OXO Ice Bucket Overview

I’m the gal who can’t host a celebration with out going all out. There will likely be flowers, appetizers, candles, and music to match the theme. A drink unfold can be obligatory: A build-your-own spritz bar, a tequila soda bar, or generally only a couple bottles of wine. 

Whereas my cocktail celebration gear reserve is well-stocked, for the longest time, I didn’t have a method to serve ice. As an alternative, my associates needed to look into Outpost 31, a.okay.a my freezer, a horror zone of spilled corn, freezer-burned meat, and thriller objects in little plastic baggage. It was uncomfortable. It was embarrassing. So lastly, final Christmas, I bit the bullet and requested for this OXO insulated ice bucket. It completely upped my cocktail sport. 

Why You Want an Ice Bucket 

As I discussed, I like having an interactive drink station for friends. It’s a fantastic celebration trick to create an expansion of spirits, syrups, juices, and garnishes, and let friends run wild with it. Whereas varied libations are important, so is ice: You may’t have a spritz or a margarita—or perhaps a stirred martini—with out chilly cubes. Enter the ice bucket: A straightforward, trendy method to let friends construct the drink of their desires with out having to open the freezer. 

Whereas a basic, metallic bucket will do the trick, I opted for this insulated possibility from OXO that retains ice frozen for lengthy, meandering hours. It comes with a tiny set of tongs so friends can fill their glass with out getting chilly fingers. It additionally has a lid, so when you take the celebration outdoors, you gained’t discover a fly sitting in your ice. And the deal with makes it simple to maneuver round. 

I’ve but to formally take a look at ice buckets, however I just like the OXO: When stuffed, it retains ice stable for a few hours, which is adequate for a cocktail party. It cleans up simply, too: Simply empty any water, give it a rinse and scrub, and let it air dry. 

And its makes use of transcend making cocktails: You may stick a bottle of wine in it and clearly, use the ice to relax different drinks, like soda or seltzer. Now not do I’ve to hurry over to the freezer in disgrace when a pal meanders into the kitchen to ice their water—the ice bucket saves the day. 

Why We’re the Specialists

• Grace Kelly is a senior editor at Critical Eats, the place she’s been testing kitchen gear for over three years. 
• She likes to host events and organizes a month-to-month cookbook membership.