This ultradurable cooler outpaced every other model in cooling and durability, but it’s a bit heavy for the average person. Ice lasted a whole week, and when we placed sodas and ice packs inside, the cooler kept our beverages below 50 degrees for more than five days. We also loved its rubber latches, which were easy to close, and its durable rope handles. The cooler’s weight did make it fairly difficult for one person to carry when full, and it didn’t fit all our groceries or soda cans (it could fit only 24 cans, along with ice packs). However, if you’re looking for a smaller cooler that holds all the essentials, this is an excellent option.
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This budget-friendly model did a decent job of cooling, keeping ice for six days—longer than any other product priced under $100.00. Its wheels made it more portable, and its roomy interior easily held a weekend's worth of groceries. We liked that the side handles were molded into the body, which prevented them from breaking when dropped. The telescoping handle you use to roll the cooler (like a luggage handle) wasn't so durable, though; one of the poles dented after we dropped the cooler, which prevented us from pushing the handle down and obstructed the lid from opening fully.
We were impressed with the performance of this cooler; it kept ice frozen for three days. It was also light, spacious, and less unwieldy than some of the more square coolers due to its slightly slim shape. The tab zipper was easy to pull, and the cooler was easy to fill and use once we figured out how to prop open the top by unbuckling the side clips.
This spacious cooler kept ice frozen for two and a half days. Its well-padded shoulder strap made it comfortable to carry even when it was loaded down with food and drinks. That said, the side handles were a bit long, especially for shorter users, so the cooler hung close to the floor, occasionally bumping into our shins. Exterior pockets provided extra storage. The zipper was a tad trickier to use than others but was still relatively quick and easy to open and close.
We still love our former Best Buy. Its desserts were “even-textured,” “velvety,” and “delightful.” We also liked its lightweight, compact design and the simplicity of its one-button operation. The paddle blades were fully submerged in the base and did not interfere with our thermometer probe.
This self-refrigerating model made supersmooth ice cream and sorbet, likely as a result of its rapid churning mechanism. Its short, wide bowl made it easy to use a spatula to remove ice cream and sorbet once we were done churning. It was simple to set up and use once we consulted the manual to see what the different icons meant. To avoid interfering with the rapidly spinning paddle, we had to pause the machine to take the temperature of its contents to gauge whether the ice cream was ready.
This scoop’s gently curved oval bowl forms perfect round orbs that release easily. Even better, its wide, comfortable handle contains heat-conductive fluid that warms up instantly when your hand grips the exterior; when that heat travels to the bowl, the warm metal slightly melts the ice cream or sorbet so that it’s particularly easy to scoop.
Using this spendy model was a luxurious experience. It was among the most efficient models we tested, producing just over 1.5 pounds of crisp, clean-tasting nugget ice per hour. Its thoughtfully designed side tank was easy to install, and its straightforward self-cleaning mode functioned well. We also liked this model’s controls, which employed a few touch-sensitive buttons and LED light bars to clearly communicate the machine’s status and switch between cleaning and production (and operate the ice bin’s light). It was heavy, bulky, and expensive, but it would be a beautiful addition to any nugget-ice aficionado’s home bar. It also connects to Wi-Fi to allow scheduling cycles from a mobile app or a virtual assistant, though we didn’t think this added much value.
This model was efficient for its small size, capable of making just under 1 pound of ice every hour and depositing its first ice batch within 8 minutes of being turned on. Its convenient handle—similar to that of a cooler—combined with its lightweight build made it more portable than any other machine we tested. It did an acceptable job of keeping ice cold, and it recirculated water well to make sure there was always ice on hand. We also liked the distinct difference in ice size options it offered. We were impressed by its simple, clear controls and indicator lights, which allowed us to check its status at a glance. Best of all, it was the only compact model to have an efficient self-cleaning cycle, making routine descalings extremely easy.
This ice pop mold was the easiest to use of all those we tested. Its detachable molds had clear fill lines and wide openings, making them a breeze to fill and clean. And it featured slender plastic sticks with unobtrusive drip guards and long, textured handles, making the resulting pops easy to grip and eat. Our only gripe? The drip guards aren’t removable, so you can’t make layers.
This tray has a flexible silicone cover that fits snugly, creating a seal that kept water from spilling from the indentations and blocked out freezer smells. The ice cubes released effortlessly from its rounded indentations. The lid can be removed for cleaning.
With a hard plastic frame and lid enclosing a silicone ice cube tray, this model was easy to transport to the freezer without spilling and made excellent ice cubes that were clean and straight-edged. The frame and lid also helped reduce freezer and coffee odors; while the silicone tray did smell slightly after a week, the problem was less pronounced than in several other models. Relatively compact, it’ll fit in most freezers.
Though this hard-sided ice pack was one of the more expensive in the bunch, it contained a large amount of liquid, had a convenient handle for easy transporting, and never formed bulges as it froze. We needed only one of these packs to line a cooler and keep soda chilled for more than a day, and the pack stayed cold for almost 14 hours when we let it sit out at room temperature.
Our winner had the widest mouth in the lineup, which made it simple to fill—no spills or drips. The screw-on lid had a wide, arched handle that was easy to grip and turn, though users occasionally took an extra few seconds to get the lid on track. We liked that this model was dishwasher-safe and had no extra parts to remove during cleaning, and it survived three indoor drops despite its 2½-pound (filled) weight. It's also available in a 16-ounce size, if you prefer a lighter load.