BERLINZO Basic Crystal Clear Ice Maker - 2 Balls & 2 Cubes

Pros:– This works surprisingly well when used as directed (and that means in some cases you do have to wait 5 to 10 minutes before pulling the mold out of the Styrofoam box)– The silicon is really high-quality and I can see it lasting for a very long time– the ice produced is as advertised and very clear and I’ve found that you don’t have to empty the entire box of ice before reusing the ball moldCons:– None for now, but do be aware that this is quite a large contraption to have in a small freezer. we have it in our standup freezer and it works pretty well thereOverall, I’m giving this five out of five as it’s a cool demonstration of clear ice. It works really well. It’s easy to use and it seems like it will last a long time. Great product.

Filtered and bottled water make the best ice with this mold, straight tap where I’m at is very hard (well water) and doesn’t make the clearest ice, but even then it’s still pretty clear. Works great otherwise. Instructions state use filtered water.

I really love the ice cubes and balls we’ve been able to make with this Berlinzo ice mold, though it’s definitely requiring of quite a bit of effort and time to get good results. The ice mold itself is quite expensive, and I was a little surprised that for the price point the outer portion of the whole thing was unprotected styrofoam. (I am now aware that the brand also has a “Premium” line, where there appears to be another outer plastic box piece that is branded and nicer looking - ultimately, this is just an added piece overtop of the styrofoam, but it may mean a longer life for the ice mold overall.)The mold itself is pretty bulky, but it fits nicely on the shelf in our fridge freezer. I do understand that the size and additional space below the cube/ball portions are what allow you to create super clear ice, so this cannot be bypassed. The silicone molds are sturdy and while not super easy to remove once frozen, they are much easier to remove than I’d have expected, and if you let the mold sit on the counter for a couple minutes that can make it easier as well.It definitely took a couple tries to get really consistently great ice, but now that I know where to fill the “ball side” to (the marks that are supposed to be there really aren’t obvious), we have been getting consistent ice balls. The cube side can be used with or without the added inserts that imprint words on the ice cubes, and those are open at the top, so much easier to fill when the cube mold is already in place. This can’t be done effectively for the ice balls though.We purchase 5 gallon bottled water for drinking/cooking with, as our tap water at home is not drinkable. We use that water - filtered spring water - without additional filtering, and have gotten the clearest ice we’ve ever experienced. I tend to always start with room temperature water, though it’s possible a particular water temp could help or hinder your end result.Would I repurchase? Now that we’ve been using this mold for a few weeks, I think I likely would because we’ve come to really love the ice cubes/balls it produces. It definitely requires more effort than your typical ice cube trays, but the result is pretty awesome and makes for a really enjoyable experience.

I received this product through the Amazon Vine program.The Berlinzo 4 Large Clear Ice Cube & Ball Maker Combo is a fascinating product. It introduces the average consumer to the really intriguing physical properties of something as simple as ice formation.This product consists of 7 parts. The outer insulator box which is made of a high foam and the outer mold container and the inserts which are made with very high quality silicone. It was well packaged and arrived in perfect condition.The concept is that you fill the outer mold and then slide in the inserts until they are completely full. I actually let the water settle for awhile and shook it to ensure no air got trapped inside. I then inserted the entire mold into the foam box. The first test was for about 15 hours in a regular refrigerator's freezer compartment and I did not get fully frozen cubes. However the portions that were frozen were like glass. I was very impressed with the clarity. The next try was for a much longer time (36 hrs.) and I got perfect results. The cubes are easy to remove if you pour a little water over the molds as you remove them. You can make them continuously and save them up in a container in your freezer. There is no degradation in the quality during storage.These cubes last a long time in a drink. However, they will not chill liquids quickly because of the smaller surface transfer area. I think they are best suited for drinks that you sip over a period of time and where minimal dilution is desired. I think they give a very fascinating and classy look to a drink.I had a lot of fun making these cubes and broadening my understanding of ice formation. I think these would make a great teaching aid. The product is expensive for making ice, but is reasonable due to it's high quality workmanship and materials. It is definitely a luxury item and would make a nice gift for the right person.I highly recommend this product.

I ADORE THIS ICE MAKER.I have two other brands of ice moulds that make cubed and spherical ice, but only the cube version lets me make a truly clear giant ice cube. I originally purchased the sphere moulds to make raindrop cakes, but I liked using them with water to make giant ice balls! 😛) The Berlinzo 4 Large Clear Ice Cube & Ball Maker Combo allows both shapes to come out as clear ice. The product comes with silicone designs that you can insert to imprint words (CHEERS and DELIGHT) into the ice cubes.It's straightforward to use (though I can't imagine someone misunderstanding how to fill the moulds with water and put the styrofoam holder into the freezer for at least a day). Removing the moulds (both for the clear and non-clear ice in the second section of the mould section) is challenging but much easier than the other two brands of ice makers I have.The silicone moulds go at the top and are an important feature for helping make the clear ice spectacular. The bottom portion holds the ice that will cloud up, which you can break into cubes (if you have a chisel), smash to make ice chips or run through a blender for crushed ice.One thing I wish to change is the size of the entire contraption. It takes up a large amount of real estate in the freezer, and because I like to keep a rotation of ice going, I lose that space to ice production and storage! (Ha, ice-cube enthusiast problems.) I’m also a little worried about the styrofoam holder breaking up eventually, but so far, it’s been so good!Finally, I think it’s a bit pricey, but if you have the freezer space and want to take your mixology or imbibing adventures up a notch, this would be a great addition to your arsenal of tools!