Cocktail Kingdom's ice press

[Junkbot]

Does anyone have the 55mm/2.17" ice press from Cocktail Kingdom? I'm curious how cheap it is ($150) compared to some other presses of a similar size. I've always wanted a press, but could never justify the $400 price tag most other presses carry. If anyone could review this model, it could be a cheaper alternative.

http://www.cocktailkingdom.com/product-p/oth_icebalmakerx_2000_cir.htm

Edited June 16, 2013 by Junkbot (log)

[weinoo]

I spoke to a friend at Cocktail Kingdom today and they suggested:

it's a good product in that it does exactly what it is supposed to do efficiently and cost effectively

if someone asked me if they should buy it I would ask why they wanted it though

it might not be the right tool for what they want to do

but as a product it is great at doing exactly what it was designed to do

[tanstaafl2]

I spoke to a friend at Cocktail Kingdom today and they suggested:

it's a good product in that it does exactly what it is supposed to do efficiently and cost effectively

if someone asked me if they should buy it I would ask why they wanted it though

it might not be the right tool for what they want to do

but as a product it is great at doing exactly what it was designed to do

Seems like an odd response that makes me think something is a bit off!

Pretty clearly if you want this you want to make ice spheres for your drinks. It claims it makes them quickly which would be my primary concern. It doesn't seem like something that would break easily.

Is there another reason? It isn't totally clear how one operates it. But I thought it kind of operated itself. is there something else that I should be concerned about with it that would make me not want to get it? What other tool should I be considering? If that is the case it would be helpful to say that.

Yes, it is expensive. I like it for the novelty as well. I would want it for my home bar because I like gadgets for lack of a better term. I have certainly spent $150 (and more!) for a gadget I really wanted even if I don't end up using it that often.

If I have decided I am OK with the cost then what other question/concern might they have?

Or am I over reading what seems like a rather cryptic response?

[Adam George]

I have faith in most any product they sell, personally

[donbert]

Seems like an odd response that makes me think something is a bit off!

Pretty clearly if you want this you want to make ice spheres for your drinks. It claims it makes them quickly which would be my primary concern. It doesn't seem like something that would break easily.

Is there another reason? It isn't totally clear how one operates it. But I thought it kind of operated itself. is there something else that I should be concerned about with it that would make me not want to get it? What other tool should I be considering? If that is the case it would be helpful to say that.

Yes, it is expensive. I like it for the novelty as well. I would want it for my home bar because I like gadgets for lack of a better term. I have certainly spent $150 (and more!) for a gadget I really wanted even if I don't end up using it that often.

If I have decided I am OK with the cost then what other question/concern might they have?

Or am I over reading what seems like a rather cryptic response?

That was my response and I apologize if it was cryptic. It was a short reply to a gchat message and I should have been more specific.

First, as a full disclosure I work at Cocktail Kingdom doing R&D and Product Development. Second, all the products we make at Cocktail Kingdom are high quality and I wouldn't work here if they weren't.

To explain why it sounds like I'm hesitating in that comment above. I am generally hesitant to suggest any product to someone without knowing what they want to achieve. This isn't because there is a problem with the products but from past experience people often come into our showroom thinking that they want one product when they actually need a different one. This is usually the case when a commercial bar want to start a high volume ice program and they have unrealistic expectations of the quantity/quality of ice.

The Ice Ball Maker does essentially operate itself. Starting at room temperature it will melt a 2.5" block of ice into a sphere in less than a minute. If you want it to work faster all you have to do is run hot water over it before you place the ice inside. This should cut down the time in half. This is especially useful if you plan to make many in a row since after the first one the metal will be colder and will take longer.

The three additional considerations:

1.) if you're not going to use the ice immediately it will continue to melt. for commercial purposes this means that if you make these in advance you will need to refreeze the ice balls. further complicating things is the fact that when you refreeze a bunch in one container they will stick together. so you will need additional trays or some other means of keeping them separate. liquid nitrogen is great for this but most people don't have easy access to it.

2.) even if you use the ice immediately because the ice ball maker works by melting the excess ice the entire surface of the ice ball will be wet. this will cause an initial bump in dilution before the melting of the ice changes the temperature of the drink. therefore if you want an ice ball as opposed to an ice cube because you want less dilution from the decreased surface area this will not do what you want unless you refreeze the ice ball.

3.) the quality of the ice cube that you begin with will determine the quality of the ice ball you get. If you are producing cloudy ice in your freezer and not starting with the clearest possible ice the end result will be a very cloudy ice ball. this will be worse than a cloudy ice cube because with the cube the cloudy part is generally in the center and you have clear dense ice along the outside of the cube. To create a high quality ice ball you need to go through extra steps in producing your own clearer ice cubes or you need to purchase ice carving quality ice.

For most people using an Ice Ball Mold will be more cost efficient and will produce a better quality ice ball. That said using the ice ball maker is always an impressive show if you're doing it a la minute in front of guests.

This is just a quick explanation and I can elaborate further on how/why ice behaves the way that it does and various ways in which you can tweak your process to achieve the best result.

If anyone has any questions about any Cocktail Kingdom product and they live in NYC they should come visit our showroom. We have all the tools out for people to try them. Otherwise they can email info@cocktailkingdom.com with questions.

[Junkbot]

That was my response and I apologize if it was cryptic. It was a short reply to a gchat message and I should have been more specific.

First, as a full disclosure I work at Cocktail Kingdom doing R&D and Product Development. Second, all the products we make at Cocktail Kingdom are high quality and I wouldn't work here if they weren't.

To explain why it sounds like I'm hesitating in that comment above. I am generally hesitant to suggest any product to someone without knowing what they want to achieve. This isn't because there is a problem with the products but from past experience people often come into our showroom thinking that they want one product when they actually need a different one. This is usually the case when a commercial bar want to start a high volume ice program and they have unrealistic expectations of the quantity/quality of ice.

The Ice Ball Maker does essentially operate itself. Starting at room temperature it will melt a 2.5" block of ice into a sphere in less than a minute. If you want it to work faster all you have to do is run hot water over it before you place the ice inside. This should cut down the time in half. This is especially useful if you plan to make many in a row since after the first one the metal will be colder and will take longer.

The three additional considerations:

1.) if you're not going to use the ice immediately it will continue to melt. for commercial purposes this means that if you make these in advance you will need to refreeze the ice balls. further complicating things is the fact that when you refreeze a bunch in one container they will stick together. so you will need additional trays or some other means of keeping them separate. liquid nitrogen is great for this but most people don't have easy access to it.

2.) even if you use the ice immediately because the ice ball maker works by melting the excess ice the entire surface of the ice ball will be wet. this will cause an initial bump in dilution before the melting of the ice changes the temperature of the drink. therefore if you want an ice ball as opposed to an ice cube because you want less dilution from the decreased surface area this will not do what you want unless you refreeze the ice ball.

3.) the quality of the ice cube that you begin with will determine the quality of the ice ball you get. If you are producing cloudy ice in your freezer and not starting with the clearest possible ice the end result will be a very cloudy ice ball. this will be worse than a cloudy ice cube because with the cube the cloudy part is generally in the center and you have clear dense ice along the outside of the cube. To create a high quality ice ball you need to go through extra steps in producing your own clearer ice cubes or you need to purchase ice carving quality ice.

For most people using an Ice Ball Mold will be more cost efficient and will produce a better quality ice ball. That said using the ice ball maker is always an impressive show if you're doing it a la minute in front of guests.

This is just a quick explanation and I can elaborate further on how/why ice behaves the way that it does and various ways in which you can tweak your process to achieve the best result.

If anyone has any questions about any Cocktail Kingdom product and they live in NYC they should come visit our showroom. We have all the tools out for people to try them. Otherwise they can email info@cocktailkingdom.com with questions.

I guess my question was how is this press so cheap compared to others on the market? I may be overly skeptical about this, but when this press is being offered for a fraction of the price as other competitors, I'm a bit wary.

Edited June 17, 2013 by Junkbot (log)

[donbert]

I guess my question was how is this press so cheap compared to others on the market? I may be overly skeptical about this, but when this press is being offered for a fraction of the price as other competitors, I'm a bit wary.

Economies of scale + ocean freight.

[Junkbot]

I guess my question was how is this press so cheap compared to others on the market? I may be overly skeptical about this, but when this press is being offered for a fraction of the price as other competitors, I'm a bit wary.

Economies of scale + ocean freight.

Haha, consider me sold.

[weinoo]

I was gonna say that my friend's not a lawyer, even though his first response sounds like he is .

I personally use the ice ball mold that Don refers to in his post and it works fine; if I know I'm gonna be using a bunch, I start a week or so ahead, and make a bunch and keep them in a plastic freezer bag.

For anyone who has not been to Cocktail Kingdom, if you are in the least bit interested in cocktails, and happen to find yourself in NYC, go! It's an awesome place but be prepared - you will walk out with stuff.

This post and the next will give you an idea of some of the stuff they have at CK - though it was taken a few years ago and they've since moved into new quarters.

[mkayahara]

Dammit, I was just in NYC, and found myself wondering whether Cocktail Kingdom had a retail space... I guess I should have looked into it more thoroughly!

[weinoo]

Think of all the money you saved.