Tovolo Craft Ice Sphere Molds for Whiskey & Cocktails, Set of 2, Large

I unwrapped the molds, washed them by hand, filled them up to just BELOW the line with filtered water from my fridge door, placed one in my deep freeze and one in my upright side-by-side freezer, and a few hours later I had these little tools figured out. The sphere from the mold in the colder (-10 degree F) deep freezer was a little "uglier". It was ice and it chilled my whiskey, but it was more cracked and had little white crystals all over the outside of the sphere. The ice sphere from the mold in my slightly warmer (exactly 0 degrees F) upright freezer was prettier, more clear, and had none of the little fuzzies all over it. The spheres sometimes crack a little along a seam when I pour my scotch over it, but the spheres don't break apart on me. They stay whole and melt very slowly in my Laphraoig preserving the taste and rich brassy color. They even look cool with my Lagavulin and my Glemorangie (lighter colored whiskies), and these spheres work WAY better than whiskey stones. If you care about having crystal clear picture perfect spheres every single time, if you cannot tolerate cracks in your ice, if you're posing with your ice spheres for some centerfold in some monthly dram drinkers publication or making a movie, then maybe you want to spend $80 on one of those molds that comes with it's own stainless cooler. But for this price tag, these products are very satisfying! They are easy to use (make sure and do not fill all the way to the line!), and they create a nice looking and very effective ice sphere that outperforms whiskey stones in providing long lasting cooling to your favorite whiskies or cocktails without diluting the flavors you want.

This is actually the second set of these ice molds we have gotten. Our first set was a gift and worked so great we got more because the family is always reaching for them. The spheres are so large the ice melts slower. They fit in all our glasses and come out of the mold easily.

Sometimes I like to sip whiskey on the rocks on a hot day or to bring the proof of the alcohol down slightly but I don't like a watered down drink. I currently have 5 ice cube molds and 4 ice ball molds in my freezer. The ice sphere is my favorite. You see, ice as a sphere melts slower than ice as a cube. Why? Simple science. A sphere made of ice has less surface area in contact with the liquid in the glass than a traditional cube while allowing for the most possible volume. This allows for a slow, somewhat controlled dilution of your bourbon without watering it down. A little bit of dilution will open up the whiskey you're drinking and expose more flavors that may have been hidden behind the higher concentration of alcohol. The Tovolo Ice Sphere Mold is the best ice sphere mold I've tried to date. I like that they are individual molds. Others that I have in my freezer are trays, and while they work just fine, they tend to leave a "saturn ring" around the middle of the ball because of the way the tray is constructed. With the Tovolo mold, you don't get that ring. These are also the largest ice sphere molds I've found. They fill a double old fashioned glass perfectly. I haven't timed how fast they melt but I'd say it's easily an hour. It's real easy to make ice balls using these molds. Just be aware that where it says "fill to this line" on the mold it means to the ridge in the mold not the wavy line which is right where "fill to this line" is written. Filling to the wavy line over-fills the mold. I have 2 sets of these molds in my freezer (4 molds total) and make ice spheres in batches. I read somewhere that people had difficulty removing the ice spheres. For whatever reason, I get lucky with 2 of the 4 molds and the ice sphere sticks to the silicone top and is ridiculously easy to pop out. With the other 2 molds, the ice sphere gets stuck in the plastic bottom and requires running under tap water to warm the mold enough to melt the ice a fraction of a centimeter to release it. Here's a tip if you have to run under water - remove the silicone top and flip the mold upside down so the exposed ice is facing down. Now tilt at a 45 degree angle and run under the water, allowing the water to hit the middle "waistline" of the mold. Rotate the mold so you effectively warm the entire outside to loosen the sphere within. Using this method will get the sphere out but more importantly will keep the water from hitting the ice and melting it. You'll retain a nice sphere shape this way.

Overall, these are really really cool, and I think a great bar accessory for anybody who likes to entertain, or just drink themselves silly, with a touch of class (or, alternatively, Star Trek aficionados). They are pretty large, so make sure you're using appropriate glassware (and put the ice in FIRST!). The most important tips I can offer, assuming you want round, and more "clear" ice balls: 1) You might need to fill them *just* under the line provided to get spheres - otherwise, they may come out kind of oblong. Water expands when it freezes, so having the right amount in the mold is critical. In trying to find the exactly right fill level, make sure you're using the same water under the same freezing conditions. Alternate method: Once I've put the water in and put the molds together, I usually give a firm press to the silicone top to see if any excess water comes out. If you press down (firmly but not gorilla-style) on either side of the little hole in the middle of the silicone mold, and any water comes out, they're probably a little too full. When no more water comes out while pressing, you're probably good. Again, test, repeat, test... 2) Use bottled or filtered water for better clarity. I usually use the cheap store-brand bottled water and I get great results. Boiling the water (and letting it cool) ahead helps too, but this takes way too much time and effort and the results won't be perfect anyway so it's a waste of time and money. 3) The slower they freeze, the more clear they will be - don't try using hot water, as warm or hot water actually freezes quicker than cold water (look up the "Mpemba effect"). The best way to freeze them slower is to insulate them in some way, so that the cold blast of your freezer doesn't get at them too quickly. 4) When releasing the balls from the molds, run a little cool or cold water over the outside of the molds for a few seconds and the ice should come out pretty easily. If not, keep running them under the water a little longer. Using warm or hot water to do this will usually result in cracked balls due to thermal shock - and cracked balls isn't something anybody wants. :) 5) Ultimately, if you think you're going to get 100% clear, flawless ice spheres from these, you'll probably be disappointed. Generating perfect ice spheres requires very clean water, a freezing method that home freezers just can't duplicate, and an ice ball press. The amount of money needed to pull this off well exceeds the disinterested, furious look on your significant other's face when looking at both the perfectly clear ice ball and the Visa bill. Yes, there are some tricks to using these, and yes, it would be nice if they worked a little more "automatically" - but really, most of these tricks are there to help you "Acheive Clarity". For the most part, these work great as advertised and they are significantly less expensive than the alternative - for a home bar, this is the only way to go. If you are a club owner or trust fund kid with more money than sense, use an ice ball press. At the end of the day, the novelty of a large ice ball to chill your guests' drinks is going to matter more to them than whether or not the balls are perfectly spherical or clear - they really don't care as much as you might. They do last a long time, usually 2-3 drinks worth (for room temp scotch), or longer for chilled drinks. They're not miraculously going to last all day, though. So, I keep making batches whenever I think of it, and just keep them in a bag in the freezer for the next party. Definitely a great purchase, great value, and I'm buying some more as gifts for friends who liked them!

These sphere ice molds are easy to use and work really well. Since the mold is for a single sphere, it's easy to fit in the freezer or in a cabinet when not in use. The ice removes easily from the mold by running it under some warm water for a few seconds. Great design, easy to use, and the ice shape is a perfect sphere.

Easy to fill and remove ice. Great product!

Works great

LOVE THIS! Great for whiskey. Easy to fill and clean. Lid stays on without problem. I love the size, nearly fills the cup. Very unique

Son pequeños pero los hielos con forma de arcoiris se ven bonitos, el molde es muy práctico, fácil de llenar y fácil de sacar

After using the ice cube trays or moulds for a couple of days now. They mould the skulls very well filling them is very easy. It is a little difficult though to remove. When removing don’t use the pull tabs. Kind of give them a squeeze and work them out around the sides to remove the silicone. It will come out.

Prodotto perfetto per fare ghiaccioli sferici con grande semplicità, perfetti per i miei gin tonic!

I’m someone who likes there drinks really cold. These ice cubes are particularly great if you drink any spirit over ice. They just fit into a whisky glass. Nice.

The colossal cube maker lives up to its name. It makes honkin' huge cubes. I also have the Tovolo silicone king cube tray and these cubes are almost twice the volume or so, they're that big. One cube can keep your water cold for hours.