I Tried a Dozen Popsicle Molds and These Were, Hands-Down, the Best

The days are getting shorter and even though we still have a few weeks before summer takes its leave, I’m already planning for it. My shelves are stocked with canned veggies from my dad’s garden and I just ordered a very cute hoodie that I plan to live in this fall. Yes, I’ll miss the hot summer sun, but if I’m really honest, what I’ll miss most of all is our friendly neighborhood paleta guy and his delicious sweet treats.

I tried making my own last summer but the plastic molds I’d picked up on a whim at the grocery store were ultra-disappointing. The resulting pops ended up being too big for my tiny kid, and the plastic tops were cheap and flimsy and not a natural fit in the hand. I know not every product is made equal, so I decided to put some molds to the test. After trying out 12, I’m ready to crown my favorites and feel confident they’ll get me by until next spring when our paleta friend returns again.

These molds are a thing of beauty. They’re all stainless steel, with the exception of silicone rings on the end of the stainless sticks, and are quite comfortable to hold. Each part of these molds has been perfectly designed (for example, the lids act as little troughs to catch any melted Popsicle when you’re eating them!). They’re a tad bit large for kids, but the silicone tab helps tiny hands get a better grip on the sticks.

I especially love that each of the six molds are separate, and sit freely in a stainless stand. In my testing, I found that single molds were a lot easier to clean than molds that were all connected. Additionally, it’s easier to make (and keep track of!) multiple flavors with the color-coded silicone tab system. In our house, we always seem to make just a little bit too much of our morning smoothie, so I’ve started pouring the leftovers in a new mold each morning to freeze for a healthy afternoon treat!

I was stoked to see minimal packaging used on this product: just a small cardboard wrap with important info on how to use the molds (be sure to insert the sticks correctly!). They’re made of food-grade silicone and come with reusable sticks. The price point is very agreeable at $9.99 for a three-pop mold, and they make a picture-perfect Popsicle (on one side; the other side is flat!).

The molds sit perfectly flat and come with a lid to keep out freezer burn or weird freezer smells. Once frozen, you can easily store them vertically or horizontally if you’re low on freezer space. They’re a nice size — not too big, not too small — and perfect for filling with fruit juice or ice cream. Bonus: They’re dishwasher-safe!

The “bunkbed” of Popsicle molds, these silicone stacking containers take up less space in your freezer than a bag of peas! They are the absolute perfect size for kids or anyone who wants a little treat. They were also, by far, the easiest to load and to clean. Other notes that I mentioned above ring true here, too: You can store these vertically once they’re frozen, you can color code your flavors, they have reusable sticks, and all the pieces are dishwasher-safe. And, in case your color-coding system fails you, the lids are clear and large, so you have a nice, big window to see what’s inside.

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