grid, and the pull-up lever that cracks the ice loose. No plastic, no aluminum, no coating, no BPA. Water freezes against steel and releases with the lever instead of the plastic-stressing twist a plastic tray requires. Nothing to verify beyond the single material.

Verification: Manufacturer confirmed · reviewed 2026-07-05

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What it's made of

PartMaterialFood contact
tray body
18/8 stainless
Stainless Steel (304 / 18-8) Yes
divider grid Stainless Steel (304 / 18-8) Yes
lever / pull handle
lift the lever to crack and release the cubes - no twisting
Stainless Steel (304 / 18-8) No

A revival of the mid-century all-metal ice tray: an 18/8 stainless tray with a removable divider grid and a pull-up lever that cracks the whole batch loose at once. Because it is a single material - steel - it sidesteps the two knocks on plastic trays: freezing water against plastic, and flexing/twisting the plastic (which stresses the material) to pop cubes out. The lever design releases cubes with no twisting at all. Makes 18 cubes; stackable. The trade-offs are metal ones: it can stick if overfilled or frozen too hard, and steel conducts cold so it is unpleasant to handle bare from the freezer.

Pros

  • Fully plastic-free - 18/8 stainless throughout, no BPA/aluminum/coating
  • Lever release means no twisting or flexing
  • Effectively unbreakable; a buy-it-for-life item
  • Freezes fast (steel conducts) and stacks

Cons

  • Cubes can stick if overfilled or frozen very hard; a brief thaw frees them
  • Cold steel is uncomfortable to handle straight from the freezer
  • Far pricier than a plastic twist tray
  • No lid (odor transfer possible in the freezer)

Categories: Ice Cube Trays

Sources

Every material claim above is backed by these. This is the scattered info we centralized.

Independent reviews