I am a gall that cannot host a party without any party. There will be flowers, appetizers, candles and music to match the subject. A drink proliferation is also mandatory: a build-on-on-on-on-on-soda bar, a tequila soda bar, or sometimes a pair bottles of wine.
While my Cocktail party gear Reserve is well stocked, the longest, I had no way to serve ice. Instead, my friends had to look at Outpost 31, aka My Freezer, a horror zone of splied corn, freezer-lived meat, and mystery objects in small plastic bags. It was uncomfortable. it was embarrassing. So finally, last Christmas, I told the bullet a little bit and asked for it Oxo insulated ice bucketThis completely launched my cocktail game.
Why do you need an ice bucket
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/oxo-steel-ice-bucket-and-tong-set-961f00d4b57e418892bd7f4085e89879.jpg "This ice bucket is the device I did not know that my cocktail parties needed 1")
As I mentioned, I like to be an interactive drink station for guests. It is a great party trick to spread souls, syrup, juice, and garnish, and let the guests run wild with it. While various complaints are necessary, there is ice: you may not have Spritz Or one Margita-Ar also a stir Martini—Ah cold cubes. Enter ice buckets: The guests get an easy, stylish way to build their dream drinks without opening the freezer.
While a classic, metal bucket Will trick, I chose This untouched option from Oxo This ice remains frozen for a long time, for hours. It comes with a small set of tongs so that guests can fill your glass without obtaining chili fingers. It also has a lid, so if you take the party out, you will not get a fly sitting on your ice. And makes the handle easy to move around.
I have yet to formally test the ice bucket, but I like Oxo: When it is full, it keeps the snow solid for a few hours, which is enough for a dinner party. It is easily cleaned, also: Just empty any water, rinse it and scrub, and let it dry in the air.
And its use goes beyond making cocktails: you can paste a bottle of wine in it and obviously, use ice to cool other drinks such as soda or cellzer. Now I do not have to run into the freezer with shame when a friend rotates in the kitchen to snow his water – the bucket of ice saves the day.
Why are we experts
- Grace Kelly Serious is a senior editor in Eats, where she has been testing the kitchen gear for more than three years.
- She likes to host parties and organizes a monthly Cookbook Club.
