11–20 of 75 posts
I always thought the key to getting clear ice was to boil the water first so the oxygen goes out of solution.
Former bartender here. Having nice cocktail ice chunks at home isn't as complex as this might make it seem. No need for a clunky box in your freezer or costly gizmos. I keep a travel-sized coffee thermos in my freezer with about 2-3 inches of water at the bottom. Takes 18-24 hours to create one chunk. If you time it right, 90% of the water freezes, and the water impurities pool at the bottom – pop out the frozen chun…
>If you time it right, 90% of the water freezes, and the water impurities pool at the bottom And even if you don't, worst case you end up with a cloudy end on your clear ice that can be easily removed by rubbing it on an aluminum sheet pan
I always thought the key to getting clear ice was to boil the water first so the oxygen goes out of solution.
Interestingly freezing hot or boiled water can be quicker due to the Mpemba effect. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpemba_effect
i'd think the "cocktail ice" criteria would be to be 100% clear. I make my own ice, usually in the winter, because it's fun when it's -20 outside and i stock pile it in a deep freezer for the remainder of the year.
process: + fill a small cooler almost to the top with water + leave the lid open and leave the cooler outside over night, or 2 nights, depends on the size + *key*: you want to remove the ice from the cooler before it freezes all the way through, ideally you want ~2 inches of water left on the bottom unfrozen. ice freezes from top to bottom, so all the air and impurities keep getting pushed down. this top layer will pretty much be perfect, you may have to wash off the top layer due to frost/snow that have accumulated over night. +. take your new slap of ice and score it with a bread cutting serrated knife, tap the knife with a wooden spoon and you'll have a perfect cut of a of a huge chuck of ice. keep serrating/hitting into smaller chunks.
Former bartender here. Having nice cocktail ice chunks at home isn't as complex as this might make it seem. No need for a clunky box in your freezer or costly gizmos. I keep a travel-sized coffee thermos in my freezer with about 2-3 inches of water at the bottom. Takes 18-24 hours to create one chunk. If you time it right, 90% of the water freezes, and the water impurities pool at the bottom – pop out the frozen chun…
Somewhat related interesting fact, the UK ice market is dominated by one player who has brought out almost all other manufacturers, The Ice Co. This is a good article from a couple of years ago about them: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/dec/10/super-cubes-ins... They have created a few "innovative" products, such as larger "clearer" ice cubes for cocktails - related to TFA - by spraying water into super cooled…
Former bartender here. Having nice cocktail ice chunks at home isn't as complex as this might make it seem. No need for a clunky box in your freezer or costly gizmos. I keep a travel-sized coffee thermos in my freezer with about 2-3 inches of water at the bottom. Takes 18-24 hours to create one chunk. If you time it right, 90% of the water freezes, and the water impurities pool at the bottom – pop out the frozen chun…
https://www.wintersmiths.com/ - These guys make gadgets that you can put in your freezer and get very clear ice. Melt very well/evenly.
You can also find details of their latest machine on kickstarter, which is a work in progress.
edit: I have bought most of their products over the years, starting with their first ice-baller. And supported the phantom kickstarter, and their latest one.
Former bartender here. Having nice cocktail ice chunks at home isn't as complex as this might make it seem. No need for a clunky box in your freezer or costly gizmos. I keep a travel-sized coffee thermos in my freezer with about 2-3 inches of water at the bottom. Takes 18-24 hours to create one chunk. If you time it right, 90% of the water freezes, and the water impurities pool at the bottom – pop out the frozen chun…
Water expands when it freezes, in my head thermos is an extremely rigid structure, how do you stop it from rapturing?
Former bartender here. Having nice cocktail ice chunks at home isn't as complex as this might make it seem. No need for a clunky box in your freezer or costly gizmos. I keep a travel-sized coffee thermos in my freezer with about 2-3 inches of water at the bottom. Takes 18-24 hours to create one chunk. If you time it right, 90% of the water freezes, and the water impurities pool at the bottom – pop out the frozen chun…
Water expands when it freezes, in my head thermos is an extremely rigid structure, how do you stop it from rapturing?