The Best Whiskey Stones (Review) in 2020

Whiskey stones could be the best addition to your liquor cabinet that you make all year, and nobody ensures that it’s done properly like Quiseen. From cost-effective pricing to the quantity of cubes you get, it’s a steal.

Soapstone whiskey stones last for ages (usually one purchase per decade), and are naturally non-porous, so there’s no way that even the strongest alcohol on your shelf could penetrate it and leave behind a flavor or scent. They come in a velvet bag that’s designed to hold these stones while they freeze, giving you a safe space so that it can’t attempt to absorb flavors from open containers or loose food in your freezer. While it won’t absorb those flavors, they can linger on the surface if you aren’t careful. Quiseen made simple, inexpensive whiskey stones that get the job done. Nothing fancy, nothing over-the-top, just cold whiskey with no watered-down effect. I’ll drink to that.

Whiskey rocks are usually, you know, actual rocks. Spirit Stones uses FDA-approved soapstone that’s completely food-grade and food-safe. Not only is soapstone non-porous, but it’s also extremely easy to clean.

In fact, these are so easy to clean that you’ll be able to remove all trace elements of flavoring or odors on the surface in about ten seconds with some warm water. Then they can either go back on your shelf, or right back in your freezer. While they are easy to clean, they’re also easy to freeze. You don’t get a velvet bag from Spirit Stones, but you do get this canvas/burlap bag that still helps to block out odors. Easy to clean, FDA-approved, and dishwasher safe—what more do you need?

Whiskey cubes aren’t only made of stone, you know. Kollea’s stainless steel cubes are among the best on this list, and it’s because they’re simple. It’s a solid block of smooth steel, and they freeze quicker than most stone cubes of the same size.

Not only are these food-grade and food-safe, but they’re extremely effective. Stash them in the storage tray and plop them in the freezer, and then use the included metal tongs to remove them when you need them. The only issue here is that they’re a little slippery if you aren’t using the tongs, which have grippy edges. Hold onto a chill for longer than soapstone, and get presentation points when you place one single cube in your guests’ drink. You should be able to get away with one cube per drink with these, effectively saving your remaining cubes for more drinks in the evening.

These are technically stainless steel whiskey stones, but they’re cooler than that because they’re in the shape of bullets. I love the way they slide into the revolver chamber, which doubles as a storage tray—it doesn’t get much more American than this.

The only issue is that they’re not in a bag, so you’re going to have to freeze them after ensuring there’s no open food in your freezer. These are pretty big, so you’re going to have to have larger glasses to get full use out of them. Zero odor retention, zero flavor retention, but they are a bit tricky to clean with all the grooves. Hand clean and dry these only, and after that, slip them right back in the tray. It’s definitely a conversation piece for you and your guests.

Scotch rocks and whiskey stones are basically the same thing, especially when they’re stainless steel. These simple cubes come in an eight-tray, which can be popped into the freezer whenever you want, or kept on your shelf for a glorious look to bring that liquor cabinet together.

The display case that they come in is pretty nice, but once again, there’s no bag to prevent odors and flavors while they’re in the freezer. One awesome aspect of this small kit by Amerigo is that you get some similarly designed coasters included in your kit, bringing everything together. While these aren’t dishwasher safe, they’re easy to clean and retain no odors or flavors from whatever drink you left them in. With an average chilling time of 3 ½ hours, it’s a little bit less than average for granite or soapstone rocks.

Chilling stones are usually cubed, but these act completely different. These whiskey chilling stones are circular discs, kind of luck pucks, and they’re made out of four different types of granite. While the exact look of each stone can vary from the sales page photos, they’re guaranteed to be stunning.

The non-diluting round edges of each stone help prevent glass damage, but also aid in sealing off the granite to prevent odor or flavor retention. I like that these come on a solid wooden display shelf. You can put it in the freezer with the stones, but I recommend keeping it somewhere else to prevent moisture from expanding the wood. Still, it’s a solid set that could last you for decades.

Whiskey chillers come in many shapes and sizes, but one of the best is miniature cubes. This set is designed for two people to enjoy some whiskey or scotch, and comes with a lot. You get an ornate wooden storage box with a simple latch, and inside of that is a velvet pillow that holds your eight granite stones, as well as two crystal glasses. It’s a full kit.

The cubes are small, so they freeze in about 2 ½ hours instead of the standard 4. On that note, you will need four per glass, so this is really a two-person set. Not the best for entertaining, but definitely good to sit down with someone important and have a victory drink together.

These simple steel whiskey cooling stones come in a silicone tray, and they have rounded edges to prevent glass damage while you’re enjoying your scotch or whiskey. They’re a bit big, so you can get away with one per glass and still make it work.

I will say this: four cubes for this price is a bit high, but they’re completely sealed and food-grade quality, so it’s worth it to chill your drinks the right way. Everyone comes in a silicone freezing tray, so you can just pop the whole thing in the freezer at once. There’s no bag system, so I recommend putting them in a half-gallon Ziploc bag as well just to prevent flavors from sitting on the surface.

These are the most personalized whiskey stones you’re ever going to get, because most people aren’t going to even know they exist until they get into your parlor and watch you drop them in the glass.

They’re gold-plated and titanium-plated, and they’re still sealed, so you can treat them like any other metal whiskey stones. The base material under that plating is stainless steel, just like many of the other ones that we’ve reviewed. It’s not overly pricey, but it is the premium pick for this list. You get eight stones, a velvet inlay to hold onto them and your tongs, all inside of a bright wooden box with a sleek, dark finish on the exterior. It’s certainly going to turn heads.

Last but not least, we have this simple set that gets the job done, but it’s not wildly different from other brands on our list. For that, they earned the bottom spot, but they still come with complete food-grade assurance and durability.

You get a tray with a lid so you can freeze them, which is good since it prevents flavors and odors from sticking to the outside of your cubes. On top of that, you’re also going to get a pair of metal tongs with some pretty good traction, so you won’t drop your stones in the bottom of the glass and crack it. Eight cubes, a tray, tongs—it’s everything you need, all in a simple white box with the UCP logo right on the front. Two cubes per drink should do the trick.