FDDBI Clear Ice Ball Maker for Whiskey: Circle Ice Cube Tray Make 2Inch Ice Sphere - Clear Ice Cube Maker for Old Fashioned Bourbon Whisky

I bought two clear spherical ice cube makers: This product: FDDBI Circle Ice Cube Tray Make 2 Inch Ice Sphere - Clear Ice and: WIBIMEN Clear Ice Cube Maker - 2.5" Ball - Stainless Steel Clear Ice Maker I like them both and would buy both again. I find I prefer the different sizes for different glasses and drinks. The 2.5” is perfect for squat, short and wide glasses, whereas it is to big for others I am giving the FDDBI a 4 rating. It doesn’t seem as sturdy as the WIBIMEN. It has lots of plastic. But it does make cubes faster since it makes 8 at a time. I am giving the WIBIMEN a 5 rating. It is stainless steel and silicone, no plastic which I like. It is simpler to set up to freeze and remove ice cubes than the FDDBI. But it does take longer since each cube is in a separate mold. It looks like it is sturdier and will probably last longer. I’ve had both for about a month. If WIBIMEN made a 2” spherical maker, I’d buy some of those too instead of the FDDBI. Both work. Both make nice mostly clear ice: frosty on the outside but once in a drink the frost disappears and the ice is clear. Fun little gadgets.

Works fairly well. Takes so.e effort to get the fill level right. Better to over fill then under fill. I have only used it twice so I am still looking to get it right. So far the first batch was decent but not perfect in clarity. The second attempt I did not quite get the fill level right so the balls were not completely formed.

In the beginning, it worked great however overtime I found the plastic liner to be too thin, and it started to bulge out and also the silicon mold does not keep a tight fit I’m assuming it’s because of this. While it’s OK it needs to be improved upon maybe by making the plastic liner a much thicker material.

After much trial and error experimentation to get this to work, It does make ice but is highly dependent on water quality, time & temperature. When using plain cold tap water the ice formed is not very clear, bubbles, cloudy etc… Directions suggest using distilled water, that will never happen, worst tasting water money can buy. I get fantastic results from an old 6 pack size Coleman Cooler filled about 2/3 full of water in a 0 degree freezer for @ 18 hours. This product’s design can be improved. My best results come from using very hot tap water and around 20 to 22 hours in a 0 degree freezer. Doing this results in almost clear ice, no bubbles, no cloudiness. My results suggest an increased volume of water and perhaps better insulation to slow down the process of ice formation so as not having to resort to using distilled water and/or hot water, 24 to 30 hours is way too long a time in the freezer.

I had previously purchased a different model and brand and absolutely fell in love. Something about clear ice and the fact that it lasts for hours is a lifestyle I find addicting and a lingering hobby in search of the best yet most affordable way. And next to an ice press this is hands down the best tool for the job I’ve come across. With that said, when I purchased this model I saw the sale price and without hesitation jumped on it. Making 16 a round now instead of 8. But when it showed up it was missing the plastic protective sleeve. Or so I thought it was. I would be wrong with that assumption however. It simply isn’t made with one. Which is absolutely shocking. So I washed it and loaded it with water thinking it don’t matter as long as the ice is up to expectations. Well the ice was clear or about 90% was and that is completely acceptable in my book. However pulling the silicone molds out is an absolute nightmare. I have to let it sit at room temp for an hour before I can peel them out. Where as with the other model they simply pull out with ease directly from the freezer. I don’t know if this is due to not having the plastic sleeve, which certainly would provide a small degree of extra insulation. Or if the silicone is a different grade. But I’m not happy at all. For 15 more dollars I could have had a second version of the much higher quality ice box. I’d avoid this in favor of better and available quality. It does the job but it’s certainly made much cheaper and the release issue is to much for my patience. Not to mention if accidentally dropped it would almost certainly bust the exposed foam.