We all know what ice cube trays were born to do. If you’re a savvy cooking show watcher, you’ve probably seen some of the chefs roll out fancy parlor tricks, like making spiked cocktail ice cubes or iced tea cubes, but we’re here to introduce 3 other cool tips to make the most out of your ice cube tray while you’re cooking.

1. Get your herb on.

Chop up some fresh basil, thyme, or rosemary while it’s fresh and in season. Sprinkle each herb into the bottom of the cube molds, and top with olive oil. This way, you’ll be able to add a fresh base to any out of season dish.

2. It’s the perfect cookie mold.

We love cookies, and sure, it’s fine to scoop them out and bake them right away, but then you’re stuck with eating all the cookies before they get stale. Instead, make your batter and scoop it into the ice cube tray. Freeze ’em up. Then when you’re ready, you’ll just have to pop them out onto the tray for quick and easy baking.

3. Chicken broth in a pinch.

An ice cube tray is a perfect receptacle for iced chicken broth cubes! It might sound gross, but this will come in super handy when you need to add chicken broth to a sauce, to pasta, or to round out some sautéed veggies. Much easier than keeping those boxes of chicken broth around all the time.

Your ice cube tray is so much more than you think it is. We hope you enjoy these tips and check out this awesome tray to get started.