TINANAClear Ice Ball Maker, 2.5” Crystal Clear Ice Cube Tray Make 2 Large Sphere Ice Balls for Whiskey Cocktails & Bourbon, Gifts for MenGlobal Recycled StandardGlobal Recycled StandardGlobal Recycled Standard

The Tinana and Berlinzo are essentially the same ice maker with two different labels. But there are some differences between the two, and to my mind, they do not favor the nearly twice as expensive Berlinzo:1. Physically, they are 98% identical. The only physical difference between these is that the Berlinzo is sheathed in a hard plastic outer casing with a satin black finish and some small, but nice, graphics. Between the two, this gives the Berlinzo a more “formal” and “classy” appearance. Seriously, it looks nice. If that matters to you, while it sits in your freezer, then it’s your ice maker of choice. Or, perhaps you want to give one of these as a gift; the Berlinzo does look nicer. [FWIW, their exterior shipping boxes are both nice, but to my mind, the Tinana is nicer in its simplicity.] Other than the Berlinzo’s outer shell, they are identical, and their parts are interchangeable. However, I think this outer shell contributes to difference #2.2. Per their instructions, the Tinana should be allowed to freeze for 30 hours, while the Berlinzo requires 40-48. If you’re on any kind of clock, that’s significant. Other than the thin satin plastic shell on the Berlinzo, I can think of no reason why the two devices should have such significantly different freezing times. Interestingly, the Berlinzo instructions specifically state that you should not freeze it for more than 50 hours, else there is a risk of cracking the shell. That strikes me as a disadvantage, or at least a risk of disadvantage. I found the freezing times for both devices accurate.3. The Berlinzo comes with a nice plastic bag in which to store your spheres. Unfortunately, it’s not really big enough to hold more than one batch at a time. Ziplock is your friend here.4. In all other respects, the two devices produce identical, almost entirely clear ice spheres when you follow the instructed times for freezing. And if you don’t, they also perform similarly. Pulling either device out of the freezer six hours ahead of time will reveal a not-fully-frozen base, and partially formed (about 75%) spheres. Also, if you decide to use warm or even hot water to slow the freezing process further, you’ll need to adjust your freezing time accordingly. I do, and have found an additional six hours (for a total of 36) in the Tinana works well, while the Berlinzo requires its full 48.5. The spheres from both devices also benefit from tempering. Without tempering, they didn’t always crack, but they did sometimes. And with tempering, none of the spheres cracked when room temperature whiskey was poured on them. Most people recommend five minutes for tempering, and that makes sense if the spheres are kept in an ice bucket or bowl. I found that when placed in individual glasses, 2-3 minutes seemed sufficient to avoid cracking. YMMV.I have attached pics showing the spheres side-by-side. They are indistinguishable. I also did a 90-minute melting test, with images taken at 00:00, 00:30, 01:00, and 01:30, with a sphere from each maker in a glass containing 2 ounces of water. Granted, water and booze are not the same thing, and holding a glass will speed the ice melting process. But all I wanted to do was compare how a sphere from each maker would perform in the same environment. Short answer: they melted identically. And that’s no surprise since they are almost identical in their construction, and entirely identical in their method. For me, the performance of both the Berlinzo and the Tinana are 5 stars, with the Berlinzo docked one star for value and the additional 10-18 hours of freezing time.With respect to some of the less positive reviews:1. Yes, it’s difficult to remove the rubber molds from the freezing box. It gets easier after first use, but they’re tight for a reason. I’m older, and my finger strength isn’t what it used to be, but I managed to get everything apart.2. It’s not difficult to fill the container or to get the molds topped up. A gooseneck kettle is handy for topping off.3. There is occasionally a little bit of excess ice around the seams (see pics), but it comes off easily.4. Depending on your water minerality, you may find you get better results by boiling the water first, filtering it with a real filter (Brita doesn’t cut it), etc. Distilled or RO/DI water doesn’t always produce more clarity. The people who make the OnTheRocks version of this (I use their box for cubes) have some videos with recommendations for “fine-tuning” your ice. We have off-the-charts hard water in our house, and a whole house softener that reduces, but does not eliminate, the hardness. The tap water produced quite acceptable ice spheres.5. With respect to water “wastage,” don’t rinse that ice block down the drain. Let it thaw and use it to water plants or pets or whatever. It’s perfectly clean water. It’s only waste if you waste it. Don’t throw it away!

I researched multiple different ice ball makers on Amazon and decided on this one as the best model for the price. I have used it several times and it really works well. I just used regular room temperature tap water and was very pleased with the results. I did have to adjust the time required in the freezer. I tried 37 hours the first time and that was too short to get the balls completely frozen on the bottom. Turns out my freezer requires about 41 hours. The extra time is probably based on the settings I am using in my freezer. On the plus side, the slower freeze probably allows the ice balls to be more clear. Also takes a little practice to get the rubber mold out of the plastic sleeve but just work it back and forth from both sides and it will come out. Initially, I wasn't sure if I was better off getting the model that makes 2 or 4 ice balls. Based on how long it takes in my freezer, I am very happy with the unit that makes 4 ice balls. Overall, very nice product to use for yourself or give as a gift to someone who drinks whiskey/bourbon.

First off, I love this product - it is designed by folks that understand the physics of making clear ice. Yep, the silicon mold can be a bit difficult to remove, but only if you try to remove it immediately after pulling from the freezer. For those of us that still make clear ice in blocks with an insulated cooler understand that you really need to temper the ice before using it (or cutting it in the case of the cooler method). Tempering brings the outside of the ice closer to ambient temperature and prevents the ice from cracking when liquid is poured over it. For those that complain that their ice balls are cracking . . . ya have to temper it a bit . . . for those complaining about how hard the silicon mold is to remove . . . leave it outside of the freezer for a bit, let the ice "warm up" a bit and the mold will come out easier. Some of the reviews criticize that the instructions calls for a limited window to freeze and not to exceed that . . . again, some basic physics about ice . . . you do NOT want to have a solid block of ice under the mold, you want it to still have some water. If it freezes solid, the process puts tension on the ice and it is more prone to cracking even if you temper it. Lastly, this produce is well designed for its intended use. If you were expecting to just pour water into it and then have these clear ice balls come bouncing out of your freezer, you might reconsider your pursuit of being a home mixologist . . . the product is a tool and like any tool you need to understand how to use it for the best result instead of blaming the tool maker.

Works pretty well, need the timing just right. Can't leave the cubes in more than 26 hours or they start to get cloudy again. Inserts a difficult to remove. The end resulting ice cubes are fantastic though!

Purchased based on reviews - was deciding between this one and another that's highly reviewed (the other is almost twice the price) and went with this one hoping it would do the job. 100% does. I have a cube ice set (another manufacturer) and it's pretty difficult to extract the cubes once frozen all the way through so I was sensitive to how easy it is to remove the forms once frozen. The forms are pretty snug in the freezing case, but the handles on top are really helpful to remove the frozen spheres. Some reviews mention the difficulty in removing them, but maybe because I've used others which are far more difficult to free the cube tray (usually involves running hot water around it to get it to melt enough to pop out and has a "lip" not actual handles you can wrap your fingers around) I'm sold on this one. Spheres are crystal clear - because that's how these things work and very smooth, except right where the molds come together - but for the price - this thing is a great buy.