Readers Respond: Have you found a clever use for ice cube trays?

Responses: 82

By Erin Huffstetler, About.com Guide

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Ice cube trays can be used for so much more than making ice. Tell us how you use yours. Share Your Tip

I've been using ice cube trays in my Jewlery drawer for years to separate earrings, rings etc.
—Guest Laura

We use our ice cube trays mainly for yogurt for smoothies... the kids take the big containers, and freeze into ice cubes, and when frozen pop in a bag. Add yogurt cube, milk, frozen fruit and oatmeal to blender and they are out the door with a good breakfast that lasts beyond lunch time! We also use ours for leftover sauces such as pesto and garlic herb sauces easy and no waste at all.
—Guest Bobbie

I have to credit my son with this creative idea. We love almond bark and we always have some in the cabinet. This day my son wanted some candy, so he took the almond bark, minature marshmallows and made his own. He took my Halloween ice cube trays that makes pumpkins shape ice cube, then he melted the bark in oven cup for custard in a pan of water on the stove, he added 2 tablespoons of milk to it, then he half-filled the ice cube, and put a mini marshmallow in the center, then cover it over with more bark and popped it in freezer for 5 minutes. He popped them out and served . THEY WERE GREAT! So proud of him. Time frame about 12 min. Start to finish. And kids can do it with adult supervision. And you cant beat that proud face of their doing something creative on their own. THANKS
—bobbired

My chemistry classes do the lab "Percent Copper in a Penny" in which we react the zinc inside pennies with HCl. I number the "columns" and "rows" of the tray so students can easily find their penny the next day.
—Guest Martha Andreski

I freeze sprite and add it to many juices drinks, so when they melt the juice will have a nice zap or twist too. It's awesome.
—Guest CleverTipper

A friend of mine used to freeze her breastmilk in ice cube trays. Since each cube is about an ounce, it makes measuring easier and wastes less milk!
—Guest L. Lewis

Hi. I use the ice cube trays to seed my aromatic plants and lettuces. You fill up the tray with moistened soil, and then you plant one seed per cube. When the plants are 4 cm high they're ready to transplant into a bigger pot or in the orchard... and the tray is ready for new plants.
—Guest Guest

Painting pottery or model planes? An ice cube tray is very handy for holding small amounts of those specially mixed colours.
—Guest Otto

I use extra ice cube trays for keeping my earrings separate, so I can find them easier.
—Guest nancy@hotmail.com

oh my. there's one particular use i've found for ice cube trays, but it suits so many places: the cube divots are perfect for storing small items, and their rounded bottoms make it easy to slide a small item up and out into your hand. store earrings, buttons, screws, small nails, seeds, craft items . . . you get the point. they stack well too, though i think it best to stack them in a fitted space if you're stacking higher than two or three.
—Guest ponygirl

I've used them for (1) sorting, especially jewelry making supplies, (2) freezing pureed homemade baby food (3) freezing pureed fruit to mix into a fruit punch at a later date (4) freezing excess lemon juice when the tree is bearing plentifully, (5) as a palette for art craft
—timzagain

I freeze pieces of strawberries, lemons or limes in the ice cube trays and use the cubes in iced tea
—Guest Patricia Powell Jones

I love iced coffee drinks but I don't like when they get watered down by the ice. Solution: Coffee ice cubes! Its a great way to use up the rest of the coffee in the pot that might otherwise go down the drain, plus it will keep your coffee full of flavor. These are also great for throwing in the blender for a delicious coffee shake!
—AlomaLoren

When trimming meat for my meals, I often have leftover pile of meat with lines of fat (not *just* fat) and a Chihuahua who is willing, but unable to healthily eat it all. I cut up a couple pieces in each cube, made a cup of broth from jar to pour over it. Freeze and pop out for handy dog treat, either as cube if your dog likes cold (like regular ice cubes) or microwave for 30 sec, stir, microwave again as needed (make sure to test temp before giving to your dog to avoid burns!)
—Guest Edge of Thornes

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Erin Huffstetler
Frugal Living Guide