Clear ice is often the pinnacle ice experience for many professional bartenders because it is beautiful to look at, free of impurities, and just elevates the overall cocktail experience. It looks classy. Some companies make clear ice for bars and restaurants, but it’s also possible to make it yourself at home. All you need is water and a freezer, which presumably most people with kitchens have.
There are several different types of clear ice cube trays, but most of them are molds made of silicone that create a sphere or square-shaped cubes, although other shapes are possible, too. Materials, shape, and size might be a consideration, in addition to what kinds of cocktails you typically pour.
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Pros
Makes ten cubes
Easy to use
Very clear ice
Cons
Takes up a lot of freezer space
“There are now a lot of trays that make [clear] ice without hacking,” says Camper English, drinks writer and dedicated clear ice obsessive who taught the world how to make it at home in a cooler. “I think the Clearly Frozen tray gives you a lot of bang for your buck.” It's also easy to use.
Employing the directional freezing method, which English often refers to on his cocktail blogAlcademics, this silicone mold along with a foam insulation box helps to control the direction in which the water freezes. This process insulates all sides of the ice except for the top, pushing the air bubbles and impurities down as it freezes from the top down. The result is very clear, pure, mirror-like ice.
We know that this BPA-free mold takes up some precious real estate in your freezer, but it produces ten 2-inch ice cubes that are exceedingly clear and super cool looking. It's very easy to use, and in the end, you'll have more than enough for a cocktail party or just a couple of drinks with friends.
Material: BPA-free silicone | Number of Cubes: 10 | Shape: Square | Product Dimensions: 12 x 6 x 6 inches
Price at time of publish: $40
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Pros
Affordable
BPA-free silicone
Easy to use
Cons
Takes a long time to freeze
Takes up freezer space
Affordably priced, the SIMPLETASTE Crystal Clear Ice Ball Maker is a great budget option for people looking to make clear ice at home. The material is BPA-free silicone, making it safe for drinks, and it’s very simple to use.
First, add water to the container, then push the mold down and freeze for about 18 hours. This slow freezing process means the ice freezes very clearly, which you’ll discover when you pull apart the handles and break away the exterior ice. Granted, you’ll have to plan ahead for your drinks given the freezing time, and this mold does take up some freezer space, but it’s well worth it at this price.
Material: BPA-free silicone | Number of Cubes: 2 | Shape: Round | Product Dimensions: 6.97 x 4.49 x 7.8 inches
Price at time of publish: $33
Best Sphere/Ball
Dexas ice•ology Silicone Clear Ice Maker Tray for Crystal Clear Craft Cocktail Ice
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Pros
Ice comes out easily
Perfect sphere shape
Very clear
Cons
A bit pricey
Only makes two cubes
“For spheres, I like the Dexas Iceology tray,” says English. “It's well-built, and the ice pulls out very easily. I would imagine that this brand's cube trays are also high-quality.”
According to the brand, the molds separate while freezing to keep impurities out of the ice, resulting in impressively clear ice cubes for your cocktails. Two caveats, however: The mold only makes two cubes at a time and feels a little expensive for such a low yield. But it's so beautifully round, we'll forgive these transgressions.
Material: BPA-Free Silicone | Number of Cubes: 2 | Shape: Round | Product Dimensions: 8.75 x 3.5 x 4.5 inches
Price at time of publish: $43
Related: The Best Sphere Ice Molds
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Pros
Keeps odors out of ice
Won't spill
Easy to use
Cons
Very large for two cubes
If you’re worried about your ice getting contaminated by flavor or odor when sitting in your freezer, it might be a good idea to get a clear ice mold with a cover to keep unwanted elements out.
The Glacio Clear Cube Ice Duo comes with a fully enclosed box made from food-grade silicone. The process is very easy. Simply fill it up, cover, and stick it in the freezer until it's ready. It won't spill, but it will produce two large, perfectly square cubes that are surprisingly clear. And they're surprisingly large, too, which is worth keeping in mind. They might not fit in every glass you own.
Material: BPA-Free Silicone | Number of Cubes: 2 | Shape: Square | Product Dimensions: 7.83 x 5.04 x 8.82 inches
Price at time of publish: $40
Related: The Best Ice Cube Trays
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Pros
Very clear ice
Great for slowly diluting whiskey without affecting flavor
Good size
Cons
Long freezing time
Takes up freezer space
Even the whiskey-obsessed like to add a nice, large ice cube to their dram of choice every now and then. But when doing so, you want to make sure that ice isn’t going to over-dilute your precious tipple or alter its flavor. This clear ice maker from True Cubes will do neither. It will just slowly add a bit of water and coolness to your whiskey and look great while doing it.
This True Cubes Clear Ice Cube Maker couldn’t be easier to use—just fill up the molds and pop them in the freezer. The freeze time is long, and it does definitely take up some freezer space, but the result is crystal-clear ice squares that are an ideal size for your whiskey.
Material: BPA-free silicone | Number of Cubes: 4 | Shape: Square | Product Dimensions: 7 x 6 x 6 inches
Price at the time of publish: $50
Related: Best Collins Glasses
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Pros
Unique design
Great for Halloween parties
Dishwasher safe
Cons
Expensive for two cubes
Takes a long time to freeze
It doesn’t have to be Halloween to use this clear ice maker, although that would certainly be a good time to bust it out. Otherwise, there's a certain element of surprise that comes with using such an unusual ice cube mold.
Purified or boiled water is not needed for this ice mold, which will create two shockingly accurate skull ice cubes, a little over 2 inches in size. They both produce clear ice and are sized to fit in a whiskey tumbler or cocktail glass. The BPA-free silicone in this ice cube mold is dishwasher safe, making it a cinch to clean.
Like many of these molds, the cubes take a long time to freeze, so factor that into the equation. And this mold is definitely pricey for just two ice cubes, but you might find it's totally worth it if you love the unconventional design.
Material: BPA-free silicone | Number of Cubes: 2 | Shape: Skull | Product Dimensions 2.25 x 2.25 x 2.25 inches
Price at time of publish: $46
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Pros
Makes crystal clear ice
Easy to release
Simple to use
Cons
More expensive
Takes a long time to freeze
This clear ice maker from TINANA makes four ice spheres at a time, which is perfect for entertaining guests. The concept is simple, but the quality of clear ice that you get by using this system is quite good for a home ice maker. It's easy to use. Just fill the container with water and freeze, remove the tray, and pop out the crystal-clear ice. Another bonus? The cubes don't attract much in the way of freezer smells, which is helpful if, for some reason, you make the cubes and forget they are there.
Use these in cocktails or any spirit that you’d like to cool slowly without watering it down and affecting the flavor. This particular mold releases easily without much struggle and without extensive manipulation (i.e., running under hot water). It is, however, more expensive than others and does take a while to freeze (24 to 30 hours).
Material: Silicone | Number of Cubes: 4 | Shape: Square | Product Dimensions: 8.46 x 7.48 x 7.3 inches
Price at time of publish: $60
Related: Best Bar Sets
Final Verdict
The Clearly Frozen Ice Cube Tray is the best overall option for making clear ice at home. It’s not the cheapest you’ll find, but it’s worth it. Producing ten 2-inch crystal clear ice cubes, this mold may actually be the best value considering how many perfect cubes you get at a time. Use this ice maker for cocktails or spirits without affecting the look or flavor of your drink at all.
What to Look For in a Clear Ice Mold
Material
Ideally, you want to use BPA-free silicone that’s graded to use for food. The good news is that virtually all ice molds nowadays are made of this, so it won’t be hard to find, and you can rest assured that no chemicals will get into your drinks.
Shape
The main shapes clear ice molds come in are spheres or squares. Both offer a large amount of surface area so that the ice will melt slowly and not dilute your drink too quickly. Some are more quirky, such as the skull shape featured here, and you might also find smaller cubes, too.
Size
Size is certainly something to consider, as freezer space can be limited. The clear ice mold trays are usually smaller and easier to store, while some of the more complicated systems can be larger, around the size of a large shoebox. Before buying, make sure you have enough room in your freezer to use. Most of them take about a day to freeze the ice completely.
FAQs
Does it matter if you boil water before freezing?
“Boiling water makes no significant difference in clarity when you're making clear-only ice,” says English. “It makes more difference in regular cloudy ice, but probably not enough to justify the effort.”
Should you use filtered water for clear ice or can you use tap?
“Use filtered water if you like the taste better, but not to improve clarity,” says English. “It might not make much difference in the flavor either, but since I have a Brita out on the counter anyway I use it for my cubes.”
Do the cubes stay clear if you store after releasing from tray?
“Yes cubes remain clear forever once you make them,” says English. “However, if you want to protect them from freezer/fridge smells, as well as from sublimation, store them in Tupperware or Ziploc bags in your freezer.”
Why Trust Liquor.com?
Jonah Flicker is an experienced writer who has been covering spirits and traveling the world visiting distilleries for many years. His work has appeared in many different national outlets, covering trends, new releases, and the stories and innovators behind the spirits. His first love remains whiskey, but he is partial to tequila, rum, gin, cognac, and all things distilled.
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