We’ve all seen the TikToks where a giant chunk of ice is placed in an ice cube press and magically turns into a perfect sphere. How does an ice cube press work to make such a gorgeous ice ball? Today, we’re going to look at exactly how it all comes together.
Exactly How Does Ice Cube Press Work?
It’s all about gravity! The ice press is made of two parts, both of which have half an inverted sphere shape. The piece of ice is set in the bottom half and the top is added to the press. In seconds, it starts to work.
As gravity pulls the heavy metal press top down, the press melts away any excess ice, creating a perfectly crafted sphere for your drink. You can see a press in action below. Keep in mind that this process doesn’t require any heat . . . which makes it all the more magical. It merely relies on the room temperature of the metal.
Why Do You Want an Ice Sphere in Your Drink?
It turns out, those funky ice spheres aren’t just a showy new idea for bars. They actually serve a practical purpose. While ice in general will chill your drink, smaller cubes will melt rapidly and dilute your drink. Let’s face it, when you’re enjoying a highball or something, you want to savor the flavor of the actual alcohol. That’s where ice balls come in.
An ice ball has much less surface area than a cube. This means it dissolves more slowly in the drink, diluting it less. Of course, there’s still some razzle dazzle to the whole production of these ice balls, but that’s half the fun.
Something many people don’t realize is that ice cube presses aren’t just for spheres. You can also get them in diamond shapes, crystal heart shapes, and other designs. While these aren’t as useful for preventing dilution, they’re excellent conversation starters!
You can find excellent presses for under $200, though some ice cube presses run up to $1000 or more, like this elegant option.
How Fast Do Ice Cube Spheres Melt?
The rate at which the ice ball will melt depends entirely on the type of drink it’s in. The warmer the drink, the faster the ice melts, which makes sense, right? What you may not realize is that an 86-proof spirit will barely cause the sphere to melt, while a high-proof whiskey will melt it faster.
The size of the sphere is also something that will affect its melting time. The smaller balls will usually melt faster. This is why most bars go for the 2.5″ spheres, which will hold up for quite some time.
Another factor is time. If you sip your drink over a long period, the ice is bound to melt. So, how long can you expect your ice ball to last in a regular drink?
This blog did an experiment to see whether ice spheres worked better than ice cubes. From his results, we can derive that the ice sphere takes around 18 minutes to melt away. Chances are, you’ll be done with your drink long before then!
Why Are Ice Cube Presses So Expensive?
If you think $200 sounds like a lot of money to make a solitary ice ball at a time, you’re not wrong. However, these ice cube presses are taking the world by storm and the simple fact that they create incredible drink spheres one at a time is partly what makes them so exciting. It’s also the reason they’re more expensive than you might expect.
If an ice cube press seems too far out of your price range, there are plenty of spherical ice cube molds to try. These don’t usually give quite the same results, thanks to air getting into the mold and causing divots or extra lumps on the ice ball. However, they’re considerably cheaper, starting at around $12 for the cheapest options.
Start Serving Ice Balls to Your Friends and Family!
Now you know how ice cube press spheres work you can start making them for your friends and family. While the ice balls are usually meant for alcoholic drinks, there’s no reason you can’t use them in soda or juice, too. Why not get fancy and try it?
Have you made ice spheres before? Did you find it was true that it ook longer for the spheres to melt?