Clear Ice Cube Maker - 2.5" Ball - Stainless Steel

It's easy to use, and the silicone feels high-quality. I used tap water initially, but I plan to try bottled water to compare the results. I'll update my review after I've used the ice.

The clear ice cube maker works fairly well, but I tried a few times and have not gotten a perfectly clear ball using my tap water which is well water that is filtered through a carbon filter. I have a feeling if I mess with it more it might get even better, but I am not sure it will ever be perfectly clear with my water. Overall, I would say this mold works better than simple trays but there are some downsides. First, you only get one ball at a time and the mold isn't so cheap or compact that I would get half a dozen molds. Second, once it is frozen, it does take some effort to extract the silicone mold from the cup. Still, I think it works well enough for four stars. The ice does look great in a rocks glass and melts slowly in my whiskey.

instructions bad. still trying to figure out why I get half balls sometimes

Crystal Clear Ice Balls, but the container that comes with it is not large enough to hold more than 7 ice balls and one layer. Seems to me that it should be large enough to handle an even number, like 8, and if not high enough for more than one layer, should not be as tall, as it takes up room in the freezer. As to the ice balls themselves, they are terrific if done correctly. The instructions are not clear on how to get perfectly round and clear. Took me a few times to discover the secret. First, use hot water from the tap, second fill the metal container to the top. Then slowly lower the silicon mold into it to allow for the water to get into the mold. Then make sure that the air hole at the top of the mold has water in it. Overflow to the surrounding mold is okay. Put it in the freezer on a level shelf. 24 hours later, it is easy to remove the round ball, perfectly made! To make more, you need to put hot water into the metal container to melt the ice that is in there, and then start the whole process over again. I have other molds, this is the easiest I have for removing the ice from the mold. As to the container, I say skip it and put the round ice balls into a gallon plastic zip lock bag. Use the container for something else.

I tried several different types, but like these the best. They are easier to remove if frozen for 48 hours or more. I have 5 of them.

Works well for me. Easy to do, and well worth the price.

These worked out wonderfully! The ice quality after was superb and the shape was perfect! I have found that you need to use bottled purified water for the best results but other than that these are awesome!

SO much easier to process/work with & preferred over the large 2 ice ball container that hogs freezer space!

Plastic ice ball keeper is a very nice add on

Ice balls form overnight when I place them inside my freezer after dinner dishes are done - so 8 - 10 hours, depending on your freezer
(WAY better than the 24 hours needed for my previous ice ball maker AND significantly less expensive!)

🎉KUDOS!!!🎉

I got this because of the large size of the sphere it makes. I already had some sphere and cube molds, but they didn't really fill the glass, which is what I wanted. This did not disappoint. It takes a little more labor than the typical silicone tray mold. You fill the cup to the min fill line and then let the silicone mold (which has small holes at the top and bottom) sink into the cup, and then you put the whole thing into the freezer. The expansion pushes the silicone up a little, making it fairly easy to pull out after freezing and open (see video). Because the mold is shorter than the cup, you're left with about an inch of ice at the bottom of the cup which you have to get out before making the next one. I put warm water in the cup and about 5 min later, the remaining ice popped up and it was ready to go again. The sphere looks really good.

For anyone who enjoys a leisurely sip without the rush of melting ice, this stainless steel ice sphere mold is an absolute must-have–and in my case, it’s a MUST HAVE TWO. Minimum. The larger balls this produces are perfect for ensuring your drink stays chilled longer, without diluting the flavor too quickly—a major plus in my books. The dual functionality of the stainless steel cup is a game-changer, serving not only as a vessel for the silicone mold but also as a double-insulated cup, keeping drinks cold impressively long thanks in addition to the thick ice base that’s found at the bottom after you pull out the silicone mold.
I appreciated the compact design that doesn’t claim too much freezer space yet delivers substantially sized ice spheres, perfect for any cocktail or cold beverage. Impressed by its quality and functionality, I’ve even ordered a second one to double the chill. This ice sphere mold is a fantastic addition to any kitchen, and I can’t recommend it enough for those looking to elevate their beverage experience.

I'm a lover of ice ball with whiskey. I used to use the regular ice ball maker, the most popular one you may found as best seller at Amazon. However, it's challenging to get the perfect clear ice ball. For this new design of ice ball maker, the outcome is impressive. The mannual is lmao once I read that 'read the competitors instructions' must be wrote by a fun person. Highly recommend!

This is a long review, but I felt it was needed if you're actually going to spend double-digits on a device that makes a single piece of ice, so here you go:
I've had multiple different "clear ice" molds and this one comes the closest so far to what I would expect when you talk about amateur-made clear ice. Even when using plain tap water and being very lazy about preparation, the ice balls from this mold came out better than my other ones. And since I rated the others 4 stars (for being better than their non-insulated counterparts), this one by default bumps to 5. When I released the first sphere I produced, I uttered to myself, "dang, son.." and immediately had visions of recreating the glass sphere scene from the classic film The Labyrinth. Subsequent ones were clear or very close to clear.. there were a couple with some tiny bubbles from the bottom, and I think the common factor was that I ran the faucet fast and the aerator had kicked in.. they work better if I run the tap slowly when filling. My guess of why this one works better than my other molds is that this one is cylinder shaped and is made of stainless steel, whereas my others are insulated foam of one type or another, in a bulkier, asymmetrical container.

The biggest caveats of this mold are that it's a little more tedious to fill than my foam-based insulated molds (marginally; you just need to be slow.. or if you're impatient like me, you could just work in the sink and deal with the water mess), it can be tricky to seal/release the silicone part because there aren't really any handles, so you need moderate dexterity, and the "garbage ice" is tough to release. At first I thought I would be clever and use stainless steel cup as a tumbler of sorts, and pour myself a beverage with the dual purpose of loosening the ice puck while simultaneously having something to do while prepping the next batch of ice, however 9/10 times, it is still stuck in there by the time I'm done. Another review says to just pour some hot water in there and wait a minute, and so far that seems to be the most time-effective method.

Some other things:
- it comes with some nice looking little tongs which are basically useless; they don't grip the sphere well at all. But the product pics have been updated with tongs with black ends.. maybe those ones will be better?
- I ordered this one, listed as model ZZ01, and the model ZZ02 from the same maker to see if there was any difference, and from what I can tell there is not.
- I had the privilege of ordering this for review, so the ~$20 cost at time of order is not a factor in my review. BUT that being said, I only rate items 5 stars if I would recommend them to friends/family, or purchase it again with my own money, and this fills that criteria. You could consider it sort of a luxury purchase, but for me, after dividing the cost by the number of ice spheres that I've created that have made me happy, I quickly began to rationalize the investment. I would also say that having more than one ice mold is a lot more useful, because these take slightly longer to freeze; it normally takes like a day and a half for me.

I have used larger more complicated systems trying to get clear ice and I’m super excited to get this! Easy and simple to use - wash first in warm water and dry. For best results use boiled water that has cooled. Freeze for 24 hours. You will want several of these! Highly recommended.

I love the idea of this product and the technology that goes into making a completely clear ice ball but it does take a little bit of practice. The first time I tried I took it out too soon and the whole bottom was not frozen and I added more water to see if I could still finish it but the whole top was completely clear and the bottom looked like a regular ice ball which was expected. The second time I tried it was mostly clear but there were a few bubbles in the middle and some around the bottom but much better than any other spherical molds. Great product I just think there was a little bit of user error. Would recommend 9/10

This WIBIMEN clear ice ball mold is great - it really works! So easy and simple to use too. Just follow the instructions and you will get a crystal clear ice ball. I tried it with tap water and the result is perfect. It says that if you use filtered or distilled water there might be some bubbles so I will give that a try too - clear bubbles might actually be interesting as long as they don't cause the ball to be cloudy. Only thing is it only makes one ball at a time, and takes at least 22 hours, so if planning to serve to guests either you have to get more of these or keep making them in advance (I think the easier solution is to get a few more).

There are not many things more cool than being able to make your own ice balls clear. I understand the science of how to do it. I’ve done it many times using ice molds and suspending the molds properly in a small cooler of water in the freezer. Basically, the old way is a pain. So when I saw this, I had to try it out.

The unit is well made, and simple to use. Quality materials are used in construction.

As you can tell by my 5 star rating, I like it. It’s a self contained clear ice maker. It does come with some well written instructions and pointers. One point is to not use distilled or filtered water, or you will get streaks. As you can see in one of my photos, I used filtered water the first time. The other pics are using tap water. There are many less streaks in those made using tap water. For one, I did not leave the mold in the freezer at least 20 hours, so the ball did not fully form, plus I pushed the silicone mold in too fast. No biggy. User error. I’m waiting on my 4th ice ball as I write this. I need to go back and reread the pointers. But, in my book, this is a keeper. I’ll be ordering another one. And, I’ll order some for Christmas gifts.

Here’s a tip. When you insert the silicone mold into the stainless steel container of water, do it slowly. This allows the water in the container to flow into the silicone mold with minimal water push out. Too fast, and you’ll lose water and the ball will not be fully filled out.

If you've done any research on clear ice you know you must let the minerals settle to the bottom of the tumbler so the ice on top is perfectly clear. This is a very convenient solution versus breaking up chunks from your Yeti cup.

It worked perfectly the first time. I do wish I had a second for when I have friends over to drink with me.