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M. Shim
November 07, 2025
Trying to make ice like they do in the high end bars of Japan
I have to admit, the very notion of desiring a colossal block of ice once seemed entirely whimsical, if not outright unnecessary. Yet, once one undertakes the process, the experience transforms from curiosity to genuine delight. The mold itself arrives in a compact, flattened form, neatly encased within a modest plastic bag and secured with two reusable zip ties. This thoughtful consideration toward minimizing waste and promoting sustainability is commendable, and immediately signals the manufacturer’s commitment to eco-conscious design.Upon unboxing and expanding the mold, one is presented with a simple yet robust silicone tub. Its design is versatile, allowing for a multitude of creative applications; however, my singular focus was to produce a single, imposing ice cube, an object of both aesthetic and functional fascination. The preparation is straightforward, requiring only that the mold be thoroughly cleaned and dried before use. For my initial attempt, I filled the mold with standard tap water, carefully observing the fill line, and then transferred it gently to the freezer.Over the course of roughly 48 hours, the water gradually transformed into a solid block of ice weighing approximately fifteen pounds. While the resulting cube was not perfectly transparent—a consequence of the mineral content and impurities present in tap water—the sense of achievement upon extraction was immensely satisfying. The silicone mold proved invaluable in this regard, facilitating effortless removal. A simple twist of the frame, followed by a gradual peeling back of the silicone, allowed the ice to emerge with minimal difficulty, reinforcing the product’s intuitive and user-friendly design.Encouraged by this initial success, I embarked upon a second experiment, this time employing boiled, distilled water in pursuit of an entirely crystal-clear block. The ambition is to achieve a level of clarity akin to that found in the meticulously crafted ice cubes served in elite Japanese bars—a visual and culinary benchmark that I am determined to reach. This iterative process has transformed what might have once seemed a trivial pursuit into a captivating experiment in precision and craftsmanship.In conclusion, this silicone mold exceeds expectations in both practicality and versatility. It is thoughtfully engineered, environmentally considerate, and surprisingly simple to use, yet it opens the door to a range of creative possibilities for ice enthusiasts and culinary experimenters alike. I look forward to further refining my technique and achieving the flawless, crystal-clear block I envision. For anyone intrigued by the prospect of crafting ice as both an artistic and functional endeavor, this mold represents an elegant, highly satisfying tool.
✔ Verified Purchase
Makes pretty good ice blocks
It seems to be made of fairly heavy plastic, or I should say rubber. There are no instructions that came with the ice block mold, or on the packaging. It didn’t come in a box, it was just wrapped in plastic. It would be nice to know how much water I can put in, without it coming over the edge when it freezes. I think it would be really easy to put a recommended fill line in the side or provide a small card with filling and care instructions. The top edge seems to be really stiff as if maybe there’s some kind of flat metal or something inside, which makes it a little easier and sturdier to hold onto when you pick it up. There isn’t anything in the description on the Amazon product webpage to tell you about how much water to put in, so I guess it’ll have to be trial and error. I was surprised when I filled it up to about an inch and a half from the top that the sides did not bulge out very much. Since it appears to be made of pretty sturdy and thick rubber, I expect it will be very durable and last a while. After 12 hours in the freezer, it’s probably at least halfway frozen. The top and sides seem pretty solid, but the bottom does not. I would estimate it took approximately 20 to 24 hours to completely freeze solid. This could be an issue if you need more than one block and don’t have space for more than one ice block mold. For some reason, it froze thicker on one side than the other. The only thing I can think of as to why that side that didn’t freeze as thick, was it being closer to the door of the freezer. Having said that, if that is the case, and it doesn’t freeze evenly, then I would be concerned and not to fill it all the way up to the top with water. I left about one and a half inches of space at the top just for this reason, and I am glad I did. Overall, I think this ice block mold is pretty decent. It’s definitely better than what I’ve been using which would always crack and break when it was frozen, and the block of ice did come out of it pretty easily.
✔ Verified Purchase
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Michael Dx3
November 06, 2025
Giant ice - now I have to order giant drink glasses!
Okay I am just joking since this is for making large ice blocks for cold plunges, ice chests and anywhere else and not drinks unless you are going to chip the ice apart with an ice pick.For myself I have two uses. I brew my own beer and when cooling it down before adding yeast, I have a utility sink with a pump that I typically fill with ice cubes / water to circulate through a cooling coil. In a week I can make a half dozen of these large ice blocks and use those instead of buying bags of ice from the store. The other use is a request from some neighbor's kids who have asked if we can make a bunch of them to use when it snows i.e. use them as blocks for a snow fort wall.The mold itself comes flat packed with 2 heavy zip ties around it. Save those zip ties since you can use them when the mold is not in use by pressing it down and sliding them back on. It makes it much more convenient.To give an idea of the size of the ice block, I have also included a picture of the mold in one side of a double sink in my kitchen. I have also included a picture of an ice block made with the mold in the same sink. The ice blocks are definitely large!The material seems very sturdy and I expect it to last quite a while. It is a "flexible" mold so the ice blocks won't be perfectly square / rectangular when the water freezes but it's ice so I expected that. You may want to run a little bit of water over the mold or just let it sit out of the freezer for a few minutes to get the block to release easily. You can probably get it out without doing that but why struggle.
✔ Verified Purchase
