The Ice Topic: Crushed, Cracked, Cubes, Balls, Alternatives

[vice]

How do you get the ice out if the mold isn't flexible?

[evo-lution]

How do you get the ice out if the mold isn't flexible?

I slammed the open side of the tray down onto a clean towel which loosened the cubes then transferred them into another container for storage.

EDIT - Meant to add, the partitions in this tray aren't joined on to the outside of it so this makes it easier to remove the cubes as the whole center of it drops out.

There is a tiny amount of water that gets through the gaps between each partition but it's so brittle that it basically break off when you slam the tray down.

I'm going to try dipping the tray into hot water briefly which I imagine will also loosen up the cubes.

I'll upload some pics as soon as...

Edited November 19, 2009 by evo-lution (log)

[Chris Amirault]

Two updates.

Has anyone seen the Macallan ice machine in action? Two pieces of copper on guides that join to form a spherical mold; the ice placed into it forms into a sphere within moments, we read. Pretty damned cool if it works.

I'm not waiting for the Brown Truck of Love to pull up with that in a box, however, so I put this Muji silicon ice ball maker on my wishlist. It's available come mid-February, so the website states; our manager in Shanghai, Erin (nakji), says it works like a charm.

[KD1191]

Has anyone seen the Macallan ice machine in action? Two pieces of copper on guides that join to form a spherical mold; the ice placed into it forms into a sphere within moments, we read. Pretty damned cool if it works.

Looks like a Taisin mold with Macallan stamped on it.

[FireAarro]

It looks like the ice ball might be kinda wet after that process, which sorta negates the point of the sphere a bit. This could be remedied by refreezing it and storing for later I guess.

[nakji]

Yes, I can confirm the Muji ice ball works a treat; no cracks, and it's not wet when you remove it from the mould. Neither my husband nor I are much into cocktails; I enjoy an occasional martini of course, but he likes his bourbon on the rocks. Or ball, as it is now. The ball lasts at least 45 minutes, and is a nice conversation piece at parties. It takes some planning to produce enough for a group of friends, though. We also have the Muji silicon diamond-shape ice moulds, but I think the diamonds melt too quick.

[Chris Amirault]

Just ordered two of the Muji silicon ice ball makers. Will report back.

[bmdaniel]

Have you tried the SFMOMA balls? Would be interested to see how they compare.

[Chris Amirault]

No, I haven't, myself. I can't find them online either. Do you have a link?

[bmdaniel]

It looks like the MoMA doesn't sell them anymore, but they are basically the same as this one (except mine only have 2 balls per mold):

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://barsupplies.com/media/ice-balls.jpg&imgrefurl=http://barsupplies.com/japanese-ball-mold-p-7618.html&usg=__zNrM7chNvEVMDMb2wNUdCl8i0M4=&h=393&w=500&sz=72&hl=en&start=23&sig2=7ThI6uAYms9hqRHX0zMuQQ&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=pdi9lKsgNHGGHM:&tbnh=102&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dice%2Bball%2Bmold%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1C1GGLS_enUS342US342%26sa%3DN%26start%3D21%26um%3D1&ei=X099S83GJ8ik8Aagsri-BQ

They are pretty convenient to use because you just fill the bottom tray, push down the top tray, and that forces the water into the molds (also, you get more balls for your buck, so to speak). The only annoyance is that one ball usually sticks when you pull it apart and you have to run water to get it out.

[jk1002]

I saw some in December in the Moma Store in Soho, I ordered mine online.

http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/ProductDisplay_Spherical%20Ice%20Tray%20Set_10451_10001_57253_-1_11515_11521_null__

They still have them.

[bmdaniel]

Whoops - for some reason I thought I had bought the from the San Francisco MoMa, but as JK points out I'm just an idiot.

[jk1002]

I got the Muji Balls. I have to say even though more pricey I like them more then the Moma ones. Filling them with water is more fiddly, you pour it in through the whole in the top but it's large enough to manage that and overall it works better since it is easier to judge when to stop pouring then with the Momas. To me they looked flat on the bottom when I opened the mold but they come out perfectly round. Lastly they come out more easily then you can get them out of the Moma shapes, just pull the mold apart and wiggle a bit.

[Chris Amirault]

I just got my Muji balls too.

I wasn't sure what this meant: is that tea kettle illustrating that the water should be warm/hot? I'd be grateful for anyone fluent in Japanese who can help explain.

I went with tap water the first time around:

More tomorrow.

[Chris Amirault]

To me they looked flat on the bottom when I opened the mold but they come out perfectly round.

They are flat on the bottom, but the mold is very thick, and the interior is spherical.

[Chris Amirault]

Bought a nice bottle of Asyla on the way home, got to the freezer, and...

Um...

Er...

So, I'm trying round two, with a smaller amount of warm water, in the hopes that my pictograph literacy is decent.

[jk1002]

Interesting. This did happen to me with the Moma one a few times but not yet with the Muji.

I used cold water from the fridge.

P.s. Mine had english instructions and it said you should freeze slowly to avoid cracking balls.

Edited February 25, 2010 by jk1002 (log)

[Chris Amirault]

Freeze slowly means what exactly? Fridge, then warm freezer, then cold freezer?

[jk1002]

>>Freeze slowly means what exactly? Fridge, then warm freezer, then cold freezer? <<

To be honest, I have no idea. I can't say that cold water always worked for me since I had sometimes problems with the Momas.

[nakji]

Hmm, mine didn't split like that. I usually start with room temperature water, and leave it in the fridge for a couple of days before using one. We don't go through much ice at my house.

[Kohai]

Chris,

The Japanese instructions do not call for hot or warm water, despite that picture of the kettle. They merely state that water expands when it freezes, so the molds should be filled to the line indicated - not too high, not too low.

I noticed that there was a second half to your instruction manual which was cut off by the edge of your photo. The clue to why your spheres are cracking might be found there.

Edited February 25, 2010 by Kohai (log)

[Chris Amirault]

The instructions that just got recycled?

That had to do with removing it, which was pretty easy for me.

[EvergreenDan]

If you want to slow down the rate of freezing, the easiest way would be just to insulate the filled molds. I'm guessing that a towel wrapped around it a few times would do the trick. If that works, a simple enclosed box made of rigid foam insulation board would be easy to fabricate. Or maybe a small insulated soft-sided lunch box would work.

Or drink it neat.

[Chris Amirault]

Just unmolded a perfect sphere -- though with a few cracks, not splits. I wonder if the rate of freezing causes stress that produces the cracks....

More research to follow.

[Chris Amirault]

A few good results in a row:

No science here, but I think that using cool water, being sure to mind the gap and not fill it all the way, and unmolding carefully (a little warm water over the mold helps) is beneficial.