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

Didn’t realize how much I needed this. Was so tired of the plastic and silicone ones and this solved the problem. Ice tasted great! It’s easy for me to get it out too. I don’t press the lever down all the way when freezing them. I just wish there was some type of cover but otherwise works great.

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.

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.