• e8d79@discuss.tchncs.de
    154·
    11 days ago

    If you are into fancy looking cocktails this product makes sense. Making clear ice cubes at home is not easy.

      • chazwhiz@lemmy.worldEnglish
        86·
        11 days ago

        You can make these arguments about literally any prepackaged product. I’m not defending this ice, but come on. You can make anything yourself, so long as you have the equipment, time, and money. Paying for someone else to have done it for you is about convenience, and is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

        • Frozengyro@lemmy.world
          24·
          10 days ago

          Almost done making my ISS, shouldn’t be too many leaks when I’m done with it. I’m using the expensive duct tape after all.

      • mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        24·
        10 days ago

        If you’re into making fancy ice, then you can get into making your own purified water using complete combustion. If you’re into making purified water with complete combustion then can get into making your own hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. If you’re into making your own hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen then you can get into making your own universe.

        • terranoid@lemmy.cafeEnglish
          5·
          11 days ago

          Yes… First step buy fancy ice maker that freezes ice in one direction, second step make fancy ice, third step put it in the glass, fourth step pour whiskey on it

          these arent occult secrets that take years of study and meditation

          • BeardededSquidward
            5·
            11 days ago

            There’s even a market for small scale, at home ice makers like this. They’re pricey certainly but not as stupid as paying $5 for ICE.

      • BarrelAgedBoredom@lemmy.zip
        6·
        10 days ago

        I have a very well stocked home bar and enjoy making fancy cocktails. My tiny ass freezer barely has room for the 5lb bag of ice I keep in there, let alone space for a fuckin mini cooler to make clear ice in. I also lack prep space to carve ice in my kitchen. You can make fancy drinks without fancy ice. It’ll still taste the sam, it just won’t look as pretty in the glass

      • Wolf314159@startrek.website
        11·
        10 days ago

        It’s not hard, it just isn’t particularly efficient or convenient. The standard method is to use a bunch more water that you want to become actual ice, make it in large insulated blocks, then chop at the end. I have a little insulated tray that makes two at a time. They come out pretty clear, but at least half the water used is essentially waste to create a clear cube. The top half being still ice, but full of little bubbles, not clear. If I was throwing a party, as people are want to do on summer weekends, and I wanted many many big clear ice cubes then I’d seriously consider buying a box load.

      • dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        10 days ago

        To get clear ice you have to freeze it slowly, basically just at the freezing mark (32°C/0°F) which is a warmer temperature than most people have their freezer set to. It’s not difficult in an objective sense, it just requires rubbing a couple of brain cells together and a tiny morsel of effort which is apparently more than a lot of people can muster.

        • Mwa@thelemmy.clubEnglish
          1·
          10 days ago

          alr ty, i was too lazy to search the question and i was not bothered to use AI for this.

      • blackbelt352@lemmy.world
        24·
        11 days ago

        No. You need to freeze in in an insulated container with only one side exposed so it all freezes in 1 direction. Impurities get pushed to the opposite side and you are left with clear ice.

    • LillyPip@lemmy.caEnglish
      2·
      9 days ago

      Packaging makes sense, too. We’ve been buying bagged ice forever. In this case, your ice has stricter quality control.

      I have no need for this, but there’s clearly a market for it. I can’t disparage anyone for finding a market.

  • Bluewing@lemmy.world
    63·
    10 days ago

    Putting aside for now, the fact that making crystal clear ice requires specially filtered water that is very carefully and slowly frozen with fancy equipment.

    The real question is why does anyone think this is what they need in life. They only people I have seen that insist on such things are whisk(e)y snobs that drink their whisk(e)y on the rocks. They claim that cloudy ice has impurities in it that affects the flavor of the drink.

    While technically they are maybe correct, my reply is-- “Shut up and drink your whisk(e)y neat like God and the Irish meant it to be consumed. The water is already in it.”

    • Knightfox@lemmy.world
      19·
      9 days ago

      I love this comment. On one hand I don’t hate the idea that this exists and it’s an obscure aesthetic thing. If someone wants to make super fancy cocktails then fine, whatever. On the other hand,

      “Shut up and drink your whisk(e)y neat like God and the Irish meant it to be consumed. The water is already in it.”

      Love it

      • Bluewing@lemmy.world
        2·
        9 days ago

        I was being a bit tongue in cheek there. After all, it’s your whisk(e)y and not mine. So have it as you want it. But just don’t be a snob about it. It’s just the Water of Life.

    • FlexibleToast@lemmy.worldEnglish
      8·
      10 days ago

      I don’t know, I’ve also heard that a few drops of water “opens up” the whiskey. My dad was an alcoholic who loved whiskey. He would order it with a few drops of water. Ice would do the same thing.

      • Whelks_chance@lemmy.world
        8·
        10 days ago

        I was recently in a pub which had water bottles from the different regions of Scotland, so you could add drops of the same water it was made from.

        Also, a pipette to exactly measure the amount of water added. It was excellent.

      • Bluewing@lemmy.world
        2·
        10 days ago

        Yes, a few drops, and I mean drops, of water can change the flavors of the whisk(e)y. It really doesn’t matter to me. Depending on the water you might use can matter also. “Branch water” is historically the water used by bourbon drinkers. Branch water refers to using the same water that was used to make the bourbon to add to your glass. I have no idea if it matters or not. But that’s folktale.

        Adding ice can do the same thing along with dulling flavors due to the chilling of the bourbon, except melting ice is not under control. It goes from perfect to just a bad glass of water as it melts over time.

    • RBWells@lemmy.world
      7·
      10 days ago

      Not such fancy equipment. I used to make it in a lunchbox cooler with our very hard tap water; that eventually cracked but I have been rocking one of these for a decade now.

      https://www.clearlyfrozen.com/

      All you need is directional freezing. My ice comes out crystal clear in big ol’ blocks like that.

      To be fair - I would charge $5 a tray too. It takes a day & a half and space in my freezer. But it is an easy, cheap, and fun hobby

    • HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.org
      6·
      10 days ago

      They only people I have seen that insist on such things are whisk(e)y snobs that drink their whisk(e)y on the rocks.

      But then these cooled-down granite cubes are better because they don’t dilute the liquor.

      BTW why drink Americans their Whisky with ice? I’ve never seen that in Scotland.

      • Bluewing@lemmy.world
        4·
        10 days ago

        I would agree about those cubes. The problem with them is you often only get 2 in a set. Making it hard to share with friends.

        Bourbon is a different drinking experience than Scotch. Bourbon is generally bottled between 2 and 6 years giving it more ‘bite’. This is due to the new oak barrels that must be used and the warmer climate. Scotch is barely getting started by that point. Since they mostly use used bourbon barrels that coupled with a cooler overall climate, imparts a ‘smoother’ flavor.

        Using ice dulls some of the flavors and as it melts dilutes the whisk(e)y to take the edges off the bourbon. A decent scotch or Irish doesn’t need ice.

      • RBWells@lemmy.world
        3·
        9 days ago

        I drink literally everything on ice right now because

        But also do like whiskey better diluted, I can taste it better when it’s not so strong. Stretched out I can enjoy it.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      9 days ago

      The real question is why does anyone think this is what they need in life.

      Sometimes you want to entertain and square ice cubes are a nice touch

      • Bluewing@lemmy.world
        1·
        8 days ago

        I got square ice cubes if I want them. They might not be as pretty as these clear cubes, but they do the same thing, cool and dilute whatever you are drinking.

        The argument can be made, (and I wouldn’t fight you too hard on it), that I’m an uncouth barbarian, and I will never understand. But I just don’t think it’s something people really need, and they can easily live without.

    • BeMoreCareful@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      10 days ago

      That’s interesting. I popped into this thread to help figure out why some of my ice was extra clear.

      I think this batch froze slowly. Thanks

  • lugal@sopuli.xyz
    54·
    10 days ago

    Why would I buy frozen ice cubes? I have no time to microwave, I’d rather buy fresh ones

      • Tiral@lemmy.worldBanned
        6·
        10 days ago

        When it’s 2 for $1 or something it’s fine if you’re out. This crap where they filter it pure then add back in the same shit shit took out and charge you $25 is insane.

    • Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      4·
      10 days ago

      Until you need like 1000L at once or 10kg of ice.
      Go find place in your freezer to cool down 10L of clear ice.
      Spoiler: This won’t be only 10L of space you will need.

        • Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          1·
          9 days ago

          Idk what you are trying to tell me in response to my parent comment.

          My point was that bulk amounts of ice or water in bulk has it’s needs even if you could run the tap for 1000L into a water dispenser. Having it quick and accessible vs having it cheap(er) and labor/resource intensive (after all, 1000L of water doesn’t freeze for free)

      • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
        9·
        10 days ago

        Though if you’re using a plastic ice cube tray to make ice cubes, there’s a good chance you’re bringing your own microplastics.

        Source: got a metal ice cube tray and noticed that weird “old ice” flavour and subtle sheen on the drink surface as it melted is no longer there.

        • proleBanned from community
          2·
          10 days ago

          Are you able to twist the metal ones to free the ice? The flexibility of plastic makes that the best way to free the cubes.

          • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
            1·
            10 days ago

            It comes in two pieces, a bottom tray, and a grid that is hinged and has a handle. Then, to break the ice, you just torque the handle, which shifts the grid angle, forcing each cube to move and come free. Works best if you move the ice to a different container at this point but you don’t have to.

            If you do a search for “metal ice tray”, it should come up in the images (to avoid linking an amazon image).

            I like it better than the plastic trays for this. Both can be a pain in the ass but in different ways. Plastic trays can snap when you bend them (haven’t had one snap in half but I have had one snap some of the structural supports) and often the ice just settles back in its place after you loosen it and you need to “bounce” it a bit until the ice turns in the cavity so you can grab it. With the metal tray, it doesn’t just free the ice easily when you break it (though still easier than the bouncing game) and if you lift the grid part out, you’ll probably need to use a different container or just leave the grid off until you make new ice.

    • Zomg@piefed.worldEnglish
      1·
      10 days ago

      It’s to minimize surface area, making water dilution in cocktails a slower process. An ice sphere would be ideal for this but it’s better than ice from your freezer in that specific task.

  • yermaw@sh.itjust.works
    15·
    10 days ago

    He shops at Aldi

    He buys $5 ice.

    Who is this person? Is he the same guy spending thousands on a free game?

    • SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world
      10·
      10 days ago

      Here in Europe you’d see expensive SUVs, like Porsches and Range Rovers, parked outside the Aldi all the time. Lot’s of rich people are penny pinchers especially old money who inherited their money. They would probably buy these ice cubes if they have to impress their friends with their Japanese whiskey that they only drink when guests are at their home.