OXO SteeL Ice Bucket and Ice Tongs with Tong Holder
by OXO
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List Price: Our Price: $44.99 You Save: $5.00 (10%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of OXO SteeL Ice Bucket and Ice Tongs with Tong Holder
Customer Review: High-Quality Ice Saver
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Customer Review: Good Item Overall - Horrible Lid Design
Summary: 3 Stars
I admit that I ended up purchasing mine at Linens and Things for the same price that Amazon has it listed as. I always do my research on Amazon with reviews etc. and 80% of the time purchase from Amazon but not without free shipping which was not applicable to this item.
I loved the item, great look, kept my ice frozen from 4pm Saturday to the next afternoon! There was some melting but it sat on the counter and was only about 1/3 melted which meant it does the job perfectly and looks awesome on your bar/counter for parties. I also really like the tongs and the tong holder hanging on the side. Again, great! Lastly, no condensation or drippage on the outside either so truly great item.
Now for the BAD. I opened an undamaged box, perfect condition, pulled the plastic off the ice bucket and lifted the clear plastic lid up to look inside. Well....there are two tiny PLASTIC tabs - One on the right and one on the left on the inside of the bucket. This allows you to lift the lid UP - similar to a hinged lid - not off. This is great in that your hands are free to hold your glass and the other can pick up Ice and put it in your glass plus you do not need to look for a place to put the lid or hold it. The bad thing is that one tab broke off as I lifted the lid. Clearly it snapped right off, clean break, but there isn't a way to fix it. You can't glue it back on and you can't easily pop the lid back on either.
SO....why go through the trouble of making a great item, solid all around, put your money in good design to "save" on something as simple as the tab to hold the lid in place! I was so mad that a $40 itme that I LOVED I had to return and that was a pain in the next. They did not have a quality replacement and to be honest if someone else wasn't aware of how to take the lid off it would just break again. Period.
So I would not buy this item again and would not recommend it unless you are fine with the lid being a pain to work with. Other than that? Great item. OXO - don't try to save money on something this basic.
Customer Review: Poorly designed lid
Summary: 2 Stars
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.
Customer Review: Big but Leaky
Summary: 1 Stars
First time used the Oxo Ice Bucket it leaked all over my buffet. Returned it and purchased a stainless steel ice bucket instead which is dishwasher safe which the Oxo is not. Do not buy this bucket.