ROX Ice Ball Maker - 4 x 4.5 cm 4 Sphere Mold Ice Cube Tray. Ice Press Alternative (Single Pack)

It's a good concept but there is much room for improvement as can be seen in the "Cons" section and attached pictures.Pros:- Tray does not leak or tip while in the freezer- Gives really good ice globes for useCons:- Tray is made of silicon, so it has to be on a firm and flat surface to balance and fill with water. Thus putting it in a curved sink is not an option. Putting it on the kitchen counter will cause the water to flow over as you seal it, so you have to clean clean up the area with a rag.- If you press down a bit more while sealing, then the water flows out of the top holes. That will make some balls to not be complete spheres. If you don't press down a lot, then the mold does not fit all the way down and won't seal. I am not sure if I have a defective mold, but it doesn't seem to be the case.- There are two modifications I would prefer. Having lips around the sphere boundaries on the bottom base would help. That will break the connection with the sheet of ice that forms. You will get a sheet of ice with balls stuck in it. You have to break them off and try to avoid having edges and corners stick to the spheres.- The second modification I would suggest is to have a hole to help the overflow from the top drain out instead of sitting on top like a water reservoir. If you overfill and a lot of water accumulates on top, you have to empty the tray and start over again or else you will end up with a big block of ice on the top. This makes the whole process seem like a surgery or rocket science when it should not be like that.I got a sample from the manufacturer at a discount to try out and give an unbiased review.

The first thing you need to know is, these are not magic. They will not give you perfect globes of ice crystal clear ice. A lot of variables go into ice. Water purity, temp of the water and the freezer. Look at the ice cubes you normally make; note the cracks and imperfections and look at how cloudy they are. This is pretty much what you can expect from your new spherical rocks of ice. They will not look anything like the picture. They will have a bit of a rink and if not filled perfectly, a nipple or dent on top. I knew all this before I bought them so no stars lost for the ice they help make.Now as for the finished product in a drink. Yes they do last a bit longer then cubes and get your drink a bit colder. This is not because of surface area but rather size. They work better because they are bigger. And yes they look good in your glass and that is really half of the reason why we get molds like this.I have used them to make 2 batches of ice now and the 4 star rating is because I don't think they will last so they are a good product but not worth the price. I would happily buy them again if they were only $5.Here are some tips on how to get the best ice you can out of these.1. Use distilled or (at least) filtered water.2. Leave a little space in the mold for the ice to expand.3. Twist the mold around to break off excess chips before removing ice.4. run mold under slightly warm (almost room temp) water before removing ice.

I love these but for one thing: they impart a chemical aftertaste to the ice, and at least in the beginning cause a film to form when they melt. I washed with hot soap and water before first use. After I tasted the aftertaste I put them through the dishwasher, but nothing helped. Repeated washing a with soap made no difference. Now too much time has passed and I can't return them so I guess they are going in the trash. There was a distinctive smell when I first opened them, and that is the aftertaste that has never gone away. Pure silicone should not have a smell so I have no idea what these are made of. From all that I've read since I got these, alcohol or other strong flavors mask the taste, but I put these in water, so I get the full chemical bouquet with every sip.UPDATE - Almost a year later, I try every once in awhile, but they still make water taste like chemicals and the film that rises to the top is nasty. Horrible made-in-China taste.

This is a great product, but I should have read the description closer. I thought these balls would be at least 3 inches in diameter, instead they are about half of that so you need at least 2 or 3 in lowball glass. The quality of the product is good, other than labeling them as LARGE when I would not consider these large. I'll be paying closer attention on my next purchase and making sure that the next ice balls I purchase are at least 3 inches.I used these tonight (see pic), and having two balls in a lowball glass causes the ice to move around and spill the drink down your face and shirt. One ice ball simply isn't enough.Update 3/8/2015: I've made a few batches of ice balls now and I've changed my rating from 4 stars to 3 because the seam is too obvious despite multiple tries. It wouldn't be that big of deal except that when it starts to melt the ball breaks in half and this seems to happen much sooner than it should. The poor seal also leaves obvious jagged edges around the perimeter of the ball.On a side note. I tried the boiling water trick and it does NOT leave the ice clear. The ice was still cloudy. I wonder if this has something to do with the extremely hard water I have?

do you like balls?do you like ice?then these bally icy thingies are great for you!!