5 Cool Ways to Make Ice for Summer Chillin’

Joanne Camas — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 07:00:01 +0000

Polar Ice Ball

This updated version of a crowdsourced favorite lets you make solid balls or cubes of ice that are clear, have no odor to affect your drinks, and can even hold a flower or a piece of fruit for that extra “wow!” factor. You can also use it to make ice animals and other fun frozen creations.
The silicon molds turn out four 4.5-centimeter ice balls at a time (or one six-centimeter one), all bubble-free. How does it work? Well, the included Polar Ice Tray’s insulation makes the water freeze from the surface down. “By allowing the water to freeze gradually from top to bottom, layer by layer, air and impurities are compressed to the bottom,” the inventors explain. The “white ice” with all the impurities ends up in a special tray for discarding.

Icebreaker

Easy-peasy ice. Just fill the container, freeze it, and surprise your guests by twisting the lid and producing perfect ice cubes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzfEX-LOCM0
The Icebreaker is especially handy if your freezer space is tight, and it’ll never leak if you place it on its side or at an angle to fit. Since it’s airtight, you can also stop worrying about it absorbing food smells from the freezer.
You get a dozen cubes from each freezing, and the cool container can sit on the table while you’re eating so you can keep topping up the ice in drinks.

Ice Genie

The flexible Ice Genie has been cleverly designed to squish into your packed freezer. The water freezes in the outside section, and the ice cubes themselves are stored in the central canister. The gizmo holds up to 120 ice cubes at a time, too. Have a bottle of wine or beer you need to chill? Simply stick it in the Ice Genie to cool it quickly. The BPA-free Genie has an airtight lid to keep ice fresh, and you can just put it in the dishwasher when you’re done.

The Perfect Ice Cube

Next time you have $760 burning a hole in your pocket, you might want to check out Hammacher Schlemmer’s high-line ice cube maker. The mold is divided into two solid-aluminum sections and has an anodized copper finish. Use one of the six silicon preforms that come with it to freeze the water. Then slide the top piece over the bottom one to compress the ice into a perfect two-and-a-half-inch sphere in just seconds.
Why is it useful? “With less surface area and a slower melting time than conventional ice cubes, the sphere chills a preferred drink faster while ensuring minimal dilution,” explains the company, “enabling the connoisseur to fully enjoy a spirit’s subtleties and nuances.”

Phantom

The Phantom ice maker lets you create ice in seven cool shapes, each of which melts slowly and fits a variety of glasses. Each tray makes seven clear ice spheres, six clear ice cubes, eight clear Collins spears, and 16 clear standard cubes. Nice. Now you can keep all your guests happy and refreshed. The unit also has vacuum insulated stainless-steel double walls for added efficiency and durability, and it’s currently available for preorder with a slated delivery date of September 2018.