Oxo SteeL Ice Bucket and Ice Tongs with Tong Holder
Brushed stainless steel gives the slightly curved exterior of this ice bucket a sleek, modern look. Double-walled for increased insulation value, the four-quart bucket features a black, wipe-clean plastic lining with molded channels at the bottom to raise cubes above melted ice water. The set includes a matte black plastic tong holder that hangs on the bucket lip or–after the party’s over–stores conveniently inside the bucket with tongs.
OXO carefully designed this bucket-and-tong set. Its stainless-steel, soft-grip carry handle is perfectly shaped to swing up and down without hitting the tong holder, and stays upright without falling. The clear plastic lid on the bucket lifts with a generous tab and also stays upright. The tongs themselves are eight inches in length, feature soft-grip handle insets, a blunt nose, two rows of fairly sharp teeth, and a pull-tab that locks jaws together for storage. The tong holder prevents drips in-between cocktails. Measuring 9 by 8-1/2 inches, the stainless-steel bucket complements other OXO bar accessories. OXO backs all its products with a satisfaction warranty, and will replace or refund any returned item.
Poorly designed lid
This is a gorgeous ice bucket. It is large and stylish. However, I cannot recommend it because of the lid. Unlike how it is portrayed in it’s picture, the lid is actually attached to the bucket. You can’t take it off. Instead, it pivots and swings up. The problem with this is that you cannot fill the bucket all the way up with ice because you have to leave a good amount of room at the top for the lid to swing on the insdide. And, because the lid is not removable, it gets in the way especially if you want to use this bucket as a champagne/wine cooler. Because when the lid is up, it cuts the top opening in half and you cannot remove a bottle from the narrow opening. Poor design flaw. I want a lid I can remove and put aside if I don’t need it, rather than it sticking up in the way. You’ll notice in OXO’s main picture of this bucket on this site it is shown without the lid. Why? Because even they know (at least the photographer knows) the bucket will sell better looking that way. Hey OXO, that’s the same look I wanted this bucket to have sitting on my bar!
Would it have killed OXO to put a knob or handle on the lid and let the consumer decide if they want the lid on or off? I swear sometimes I think manufacturers never bother actually testing out the things they design. If they had, surely they would have noticed how bad their lid idea was. Or they could have looked at every other ice bucket on the market and noticed theirs is the only one that has an attached lid. That should have been a clue to them that there are obvious merits to having a removable one.
To make matters worse, the lid is clear plastic. I don’t understand why. First of all, it’s an ice bucket! I think everyone knows ice is inside without needing to peek through a clear lid. Secondly, a metal lid will keep the temperature inside colder longer than than a plastic lid. That is why the bucket is made of metal, not plastic. Metal is a better conductor of heat and cold.
I wish I had noticed the lid before I purchased this bucket. I didn’t pay close enough attention. I suppose I assumed it was a normal lid that came off like all the others, especially considering it is photographed that way! But as soon as I unpackaged this bucket, I took one good look at the lid and said, “Oh no!” Thankfully I bought the bucket from my local Bed Bath & Beyond making its return very easy. I am sorry I have to return it because this really is a nice looking bucket. However, I don’t intend on spending $40 on an ice bucket to just sit there, look pretty, and receive compliments. That’s my job as hostess 
. I need an ice bucket that is functional too.
Oh, well…my search for the perfect ice bucket continues.
Beautiful and functional
I threw a party and truly, several people commented on the beautiful ice bucket. I kid you not. That made me feel good. Indeed, it is a great product. It keeps ice very cold and has a lid, and is great to look at. My two complaints are (1) the tong holder does not sit that securely, and several people knocked it to the ground accidentally throughout the night, and (2) the ice bucket itself is not dishwasher safe, but it does not tell you that anywhere in the packaging or in an insert. So now there’s water inside, so I may have to get a new one.
High-Quality Ice Saver
After several weeks of use, I am completely satisifed with
my OXO ice bucket. It’s capacity (stores five trays easily)
and sturdy construction have made me a believer in this
product. It keeps ice longer (up to three hours) which makes
frequent refills unnecessary.
