Celebrate Green Blog

by Lynn The other day one of our granddaughters came to do some crafting, but before starting, I recruited her to help test run the Onyx Ice Cream Pop Molds I’d received to review. I’ve tried a variety of molds over the years since these icy treats are favorites of mine. Most have been OK, but there have been problems too:

• Molds made of plastic have cracked (and I’m not buying plastic anymore in any case)
• The stands of some molds are not sturdy enough or the right size to hold the molds upright without a balancing act worthy of a circus performer
• The pops don’t come out of the molds whole or are partly melted because too much warm water is needed to release them
• The molds are too small (If I’m going to go to the trouble of making these I want them a satisfying size, not supersized, but not mini either)

This Onyx set includes six stainless steel molds, 12 silicone rings that fit into the center of the molds to hold the sticks upright, and a coated metal rack to secure the molds while freezing. The molds arrived in a small box (one of my pet peeves is receiving items in boxes two or three times their size), but unfortunately, almost all the pieces were wrapped in individual plastic bags. I understand that a downside to stainless steel is that it’s easily marked and scratched so I get the reason for the wrapping. Still, I’d love to see an alternative like paper or cello wrap. But once we’d gotten everything unwrapped, I was impressed. This is a well-made, sturdy product. The molds are all in one piece meaning they can’t split at a seam, which of course renders them useless. They fit in the rack nicely while taking little room in the freezer. When you get the kit, the first thing to do is to insert the silicone rings into the tops. A slit around the edge of the ring makes this easy to do. Then holding between the ring and the top, slide a stick through the slit in the ring.

That’s all there is to putting them together. Next, mix-up your favorite ice-pop recipe. (If you don’t have any, I suggest you check out Jennifer Chait’s great post on Growing a Green Family. We made her Organic Watermelon Popswith orange juice and watermelon the only ingredients.)

Pour into the molds, add the lids and place in the freezer for a few hours.

Another thing I really like about these molds is that all it takes is a bit of water (doesn’t have to be hot) run over them to slide the pops out. The pops retain their shape beautifully. I haven’t tried it but if you wanted to make a bunch for a party, I think you could freeze them in the molds, then slip them out and keep frozen in layers separated by parchment paper in a glass dish.

Overall, I think the Onyx Ice Pops molds are terrific. They clean up easily and the sticks are now made from bamboo which is a more eco-friendly choice than wood. I’ll have no trouble just rinsing and reusing them, although someone told me that like all bamboo or wood, they will warp if you use very hot water and also, the sticks become discolored. Neither is a problem for me, but still think there might be a better, longer lasting solution than bamboo sticks.

And while I’m talking upgrades, I think the rocket ship shape is fine, but personally, I’d love to see some double wides and other fun shapes added to the line.

Disclaimer: I received a free set of Onyx molds to try. If you have questions about our review policy, please see this link.

This giveaway is now closed. The winner, chosen via Random.org, was Diana Hanna.

Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.