You left the cooler in for 24 hours too long then complained it's hard to break up. If you do it for just 24 hours, not a whole weekend, it pretty much breaks on it's own.
I’m not interested in chipping away large pieces of ice, or spending $600+, so the second place looks like a great option! Thanks for these reviews! 😊👍
Loved this! I felt your pain trying to chip away at the cooler ice (My preferred method.) The key that we learned from the ice sculptors is to let the ice temper before you cut and chip away. Wait until it starts to sweat and is no longer frosty. Before that it is too brittle and won't break straight. The big key for me is co$t. I can by a ton of Liber & Co syrups with the money I save.
I do the cooler method and I actually find it relaxing to cut the block of ice down into cubes. One thing you need to do is let it temper (lose the outer frost) before you cut. Also, the tool to use for cutting is a large bread knife. The cooler method also gives you flexibility on shape, so you can make cubes as well as bars for highball glasses.
Looks like they are all failures imo. And don't say 700 bucks is worth it if it doesn't allow for external water source and alarm notifications when finished
Screw $600 for 4 cubes. I will stick to the cooler free.99 He made it more complicated than it really is you do not let it freeze for 2 days had he let it freeze for a day and then let it temper for 15 minutes after taking it out of the freezer it would have taken him 15 minutes to cut the cubes.
i still prefer the cooler method. once you find the optimal time (2 days in my freezer) the cooler will have a reservoir of water at the bottom making the chipping away extremely easy. You'll need to be near a sink to catch the unfrozen water. From there carving the ice cubes is very easy. Top tip, when you remove the cooler from the freezer place it upside down on a cutting board and wait until the ice is released onto the board. By that time the ice will be tempered and very easy to work with.
Cooler both on the budget front and flexibility of shapes gets my vote. I use it for punch bowl ice, to cut cubes and spears, you can shape it with a pick, and any cloudy bits get smashed into my cracked ice bag.
I used the igloo cooler method for years. Then I purchased the Simply Taste mold and wasn't happy with it because the spheres never got totally clear, but I do like the sphere shape, and I use it for that. I went back to the igloo method. I like this method because I have the option on making different size cubes, but it's a pain to cut them out. I use my oscillating saw to make cutting easier. I just purchased the Clearly Frozen tray. I'm very pleased with it. The cubes are all crystal clear and it's a lot easier than hand cutting the ice. I would like an option for a bigger cube. I may cut one of the walls out to make a double size cube. Thanks for the review. FYI: Your link to the Clearly Frozen mold takes you the Simply Taste mold.
There’s no need to use bottled, filtered, or distilled water. As you rightly point out, the process of pushes out all of the impurities, and the science backs you up on that. As a result, and at the risk of sounding repetitive, there’s no need to use bottled, filtered, or distilled water. Also, those spheres should have got a 0/10 for clarity.
Hi there! We really appreciate your insight on cocktails, especially making clear ice and believe our new heated ice press will be suitable for your ice. Is there an opportunity for us to give you one for free in exchange for your valuable words on this product? If you're interested, we'll arrange to get the ice press to you at your earliest convenience. Thanks so much!
Hi there! We really appreciate your insight on cocktails, especially making clear ice and believe our new heated ice press will be suitable for your ice. Is there an opportunity for us to give you one for free in exchange for your valuable words on this product? If you're interested, we'll arrange to get the ice press to you at your earliest convenience. Thanks so much!
It's simple enough to smooth out the uneven top surface on the Clearly Frozen cubes... just put the uneven side on a flat metal surface like a cookie sheet or in a pan for a couple minutes; the conductive metal surface will melt it right down to a uniform plane.
Great video, I really enjoyed the content. I, too, am a cooler method guy, let the ice temper, and have fun cutting. I use a large bar mat to catch the water and ice shards without making a big mess, and use gloves I saw on The Educated Barfly's channel. Fun to cut different shapes (rocks, spears, etc) and chip edges off the sides for a rustic look. I agree on the serrated knife and a mallet. Lastly, the 50% of ice made that is cloudy is perfect for stirring or shaking cocktails. I appreciate the slight venture from syrup videos and how to make excellent cocktails!
Fantastic review, thank you!! ❤ Last month I had an Old Fashioned (and a pornstar Martini) at the cocktail bar of Georges V in Paris. They also used totally clear icecubes. It was wonderfull...
I always use the cooler method, but thats because i find it therapeutic lol. It's fun and i find it quite rewarding too. Plus being able to cut into more shapes than just a simple cube is ideal.
I've used the Simple Taste sphere mold for several months, and never have anything but perfectly clear ice. No idea what y'all did differently, but for the space and price, it's a great product. You want more spheres for guests coming? Just plan ahead and put em in a baggie.
No idea what happened either, we just moved to a new space and perhaps the water harder here than our old space. We agree though! The price is very enticing!
I've got that sphere ice maker too, and I don't even use fancy distilled water (just the filtered stuff from my fridge), and it's been super clear every time.
Y'all made the cooler method look way harder than it is. I do that multiple times a week. It takes like 10 minutes. Just need a long, serrated blade like a bread knife and a mallet. And the yield of ice is like 5x as much as the other options.
that first block.....I went to the thrift store and bought a serrated bread knife for $2. use that to score on one face of the block. get your meat tenderizing mallet and rest the knife blade in the score and give it a whack. easy peasy. quick work of the big block.
The tester was inept. It's just not that hard to carve up the large block. Same thing with the Clearly Frozen. You left it in too long and didn't fill it evenly. Blame it on your freezer if you must, but it's not hard to get consistent cubes out of it except always for that one that is twice as tall as the rest. Just cut it.
You must not have EVER even tried the cooler method. To anyone who uses this method,you looked bad. Been doing it four years ,of course you need to figure a few things out before you get it down. BUT….it’s crystal clear EVERY time(and I use plain old tap water) plus has ZERO taste. One more thing…..I can freeze and cut my blocks any size I wish. You want to throw one of those 2x2 cubes in a lemonade glass? I use my ice in all drinks that take ice. This was not an accurate look at all. And ya even made fun of grandpa.
This video was very useful for discovering new options but I think it`s not good for comparing them because to do it properly you need to leave them in the freezer for the right time.
I personally love the cooler method. I'm not surprised when other people are overwhelmed by the stuff that I like because I tend to go deep into the weeds for all of my hobbies. But if you spent a bit of time reading or watching youtube videos about directional freezing you'd realize that you should be tempering the ice before working with it. I probably make a batch of directionally frozen ice once a month and it takes me about 5 minutes to process a block of ice. The first time I did it probably took 10 minutes.
Seems like you should be able to get any silicone ice tray, make some little holes in the bottom, and suspend it in a cooler. That's essentially what a lot of these ones do. Stuff that freezes on top stays clear while the cloudy stuff gets presser down into the body of the cooler
Youve got to pull the cooler before it freezes all the way, and then you have to leave the ice out of the cooler for 20-30 minutes to temper. You tried to cut it without tempering, and thats why it fractured randomly and was hard to cut.
Clearly Frozen makes awesome clear cubes. If you have the room the mini Igloo cooler is amazing. Plenty ice per freeze and you can make various shapes. Takes less then 10 mins to cut up an entire block and you get tons of ice.
I’ve been looking for solutions as the clearly frozen system was terrible for me. I don’t know if it’s because older freezers dont get as cold, but the foam pad was not thick enough to promote top down freezing. I had ice forming in the sides way before the curves were frozen.
@@liberandco please do a full video of the monogram forge ice press. It’s an amazing appliance and it’s the first ever to use a heated press. Can you do a dedicated full video of the klaris ice maker?
Yup, you left the cooler way to long in freezer. 24 hours and you knock off shards with a knife and done. Also, you left out the OG, probably the one that kicks all those other products asses, the wintersmiths phantom
You left the cooler in for 24 hours too long then complained it's hard to break up. If you do it for just 24 hours, not a whole weekend, it pretty much breaks on it's own.
Lol seriously, didn’t follow directions correctly… didn’t temper any of the ice as well.
Yeah why didn't you just do everything the same?
I’m not interested in chipping away large pieces of ice, or spending $600+, so the second place looks like a great option! Thanks for these reviews! 😊👍
Anytime!
I'll spend the $600. My time and sanity is way more valuable. Klaris on deck!
Loved this! I felt your pain trying to chip away at the cooler ice (My preferred method.) The key that we learned from the ice sculptors is to let the ice temper before you cut and chip away. Wait until it starts to sweat and is no longer frosty. Before that it is too brittle and won't break straight. The big key for me is co$t. I can by a ton of Liber & Co syrups with the money I save.
That's a great tip and would have certainly helped me! Next time...
I do the cooler method and I actually find it relaxing to cut the block of ice down into cubes. One thing you need to do is let it temper (lose the outer frost) before you cut. Also, the tool to use for cutting is a large bread knife. The cooler method also gives you flexibility on shape, so you can make cubes as well as bars for highball glasses.
These are all great tips! Thank you for sharing!
Looks like they are all failures imo. And don't say 700 bucks is worth it if it doesn't allow for external water source and alarm notifications when finished
the cooler method is the best. Cheap, fun, relaxing, refreshing, and it makes awesome looking cubes. Plus, you can shape it the way you want
You are a master zen ice cutter!
Screw $600 for 4 cubes. I will stick to the cooler free.99 He made it more complicated than it really is you do not let it freeze for 2 days had he let it freeze for a day and then let it temper for 15 minutes after taking it out of the freezer it would have taken him 15 minutes to cut the cubes.
i still prefer the cooler method. once you find the optimal time (2 days in my freezer) the cooler will have a reservoir of water at the bottom making the chipping away extremely easy. You'll need to be near a sink to catch the unfrozen water. From there carving the ice cubes is very easy. Top tip, when you remove the cooler from the freezer place it upside down on a cutting board and wait until the ice is released onto the board. By that time the ice will be tempered and very easy to work with.
All great tips, Gary, thank you for sharing! Definitely takes some experience, but once you have that expertise I'm sure it's a lot easier.
Depending on the size of your cooler, you can use a bus pan to catch the water when you crack the ice
That background music volume needs to come way down, it distracts from what you're saying.
Thanks for the feedback, we'll get it dialed in better.
Cooler both on the budget front and flexibility of shapes gets my vote. I use it for punch bowl ice, to cut cubes and spears, you can shape it with a pick, and any cloudy bits get smashed into my cracked ice bag.
Great use of the cloudy bits.
Hmmm, $650 to have four ice cubes, my grandma would flip in her grave....... people actually buying that??????????
I used the igloo cooler method for years. Then I purchased the Simply Taste mold and wasn't happy with it because the spheres never got totally clear, but I do like the sphere shape, and I use it for that. I went back to the igloo method. I like this method because I have the option on making different size cubes, but it's a pain to cut them out. I use my oscillating saw to make cutting easier. I just purchased the Clearly Frozen tray. I'm very pleased with it. The cubes are all crystal clear and it's a lot easier than hand cutting the ice. I would like an option for a bigger cube. I may cut one of the walls out to make a double size cube. Thanks for the review. FYI: Your link to the Clearly Frozen mold takes you the Simply Taste mold.
There’s no need to use bottled, filtered, or distilled water. As you rightly point out, the process of pushes out all of the impurities, and the science backs you up on that. As a result, and at the risk of sounding repetitive, there’s no need to use bottled, filtered, or distilled water.
Also, those spheres should have got a 0/10 for clarity.
Hi there! We really appreciate your insight on cocktails, especially making clear ice and believe our new heated ice press will be suitable for your ice. Is there an opportunity for us to give you one for free in exchange for your valuable words on this product? If you're interested, we'll arrange to get the ice press to you at your earliest convenience. Thanks so much!
Hi there! We really appreciate your insight on cocktails, especially making clear ice and believe our new heated ice press will be suitable for your ice. Is there an opportunity for us to give you one for free in exchange for your valuable words on this product? If you're interested, we'll arrange to get the ice press to you at your earliest convenience. Thanks so much!
Looks like the cooler gave the most ice and the best looking ice. Just temper the ice and dont let it sit for a weekend
It's simple enough to smooth out the uneven top surface on the Clearly Frozen cubes... just put the uneven side on a flat metal surface like a cookie sheet or in a pan for a couple minutes; the conductive metal surface will melt it right down to a uniform plane.
Great tip! Cheers!
Have you done this before because if this works, super great advice!
@@brandond.7768 I have indeed, and it works well.
Great video, I really enjoyed the content. I, too, am a cooler method guy, let the ice temper, and have fun cutting. I use a large bar mat to catch the water and ice shards without making a big mess, and use gloves I saw on The Educated Barfly's channel. Fun to cut different shapes (rocks, spears, etc) and chip edges off the sides for a rustic look. I agree on the serrated knife and a mallet. Lastly, the 50% of ice made that is cloudy is perfect for stirring or shaking cocktails. I appreciate the slight venture from syrup videos and how to make excellent cocktails!
Much appreciated! You have it down to a science, that's very impressive.
how can you drink easily with a cubes big like this? you ll frees your lips or what?
Fantastic review, thank you!! ❤
Last month I had an Old Fashioned (and a pornstar Martini) at the cocktail bar of Georges V in Paris. They also used totally clear icecubes. It was wonderfull...
They sure make for an impressive presentation! Cheers!
Kool aid an u was adding water to everything huh an do liquor
I always use the cooler method, but thats because i find it therapeutic lol. It's fun and i find it quite rewarding too. Plus being able to cut into more shapes than just a simple cube is ideal.
Yes! There is a sense of pride behind it for sure!
I've used the Simple Taste sphere mold for several months, and never have anything but perfectly clear ice. No idea what y'all did differently, but for the space and price, it's a great product. You want more spheres for guests coming? Just plan ahead and put em in a baggie.
No idea what happened either, we just moved to a new space and perhaps the water harder here than our old space. We agree though! The price is very enticing!
I've got that sphere ice maker too, and I don't even use fancy distilled water (just the filtered stuff from my fridge), and it's been super clear every time.
Background music too loud while speaking.
Great video otherwise.
Sorry about that, our editor had the jams up too high!
24 hours max. Use a bread knife to cut.
Saw, ice, hilarious.
Klar is = Clear ice (in Swedish)
Y'all made the cooler method look way harder than it is. I do that multiple times a week. It takes like 10 minutes. Just need a long, serrated blade like a bread knife and a mallet. And the yield of ice is like 5x as much as the other options.
Yeah, I agree. Timing it better and a little more experience would have really paid off.
The klaris sounds lovely but I'm never paying $600 for 4 cubes every 10 hours. I actually enjoy carving my own ice and zero dollars is very affordable
Very much agree, cutting the ice gives a sense of accomplishment for sure! Cheers!
It's distilled water!
How are there impurities???
This baffled all of us as well!
that first block.....I went to the thrift store and bought a serrated bread knife for $2. use that to score on one face of the block. get your meat tenderizing mallet and rest the knife blade in the score and give it a whack. easy peasy. quick work of the big block.
The tester was inept. It's just not that hard to carve up the large block. Same thing with the Clearly Frozen. You left it in too long and didn't fill it evenly. Blame it on your freezer if you must, but it's not hard to get consistent cubes out of it except always for that one that is twice as tall as the rest. Just cut it.
You must not have EVER even tried the cooler method. To anyone who uses this method,you looked bad. Been doing it four years ,of course you need to figure a few things out before you get it down. BUT….it’s crystal clear EVERY time(and I use plain old tap water) plus has ZERO taste. One more thing…..I can freeze and cut my blocks any size I wish. You want to throw one of those 2x2 cubes in a lemonade glass? I use my ice in all drinks that take ice. This was not an accurate look at all. And ya even made fun of grandpa.
The cooler method needs about 18-20 hours of freezing. You left it in way to long. Let the ice temper (warm up) and it won't break apart randomly.
True Ice seems like a winner to me. U get 4 clear and 4 cloudy that you can use when you dont have company.
This video was very useful for discovering new options but I think it`s not good for comparing them because to do it properly you need to leave them in the freezer for the right time.
I personally love the cooler method. I'm not surprised when other people are overwhelmed by the stuff that I like because I tend to go deep into the weeds for all of my hobbies. But if you spent a bit of time reading or watching youtube videos about directional freezing you'd realize that you should be tempering the ice before working with it. I probably make a batch of directionally frozen ice once a month and it takes me about 5 minutes to process a block of ice. The first time I did it probably took 10 minutes.
Good 🙏
Thank you! Cheers!
You remind me of my friend, Rashad. You are both funny af.
2:00 AM and I am thinking WT101 on the rocks.
I think you left the clearly frozen in the freezer too long.
Seems like you should be able to get any silicone ice tray, make some little holes in the bottom, and suspend it in a cooler. That's essentially what a lot of these ones do. Stuff that freezes on top stays clear while the cloudy stuff gets presser down into the body of the cooler
Yes, there is nothing magical. But doing so will just end up with the same cost or more than those ready to use products, and with way less fiddling.
Youve got to pull the cooler before it freezes all the way, and then you have to leave the ice out of the cooler for 20-30 minutes to temper. You tried to cut it without tempering, and thats why it fractured randomly and was hard to cut.
I imagine you were palm over face watching us try and do it without following that procedure!
Clearly Frozen makes awesome clear cubes. If you have the room the mini Igloo cooler is amazing. Plenty ice per freeze and you can make various shapes. Takes less then 10 mins to cut up an entire block and you get tons of ice.
I’ve been looking for solutions as the clearly frozen system was terrible for me. I don’t know if it’s because older freezers dont get as cold, but the foam pad was not thick enough to promote top down freezing. I had ice forming in the sides way before the curves were frozen.
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❤️
Exelente video exelente vendedor
Great video!! I love clear ice. Is there maintenance to the Klaris ice machine?
Can you do a video of the monogram forge clear ice 🧊 press?
Thank you!! There is no maintenance that we know of. The system is pretty straightforward. We'll have to check out the Monogram Forge clear ice press!
@@liberandco please do a full video of the monogram forge ice press. It’s an amazing appliance and it’s the first ever to use a heated press. Can you do a dedicated full video of the klaris ice maker?
Thanks for taking the time to do this . Woulda been cool if you reviewed one that made spears for highballs. Cheers
We may have to gather some of those for a future review! Thanks for the suggestion, cheers!
Perfect video. Thanks and well done! Very cool!
Thank you very much! Glad you liked it.
Just give me the information. I dont need all the siliness. Im not an 8 year old kid with no attention span.
Yup, you left the cooler way to long in freezer. 24 hours and you knock off shards with a knife and done. Also, you left out the OG, probably the one that kicks all those other products asses, the wintersmiths phantom
We haven't tried the Wintersmith's Phantom! And yes, we done left the cooler in too long.