I Love My Orb!

One of the few things that wouldn't be in my apartment was ice.  I have a small studio apartment and a small studio apartment kitchen with small studio apartment appliances (maybe after cleaning it today, I will post a picture or two).  I even have my prettier stone cookware stashed on bookshelves for lack of space.  Putting an ice tray in my freezer always seemed to take up too much space and I always keep my Brita pitcher in the fridge, so I never had ice (usually to Catlyn's dismay).

Well those days are long gone because I now have the IceOrb by Fusion Brands.

This container is both the ice tray & ice storage.  There are so many things I love about my Orb:

• The whole thing is a sealed/covered ice making/storage system.  This is great cause the ice does not pick up food smells/tastes, no spillage if something else in the freezer hits it (or if you are like me and you had an issue walking from the sink to the freezer without leaving a number of puddles).
• It has a very small footprint.  It barely takes up more room than a pint of ice cream.  And because of the cover, you can even stack things like your pint of ice cream right on top unlike traditional ice trays.
• It is multi-functional.  While it is a ice tray & storage system, the inner container used for ice storage perfectly fits both wine & champagne bottles to chill.  The container can also be used to hold foods that you want to keep chilled - just keep in mind when transporting, the lid isn't super secure so make sure you take precautions.
• It just looks plain old cool.

It does take a little getting use to.  When you are popping the container out you have to have patience& work slowly pushing from the bottom while pulling the overlapping lip gently after you give it a couple squeezes around the container to break the ice between the outer chamber and the inner container.  The only people I would not suggest this to are people who have strength issues with their hands like arthritis or those with very small hands - you have to be able to push on the bottom while pulling back the lip at the top.  I am 5'4" and have proportional hands and I have no issue.

I have one lil suggestion to those interested in getting their own Orb - fill it below the fill line.  I found that filling it below the fill line that left a little unfilled room in the bottom row of ice chambers fills it just perfect without any spillage when popping back in the blue inner container.  The top row of ice chambers will appear to have unfilled room, but once the water expands when it freezes, it will fill (or almost) in that last chamber.

Just to be clear about this review.  I bought my own IceOrb on Amazon (initially feeling silly for spending that for an ice tray, but now think it was totally worth it!) and was not and have not ever been in touch with Fusion Brands (or Brita for that matter).  They do have some other interesting (and very coolly designed) products I am interested in.