Ice is a very important ingredient when you (a) want a cold drink or (b) are making cocktails. While the size and shape of the ice may not be critical if you are pouring yourself a glass of ice water, the dilution that comes from ice can make the difference between a good cocktail and a great one, as the water that is introduced into the drink as your ice melts (or as the cocktail is shaken/stirred) brings the elements in the drink together for a better aroma and flavor in the finished drink. Some bars will go so far as to specially order their ice from companies that hand cut each cube from large blocks, but it is difficult to reproduce that process at home without a little help. Fortunately, there are some neat ice molds out there to choose from that allow you to easily up your ice game without much hassle.
The Tovolo Sphere Ice Molds allow you to easily make a pair of spherical ice cubes at home. I’ve been using this set for quite a while now with great results. The molds have a plastic half, which is sturdy enough to ensure the mold will not be knocked over while the ice is freezing, and a silicone half. Water is added to the plastic base and the silicone piece is fitted on top of it. As the water freezes and expands, it fills up the silicone mold, leaving you with a perfect sphere. The ice releases from both the plastic and silicone sides of the mold easily. It takes a few hours, but you can make batches and fill up your ice tray with large spheres if you’re planning a party and want to impress your friends. If you’re serving them for your own enjoyment, making two at a time is generally all you need. It’s one of the best spherical ice molds I’ve tried so far and it is definitely worth checking out if you want to produce large, specialty ice cubes at home (and, yes, they do look cool in a glass of ice water, too).
What do you think?