The 8 Best Freezer Mugs
Updated by · How we research
Gel-filled cups, plain glass steins and double-wall glasses compared for chill, care and durability. The Host Freeze Pint leads for beer that stays icy. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Ice-cold glassware suits lagers and ciders best: a maker of gel cups suggests a frozen cup for light beers but only a fridge-chilled one for darker styles, whose flavor fades when very cold. These picks are for anyone who wants that first-sip chill at home, from a sealed gel cup or a glass stein you frost yourself.
Editor's Notes
October 27, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The Host Freeze Pint now leads because sealed gel holds the cold longer than any glass you chill yourself, and Host has made these cups for years. The Chefcaptain Dimple Stein and the Amlong Crystal Mug stay for anyone who would rather have dishwasher-safe glass, and the Dragon Glassware Upside Down remains as a gift, now listed as a two-glass set. Gone are the Duck House NFL and the Greenbrier Red, which have left the market, and the Zoku Slush and Shake, which makes slush rather than serving as a mug. The BC Inter mugs left too, because their handles kept snapping. Nobody has timed these cups in a lab, so the ranking rests on each maker's freezing and care instructions, frosting advice from a freezer company and drink sites, and the breakage patterns in owner complaints.
Earlier notes
May 28, 2020, by Melissa Harr:
Plain mugs have their place, but if you are serious about keeping your beverage cold from the first sip to the last, you'll want to think about using a handy freezer mug. You'll find a variety here, including those with some sort of element to make freezing easier or last longer, as well as those that are simple but freezer-safe.
In the former category, the BC Inter Frosty, the Greenbrier Red, and the Duck House NFL are strong choices thanks to gel that freezes to keep the contents cold. You'll want to hand wash these, but for the most part, they are easy enough to care for and use. Or, for vino, there's the Host Cooling Cups, which are unbreakable wine glasses that are also filled with gel. Plus, they have a silicone grip that keeps your hand from warming up the glass. After some consideration, we've kept the Zoku Slush and Shake, as well. It offers an interesting concept, but actually creating a frosty slush can take some effort, so it's definitely not for the impatient.
If you're looking for a simple glass that is freezer safe, consider the Amlong Crystal or the Chefcaptain Dimple Stein. Affordably priced, these beer mugs are great alternatives to a standard pint glass, with handles that keep your hands off the glass. The handles found on the latter are just a touch small, however, so if you've got big mitts, you might find it frustrating to hold.
Special Honors
Viski Glacier The Viski Glacier is a gel-filled, double-wall glass beer cup sold one at a time by the barware maker Viski. It holds a full pint, freezes in an hour or two, and is hand wash only, so it suits anyone who wants a single gel glass rather than a set. viski.com
Host Wine and Whiskey FREEZE Cups Host sells gel cups shaped for wine and for whiskey on its own site, alongside its beer pints. The wine cup chills a white or rose without ice, and the whiskey cup does the same for spirits without watering them down. chillwithhost.com
Gel Cups, Plain Glass, Or Both
A double-wall glass with only air in the gap, like the Dragon Glassware Upside Down, insulates the drink rather than chilling it.
A gel cup has two walls with a freezable gel sealed between them. You keep it in the freezer, and the frozen gel pulls heat out of the drink for a while after you pour. Host's Beer FREEZE pint uses Tritan plastic with a silicone band for grip, and Host tells owners to freeze it upside down for at least two hours. Plastic gel mugs from Lily's Home and Luxail work the same way, with a handle instead of a band. All of them are hand wash only and can't take hot drinks or the microwave.
Plain glass is the old frosted mug. Thick, lead-free glass such as a dimpled pub stein chills in the freezer in under an hour, goes in the dishwasher and has nothing inside to leak. It warms up faster than a gel cup, though, because the cold lives only in the glass.
Gel glass sits in between. The Host Glass Freeze and the Viski Glacier put the gel between two walls of glass, so you get the feel of glass with a longer chill, at the cost of more weight and hand washing. A double-wall glass with only air in the gap, like the Dragon Glassware Upside Down, insulates the drink rather than chilling it.
How To Frost A Glass Without Cracking It
Glass cracks when its temperature changes too fast. Never put a glass that is still warm from the dishwasher or a hot sink straight into the freezer. Let it reach room temperature first. The freezer maker NewAir recommends thick mugs over thin stemware and a frost of 20 minutes to an hour (NewAir).
For the classic white frost, rinse the mug in cold water and shake it off before it goes in. Aim for a thin film of frost, not a crust of ice, which waters down the first sips. A wet glass can freeze to a wire shelf, so set it on a dry spot and lift it straight up. If you only have a few minutes, a glass sitting in ice water chills faster than one in the freezer (Yvento).
Gel cups have their own rules. Freeze them upside down so the gel settles toward the rim, and don't leave them in a very deep freezer for days. Lily's Home warns against freezers colder than about 14 degrees Fahrenheit, and Fasmov adds a limit of four hours at a time.
How Long The Cold Lasts, And Which Drinks Benefit
No lab has timed these cups side by side, so treat every hold time as an estimate. Host says its Beer FREEZE keeps a drink frosty for about two hours. A freezer-mug roundup that ran no timed tests of its own puts typical gel mugs at roughly 30 to 50 minutes of real chill after a few hours in the freezer, with plain glass fading sooner (The Brain Freeze Bar). Sitting in the sun or holding the cup by its body shortens either figure.
Cold also changes the taste. Host suggests a frozen cup for light lagers, pilsners and ciders, served near 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and a cup chilled only in the fridge for stouts and darker ales, which taste best closer to 50 to 60 degrees. A frosted mug can also make some beers foam more as they hit the cold, so pour slowly down the side.
Freezer mugs work for more than beer. Iced coffee, soda, lemonade and milkshakes all stay colder in a frozen gel cup, and plain glass mugs take the same drinks without any gel to worry about.
How we researched this
We compared 18 freezer mugs, gel cups and double-wall glasses, read the makers' freezing and care instructions for the 8 finalists, studied frosting advice from a freezer maker and drink sites, analyzed owner feedback for breakage and leaks, and checked every brand against CPSC recall records. Updated October 27, 2026 by Ezvid Wiki Editors.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a mug stay in the freezer?
A plain glass mug frosts in about 20 minutes to an hour. A gel cup needs at least two hours, upside down, and several makers say not to leave it in a very deep freezer for days.
Can any glass mug go in the freezer?
Thick, lead-free glass usually can, as long as it starts dry and at room temperature. A warm glass, thin crystal or stemware can crack from the sudden cold.
Is the gel inside a freezer mug safe?
The gel is sealed between the walls and never touches the drink. Makers describe it as non-toxic, but if a cup cracks or gel seeps out, stop using it.
How long does a frozen mug keep a drink cold?
Expect roughly half an hour to 45 minutes of real chill from a gel cup, and less from plain glass. Makers claim up to two hours, but heat from your hand and the room shortens it.
Can I put hot drinks in a freezer mug?
Not in a gel cup: heat and the microwave can crack the walls or damage the gel. A plain glass mug at room temperature can take coffee or cocoa, but never pour a hot drink into a frozen glass.
