Clear Ice Ball

The Tinana and Berlinzo are essentially the same ice maker with two different labels. But there are some differences between the two, and to my mind, they do not favor the nearly twice as expensive Berlinzo: 1. Physically, they are 98% identical. The only physical difference between these is that the Berlinzo is sheathed in a hard plastic outer casing with a satin black finish and some small, but nice, graphics. Between the two, this gives the Berlinzo a more “formal” and “classy” appearance. Seriously, it looks nice. If that matters to you, while it sits in your freezer, then it’s your ice maker of choice. Or, perhaps you want to give one of these as a gift; the Berlinzo does look nicer. [FWIW, their exterior shipping boxes are both nice, but to my mind, the Tinana is nicer in its simplicity.] Other than the Berlinzo’s outer shell, they are identical, and their parts are interchangeable. However, I think this outer shell contributes to difference #2. 2. Per their instructions, the Tinana should be allowed to freeze for 30 hours, while the Berlinzo requires 40-48. If you’re on any kind of clock, that’s significant. Other than the thin satin plastic shell on the Berlinzo, I can think of no reason why the two devices should have such significantly different freezing times. Interestingly, the Berlinzo instructions specifically state that you should not freeze it for more than 50 hours, else there is a risk of cracking the shell. That strikes me as a disadvantage, or at least a risk of disadvantage. I found the freezing times for both devices accurate. 3. The Berlinzo comes with a nice plastic bag in which to store your spheres. Unfortunately, it’s not really big enough to hold more than one batch at a time. Ziplock is your friend here. 4. In all other respects, the two devices produce identical, almost entirely clear ice spheres when you follow the instructed times for freezing. And if you don’t, they also perform similarly. Pulling either device out of the freezer six hours ahead of time will reveal a not-fully-frozen base, and partially formed (about 75%) spheres. Also, if you decide to use warm or even hot water to slow the freezing process further, you’ll need to adjust your freezing time accordingly. I do, and have found an additional six hours (for a total of 36) in the Tinana works well, while the Berlinzo requires its full 48. 5. The spheres from both devices also benefit from tempering. Without tempering, they didn’t always crack, but they did sometimes. And with tempering, none of the spheres cracked when room temperature whiskey was poured on them. Most people recommend five minutes for tempering, and that makes sense if the spheres are kept in an ice bucket or bowl. I found that when placed in individual glasses, 2-3 minutes seemed sufficient to avoid cracking. YMMV. I have attached pics showing the spheres side-by-side. They are indistinguishable. I also did a 90-minute melting test, with images taken at 00:00, 00:30, 01:00, and 01:30, with a sphere from each maker in a glass containing 2 ounces of water. Granted, water and booze are not the same thing, and holding a glass will speed the ice melting process. But all I wanted to do was compare how a sphere from each maker would perform in the same environment. Short answer: they melted identically. And that’s no surprise since they are almost identical in their construction, and entirely identical in their method. For me, the performance of both the Berlinzo and the Tinana are 5 stars, with the Berlinzo docked one star for value and the additional 10-18 hours of freezing time. With respect to some of the less positive reviews: 1. Yes, it’s difficult to remove the rubber molds from the freezing box. It gets easier after first use, but they’re tight for a reason. I’m older, and my finger strength isn’t what it used to be, but I managed to get everything apart. 2. It’s not difficult to fill the container or to get the molds topped up. A gooseneck kettle is handy for topping off. 3. There is occasionally a little bit of excess ice around the seams (see pics), but it comes off easily. 4. Depending on your water minerality, you may find you get better results by boiling the water first, filtering it with a real filter (Brita doesn’t cut it), etc. Distilled or RO/DI water doesn’t always produce more clarity. The people who make the OnTheRocks version of this (I use their box for cubes) have some videos with recommendations for “fine-tuning” your ice. We have off-the-charts hard water in our house, and a whole house softener that reduces, but does not eliminate, the hardness. The tap water produced quite acceptable ice spheres. 5. With respect to water “wastage,” don’t rinse that ice block down the drain. Let it thaw and use it to water plants or pets or whatever. It’s perfectly clean water. It’s only waste if you waste it. Don’t throw it away!

I researched multiple different ice ball makers on Amazon and decided on this one as the best model for the price. I have used it several times and it really works well. I just used regular room temperature tap water and was very pleased with the results. I did have to adjust the time required in the freezer. I tried 37 hours the first time and that was too short to get the balls completely frozen on the bottom. Turns out my freezer requires about 41 hours. The extra time is probably based on the settings I am using in my freezer. On the plus side, the slower freeze probably allows the ice balls to be more clear. Also takes a little practice to get the rubber mold out of the plastic sleeve but just work it back and forth from both sides and it will come out. Initially, I wasn't sure if I was better off getting the model that makes 2 or 4 ice balls. Based on how long it takes in my freezer, I am very happy with the unit that makes 4 ice balls. Overall, very nice product to use for yourself or give as a gift to someone who drinks whiskey/bourbon.

Best to get them out after 24 hours. Much easier that way. Otherwise the bottom freezes solid and is work to remove or a long wait for it to melt. Also, let the new ice balls sit for a minute or two in your glass so they acclimate to the room temperature. Will help minimize cracking.

This product works perfectly making ice spheres as advertised. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because it takes a little figuring out due to instructions being minimal. I watched YouTube videos, and googled some instructions. But, the finished product is perfect.

A necessity if you love whisky or bourbon. Beautiful, clear ice looks like a high class bar. Keeps drink cold with slow melting so spirit does not become diluted.

Makes nice balls of ice. Followed instructions, not clear as they should be but lightly frosted. The important part is that it chills the drink and it does so without watering down too much. Wish I bought the dual ball maker though. Truly takes around 48hrs for one batch

The mold is large, bulky, and removing the insert challenging. My ice isn’t a complete sphere either. Lastly, a large block of ice forms on the inside bottom, which is wasteful. But the semi-spherical ice is clear after tempering.

I tried to make clear ice cubes through other methods with no luck. I thought I would try this after a little research. I followed the directions exactly and it was very easy. The round ice balls turned out crystal clear. I am so satisfied with this product I just had to leave a positive review.

El producto llegó en perfectas condiciones en su empaque. Inmediatamente procedí a lavarlo, acorde a las instrucciones, lo sequé, llené el recipiente de agua hasta donde indica la marca interna, coloqué los moldes y usando un pequeño embudo colocado en los pequeños agujeros de los moldes lo llené de agua hasta el tope, cuidando que no se derrame. Enseguida procedí a colocar el producto en el congelador. Puse el temporizador en 36 horas. Una vez transcurridas las 36 horas se activó la alarma del temporizador, pero en ese momento no me fue posible retirar el producto del congelador. Pasaron aproximadamente otras 4 horas hasta que me fue posible retirarlo del congelador. Lo dejé reposando a temperatura ambiente, alrededor de 45 minutos. Entonces procedí a retirar los moldes del recipiente. Tiré poco a poco de un lado de los moldes, después del lado opuesto, y así sucesivamente hasta que salió totalmente el molde del recipiente. El molde está compuesto de 3 partes las cuales se separan sin problema una vez extraídas del recipiente. Con gran sorpresa vi que se habían formado 4 esferas perfectas de hielo totalmente cristalinas. Procedí entonces a guardarlas en bolsas ziploc y a almacenarlas en el congelador. Repetí la operación de lavado del producto y llenado de agua potable para seguir produciendo hielo cristalino. Dado el resultado, puedo afirmar que el producto me convenció totalmente por lo que sí lo recomendaría ampliamente. En mi caso elegí este tamaño de 4 bolas de hielo, dado el tamaño del congelador de mi refrigerador, el cual es algo reducido. El recipiente del producto es de un material muy similar al conocido como nieve seca, con una cubierta interior de plástico; los moldes son de un material llamado silicona premium, digamos que es parecido a la goma dura. Una vez que se llené el molde de agua, al intentar introducir los moldes de silicona se me presentó la dificultad de que la tercera parte de este molde no embonaba bien, pero eso se resolvió fácilmente al "armar" las 3 partes del molde fuera del recipiente y luego introducirlos en conjunto. Hay que ejercer un poco de presión controlada, hasta que embonen perfectamente todas las partes del molde en el recipiente. En ese momento se notará que en el molde quedan 4 pequeños orificios circulares, uno en cada una de las ubicaciones de las esferas. Si se desea, se puede usar un pequeño embudo para rellenar hasta el tope de agua la parte interna del molde, colocando el embudo en uno de esos orificios y dejando caer en el mismo una pequeña cantidad de agua, hasta que ésta quede al ras de los agujeros. Por todo lo anterior le doy 5 estrellas a este producto.

Simple yet effective - makes crystal clear ice spheres - look great in cocktails.

This thing is so cool and it makes perfect ice cubes that are clear and sphere!!!

Es el mejor producto que e probado si te obsesionan las esferas de hielo perfectas y transparentes este producto es el ideal las esferas son imprecionantes

wanted the larger format ice ball for scotch - this makes them perfectly