On hot days, few things are as satisfying as reaching into your freezer for a homemade ice pop—but only if you can extract that ice pop in one piece. Having a popsicle mold that’s easy to fill, store, and remove treats from makes all the difference. After researching dozens of popsicle molds, testing 31, and making almost 200 ice pops over the years (as well as eating enough of them to give a whole army a brain freeze), we’ve found that the Tovolo Classic Pop Molds make the most consistent and easy-to-eat pops of all the molds we’ve tried.
Our pick
Tovolo Classic Pop Molds
These plastic molds make a traditionally shaped ice pop that comes out smoothly. The individually removable molds fit in a narrow tray, taking up minimal freezer space. And the whole set is dishwasher safe.
The Tovolo Classic Pop Molds consistently produced the most easy-to-remove 4-ounce pops in a classic shape (rectangular, with a rounded top) that’s enjoyable to eat. With the assistance of a little warm water, our pops came out of their plastic mold smoothly, never breaking during any of our recipe tests. The drip catcher is the most effective of any we’ve come across, requiring a full 90-degree tilt to spill some melted pop on yourself. On top of that, the molds, reusable sticks, and tray are all dishwasher safe and durable.
Also great
Tovolo Penguin Pop Molds
Cute and fun, this set offers unusual shapes and an easily peelable silicone mold. The medium size is great for big kids (we have an even smaller pick for younger ones).
The Tovolo Penguin Pop Molds are great for kids thanks to their slightly-smaller size and cute shapes. This set includes four silicone molds that rest on a sturdy plastic tray. Each mold makes a slightly different-shaped penguin, with a different hat or accessory, giving your kids a little surprise to look forward to or the chance to pick their favorite pop. The molds hold only about 2 ounces of liquid, making the pops just small enough for kids to enjoy without being overwhelmed. They’re a little fussy to fill, but the silicone is easy to peel off your frozen pops, not requiring any presoaking or rinsing in warm water. And this set is a breeze to clean, as the entire thing is dishwasher safe. Tovolo offers similar molds in other shapes, too, such as dinosaurs or monsters; these molds would probably work about the same as the penguin molds, but we haven’t tested them ourselves.
Also great
Zoku Fish Pop Molds
These clever under-the-sea molds make even-smaller-than-average pops, so they’re more manageable for younger kids to finish. The silicone molds release easily, but they’re also easier to overfill than our main pick.
If you’re looking for impressive visuals in an even smaller size than the Tovolo Penguin Pop Molds offer, we recommend the Zoku Fish Pop Molds. The adorable aquatic figurines will delight little ones, and ours looked crisp and professional regardless of the pop recipe. It’s easy to pull the fish pops from their silicone molds, each of which holds about 1.5 ounces depending on the shape—a great size for toddlers. The molds are easy to overfill, though, and this is the only set we recommend that isn’t dishwasher safe. It also has a fairly large freezer footprint, although the wide, stable base does help prevent spills. The pops from these molds were the easiest to remove of any of the kid-specific molds we tried. If aquatic animals aren’t your thing, Zoku also offers similar molds in other shapes, such as dinosaurs or polar animals, that are likely to perform well, too.
Also great
Lékué Tropical Fruit Ice Pop Molds
Each fruity silicone mold in this set is a separate piece, allowing you to easily stack them in the freezer. These fun shapes are simple to extract pops from and are fully dishwasher safe.
For something fun but not too childish, we recommend the 3.2-ounce Lékué Tropical Fruit Ice Pop Molds. These pricier molds come in the shapes of watermelon slices and whole pineapples, making cute yet sophisticated pops that would be great for a party. They don’t have a tray to rest in and must lie horizontally as a result, but the molds are lidded and stackable, allowing you to arrange them in your freezer as you see fit. The silicone is easy to peel off, and each piece is dishwasher safe. The reusable stick has no drip catcher, so dole these pops out to kids with caution—messes may ensue.
