A large, rounded ice cube known as an “ice ball” melts more slowly than regular ice cubes. There is no need to worry about your scotch on the rocks, whiskey, cola, or any other cocktail getting too watery before you’re done with it because the spherical ice, which has an average diameter of two inches, prevents drinks from becoming overly diluted.
There are still not many places to find clear ice balls, which improves the drinking experience compared to using regular ice cubes. Spirits On Ice aims to assist in today’s blog entry. Here are some methods for making ice balls at home. Please read this article thoroughly.
When To Use Of Ice Balls?
Ice balls are ideal when sipping straight liquor on the rocks and cheap mixed drinks like the old-fashioned and black Russian. Use ice balls in milk or cream cocktails as well as iced coffee beverages to keep the drinks cold and devoid of water.
A handball or racquetball-sized ice ball has a diameter of about two inches on average. Most lowball glasses and some tall glasses with wider rims can accommodate them. Your ball might rest on top of any that taper inward at the rim. Additionally, to keep a party punch or pitcher drink ice-cold for several hours, add a few ice cubes to it.
How Long Do Ice Balls Last?
The glass, room temperature, and liquids poured on top of the ice all affect how long an ice ball lasts. The effectiveness of the ice ball is increased by using a chilled glass and cool ingredients.
Generally speaking, a single large ball will last for two to three drinks and provide you with about two hours of use. That can be shortened to an hour if you’re outside on a warm summer day. But that’s still a lot longer than the 15 minutes you might get out of regular kitchen ice cubes.
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How To Make Round Ice Cubes At Home?
Water Balloon
Using balloons is the quickest and most affordable way to create your own clear ice balls. It’s an easy process. Just a water faucet and a bag of balloons are required. Get a balloon and fill it with water until it is about the size that you want your ice ball to be.
Depending on how many ice balls you want, you can do that with a single balloon or several. The balloons should be placed in the freezer to cool for several hours after being filled with water. To avoid breaking the surface of the balloon, make sure to keep them away from ice and sharp objects.
Once the water inside the balloons has frozen after several hours in the freezer, you can take the balloons out of the freezer and simply peel the balloon off to reveal your ice ball.
Clear Ice Ball Mold
The water balloon option’s only drawback is that it won’t result in a robust or precise shape. Your ice ball will resemble an oval rather than a round shape. You should buy ice ball molds if you want a homemade ice ball that is more precisely shaped like the one you might find at a restaurant or a bar.
Ice ball molds can be purchased for as little as $10 at the grocery or home stores. It is very simple to use these molds, which look like egg cartons. Simply place the mold in the freezer for several hours after pouring the water into a small hole at the top of the mold. You can remove the top from the mold and enjoy them once they have finished freezing.
Spirit Ice Vice
While there are a number of at-home ice ball solutions, none of them will produce ice balls that are as accurate and lovely as an ice ball machine like the Spirit Ice Vice. If you run a restaurant or a bar, you should use an ice ball maker instead of the do-it-yourself techniques. These ice balls are simple to use and will improve the customer experience.
How To Fill An Ice Ball Mold?
Filling an ice ball mold can take some getting used to and the most effective method depends on the type of mold:
- To make a mold in the shape of a globe, fill the sphere’s bottom half halfway with water, secure the top, and then fill it to the topmost hole. An assembled mold can be filled using a tiny funnel and a thin, continuous stream of water.
- Separate the two pieces and fill the bottom mold all the way to the rim (not just the sphere shape) to fill an ice mold in the tray style. The top piece should be placed on top of the bottom piece and pushed down. Water will fill the top portion of the sphere as it is removed from the bottom tray. Every mold’s top air holes will let any extra water escape.
No matter which mold you use, a few extra tips will help create great ice balls:
- For the purest and clear ice, use distilled water.
- In the freezer, place the mold on a level surface. When the ball is frozen, tilted molds will leak, leaving you without a full ball.
- Until it is completely frozen, let the mold stand idle.
- Remove the two mold pieces once they have frozen. Run cold water over the mold’s base to loosen any ice that has stuck to any of the ice balls.
- If you use ice balls frequently, make sure you have plenty on hand so you don’t run out. In a freezer bag or other tightly closed container, keep frozen ice balls until you need them. You can easily always have a dozen or more ice balls available if you keep up with the freezing cycle.
- Start preparing for your party days in advance to ensure you have enough ice balls on hand.