Friday, February 25, 2011

Oh, balls

We recently got a package from Japan that I had to pick up at the post office. The pups went along for the ride. What could it possibly be?
A little something for the bar! You may recall the Japanese ice ball maker we encountered in our cocktails class. We liked the concept, but not the price: $1,000 to make ice? How about $7, thanks to eBay?

The ice ball mold isn't nearly as cool, but it won't break the bank, and we can have fun playing with it.
It's easy enough to use: Fill the deep bottom tray with water, put the lid on and freeze.
After six hours or so, you have three ice balls just the right size to enjoy with your single malt or Old Fashioned. Because you've got the maximum volume of ice with the least amount of surface area, you get maximum cooling with minimal dilution.
Now, I did find that the mold tends to separate a bit as the ice expands, so it helps to clamp the sides. And you get the best-looking ice ball that doesn't split if you just let the mold thaw a little on the counter before removing the cover, rather than running warm water over it or trying to jimmy it open.
Looks almost as good as one from a copper mold, with enough money left over to buy a bottle of whiskey or twenty. I understand that distilled water will yield a clearer ice, so maybe I'll splurge on a jug of that, too!

6 comments:

  1. I love my ice ball molds! You can make clearer balls by boiling the water and letting it cool down before freezing. It releases the dissolved gasses that make the cloudy bubbles.

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  2. That looks so nice and what a good price!
    I will keep my eyes open around here to see if there's anything like that in the shops.

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  3. That is FANTASTIC!!! I love the idea, and yes - so much cheaper than the other way.

    It almost makes me want to drink whiskey.

    Almost.

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  4. Thanks for the tip, Ayse! I will try that.

    Blue, does Singapore have a Japantown? Check there.

    Lauren, it's not just for whiskey .... try it with sipping rim! Or a G&T, if you're not fond of dilution.

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  5. I don't know if we have Japan town, not that I know of. But there are plenty of stores originated from Japan around here. We have quite a large Japanese community here in the country. Thanks for the advice.

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  6. I've never seen those before, very cool! Fun for a party too!

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