Who doesn’t love the TV show Shark Tank, where hopeful inventors pitch products to that intimidating panel of savvy “shark” investors? The sharks don’t seem to back a lot of kitchen tools and gadgets—but when they do, I perk up.
Equipment
Shark Tank Product Review: Souper Cubes
Do these silicone freezer trays for soup (or leftovers) work? We put them to the test.
By Published June 29, 2022
One successful kitchen pitch was for Souper Cubes. These silicone freezer trays with lids have ice-cube-tray-like cavities and come in a range of four sizes, from 2 tablespoons to 2 cups. They’re designed for freezing food into compact, easy-to-stack cubes.
They look pretty clever, but do they really work? And do they do anything you can’t do with regular food storage containers? To find out, I bought some and put them to the test.
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How I Tested
I purchased the most popular size, the 2-Cup Tray ($19.95), which has a pair of (you guessed it) two-cup square cavities. I used them to freeze chicken stock and later, chunky tomato sauce.
Once the liquid was frozen, I popped out the squares and stored them in a zipper-lock bag, per the instructions. I then washed the Souper Cubes to see if there would be any residual smells or staining.
Bottom line: Souper Cubes were (pardon the pun!) solid.
What I Liked
- They were sturdy. I was very surprised at their sturdiness, despite the flexible silicone material. A stiff rim on the tray and equally rigid plastic lid gave them structure, so they didn’t squish or spill.
- They were easy to fill. Measurement markings on the inside walls helped me portion the food equally as I filled each cavity.
- They maximized storage space. Once filled, the tray slid right into the world’s smallest, most crowded freezer (i.e. mine) and didn’t take up much space. After the liquid stock or tomato sauce was solidly frozen, I popped out the cubes and transferred the pair of frozen bricks to a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag (where the two cubes happened to fit perfectly, side by side), and slid the bags back into the freezer. The frozen cubes could stand up vertically or lie horizontally—ready to use as needed.
- They were easy to use. The bendiness of the silicone cavities lets you push their contents straight up and out without a struggle.
- They were easy to clean. After a quick wash, the Souper Cubes tray was ready to fill and freeze again. After each use it cleaned up nicely, both when I hand-washed it and also in the dishwasher on the top rack—and didn’t hold any scent or stains, even after the tomato sauce.
The Final Verdict
Could you do this with regular plastic or glass food storage containers? Sure. But the Souper Cubes made it a little easier, without requiring either a fleet of regular containers to freeze and store food, or even a lot of Souper Cubes, since you can freeze, pop out and refill the same trays.
It’s a clever solution for organizing frozen food.
Photo credits: Souper Cubes / Lisa McManus