Not just in the summer or in the restaurant are Ice bucket popular kitchen gadgets. A cool drink pleases not only the party guest, but also the jogger and the children playing. Which Ice bucket but are they really worth something? Which models are recommended for which use?

Ice bucket and the liquor bar
Old wall unitsare witnesses of bygone days. The bar compartment invited to a drink and there was a mostly glassy vessel with a small metal handle and a delicate pliers. In former times ice cubes were kept, which cooled the drinks. Of course, they melt away quickly depending on the outside temperature.

Today are ice cube trayisolated and often provided with a lid to keep the ice as long as possible in its shape. There are different techniques for this:

Ice cube container made of plastic with double wall: here the trapped air layer completely naturally isolates the ice from the room temperature.

Other ice cube trays are lined with insulating polystyrene between the two walls.

Ice buckets can also be beautifully shaped bowls that are filled with ice. On the ice, representative bottles are draped.

Tip: In these open ice buckets for a buffet very handsome seafood, tropical fruits or other finger snacks. Stored on crushed ice, they stay fresh and juicy for a long time even in summer.

Quality differences:
Ice buckets with lids differ in whether the lid is also insulated and whether it simply rests or is screwed on. Screwing or chopping is sometimes impractical in the catering industry, because the turnover is high, but in the private sector the ice cubes remain frozen even longer.

Of course, the materials used differ in their high quality. Hard plastic of low quality can break in a case, edges can splinter. There is a danger of injury here. Metal tubs are pretty to look at, but may have poor guiding properties for their function.

Last but not least, the right design is crucial. At a rustic celebration opens bucketas Ice bucket certainly better, than an extravagant Ice bucket who as well Champagne Coolercomes along.

Tip: As a quick solution, a wooden bucket that is lined with aluminum foil helps. The aluminum foil can be brought up aesthetically above.

Considerations before buying

When buying should be considered in advance, at which temperatures the Ice bucket to be used. It is also crucial whether it should be used for crushed ice, ice cubes or both.

Ice buckets have a grid on the ground, which prevents the direct contact with the ground and thus the rapid melting in the own condensation water. This grille should not let crushed ice through in case of doubt; it must therefore be more closely meshed for this purpose.

Also crucial is the volume. If only a little ice in the container, it melts faster. Nevertheless, the content can serve many purposes. A bulbous cut enables optimal distribution of ice cubes. That is, they exert less pressure on each other and there are fewer contact surfaces. This further avoids rapid melting.

Tip: Round ice cubes have a larger attack surface, because a larger surface than square. Square ice cubes thaw more slowly.

It is interesting, if the new ice bucket is easy to clean. Many grooves, a hard-to-remove grid and holey depressions in the floor make proper hygiene difficult.

Tip: Once for hygiene purposes and then for longer preservation of the ice, the condensate should be poured regularly. But at the latest when refilling.

If the ice bucket is left open without a lid, there is a risk that pathogenic germs in the water will collect from the air and be absorbed by the drink.

Some ice buckets are dishwasher-safe.

Last but not least, the handling is a decision factor: Does the ice bucket have a handle? Especially with larger models, the portability should be considered. Ice can be really hard.

Finally, a buffet tip from the gastronomy: Two or more ice buckets can be placed in a row to store metal plates with cold cuts or cheese. This is a great alternative to putting the goods directly on ice. At the same time, the overall picture reaches its height and is visually appealing.