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The consummate host always has one thing atop the fridge for special occasions: an ice bucket. There’s nearly nothing chicer than a gorgeous vessel and tongs for dropping some perfectly square cubes into your crystal glass or a full display of biodynamic wines chilled in a big silver tub. All of which communicates: party, luxury, indulgence, a Gatsby affair.
I’ve surveyed the best ice buckets and beverage tubs on the market and pulled together a list of well-crafted, individual, and quite simply gorgeous vessels for housing single bottles, enough ice to fuel the party into the early hours of the morning, or full beverage spreads. Whether you’re looking for something Shaker-esque or just indelibly ornate, there are a range of options here for keeping things cool. One thing you won’t find on this list: plastic—a fancy party has no place for it, and we’ve prioritized style over other high-tech, vacuum-insulated, technically functional picks.
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Best Overall
With its stainless-steel body and variegated base, this wide beverage bucket feels distinctly modern without leaning too industrial. It’s a staff favorite at AD for larger social gatherings that call for plenty of booze, holding up to seven bottles of wine and about two bags of ice. As a two-year owner of this piece, I can say it’s been a game-changer for hosting. I’ve used this to serve up three to four bottles of wine at once, troves of non-alc options (love you, Aplós), and it’s also come in handy as a punch bowl. It keeps drinks accessible, ice cold, and with 54 oz of storage, it takes the pressure off your already-very-full fridge when your guests arrive in droves with horrifying beer options.
Best Glass Blown Option
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Porta Lauren Champagne Bucket
The tiny bubbles in this artisanal handblown glass piece aptly recall a sip of sparkling wine. Made in the French Riviera, it’s sized perfectly to house a robust champagne bottle, if you’re finding yourself more in need of a wine cooler than a small ice bucket.
Best Metal Ice Bucket
West Elm Solei Metal Ice Bucket
How timely to come across this spiraled ice bucket while The Odyssey press is in full swing. The side knobs nearly resemble snails (one of our latest trend fixations) and the gently wrapped coil on the rim practices decorative restraint that keeps your drink selection center stage. The beverage tub has a companion wine chiller, cocktail picks, drinkware—basically everything you’d need to manifest the best bar cart setup.
Best Marble Barware
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Soho Home Pavel Ice Bucket
This marble ice bucket uses Rosso Levanto marble from Turkey, which has been fitted with a borosilicate lining and lid to keep ice frozen and mess-free. The marble won’t condensate either—the way stainless steel might—so it remains looking dignified and sculptural at all times.
Best Big Ice Bucket
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McGee & Co. Wicker Indoor/Outdoor Beverage Tub
The casual host with great taste might find themselves drawn to this handwoven wicker beverage tub, which can host several bottles of wine without issue (and a tightly packaged 24-pack, for truly casual hosts). The galvanized tin inside keeps things cool, and the design easily translates from indoors to outdoors without looking out of place in either.
Most Elegant
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Los Vasos De Agua Clara Jaipur Crystal Ice Bucket
As glass ice buckets go, few are so ornately inclined as this Spanish piece from Abask. This Barcelona-based brand hand-paints a wide assortment of glassware with florals, fish, and bold stripes that make precious heirlooms. Good champagne deserves such a vessel.
More Ice Buckets To Love
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Hudson Grace Delaney Silver-Plated Ice Bucket
Hudson Grace sources their silver ice buckets from Europe, where they spent their former life in “hotels and estates.” The style is rooted in argenterie de table, a French flatware tradition from the 19th and 20th centuries featuring silver or silver-plated flatware characterized by ornate detailing. The egg-and-dart border and acanthus-style handles borrow from early Greco-Roman art, translated through the eye of French hospitality, that make their way, finally, to your very dignified tabletop.
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Tina Frey Designs Champagne Bucket
Few ice buckets (truly, this is the only I found) think to imitate leather with resin as Tina Frey has here. Suede, knotted handles further the illusion. It’s very Cabana Magazine-esque, the sort of thing you’d spot at a tastemaker’s Sag Harbor dinner party. Pair with a bright floral tablecloth, some colored glass goblets, and a light (chilled!) red.
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Iris Wicker Box with Ice Container by Mila Maurizi
A handwoven rattan sleeve surrounds this stainless steel ice bucket, made in Italy. Among the many plastic iterations, a properly insulated ice bucket with lid is a breath of fresh air. This one uses double-wall construction to keep ice icy (easier said than done), so none of your guests is ever met with melted slush upon opening your artisanal cooler.
