probably the best thing about ice makers that are sealed up like this, is that your ice is going to taste like ice, instead of whatever is in your freezer.
The freezer in my apartment gives anything uncovered a weird garlic taste/smell, so I bought some regular ice cube trays and keep them in a large plastic container with a lid. I keep the resulting ice in the same container or in a second one if I need a lot of ice.
I'm just waiting on the tech sector to have a go at the ice cube tray market. One that costs $120 and you have to plug in. Maybe have an app for your phone to tell you when it's frozen.
I use $5 trays that are shaped for water bottles, they look like lipgloss shape/size. They are prettier, made in Japan and Israel (not China) and not a PITA like the balls. All around a better deal.
while I personally prefer and use the simple tray that you can get for cheap there are downsides to it as well that people are just used to. for example, you need a long flat, level and even surface to put the tray on while freezing so you end up losing a chunk of space in your freezer just to dedicate spots for trays whereas the ones in this vid could be filled and thrown in wherever they fit instead of needing a dedicated spot.
I think you're supposed to pull the bottle wide, then fill, then push the sides together. Basically the reverse of getting the ice out. The hemispheres are too close together for water to flow freely while the bottle is squeezed shut, since they are supposed to keep water from escaping and freezing the balls together...
Oxo makes quality products. Their stuff is expensive, but I've often regretted it when I went for cheaper substitutes. That said, their ice cube trays are over-engineered and overpriced, unless you're using them for something other than ice cubes.
I got like four half-moon shaped trays for about $2. Have had them for about two years and use two of them alongside a large white one similar to what he showed here (so that there is always a revolving door of ice being frozen). The only reason I would ever invest in something like these would be if I ever bumped my head and decided to buy an RV, lol. And even then, there have to be cheaper options on the market.
Yup, only "upgrade" I'd consider would be a lid (possibly that slides on) so you didn't have to worry about it spilling when not fully melted. It's not a problem if you have a drawer for ice trays but it is if you bung them in with other things
All these completely over-engineered waste of resources products are kinda depressing. We have ice figured out guys. Lets try to think of something new.
@@Freakinreviews There are plenty of $4 silicone trays (some silicone-bottom trays are as low as $2/tray) that offer the capacity/shape of a dollar store tray while making it easier to release single ice cubes. With a dollar store tray, single cubes are a negligibly more difficult to remove. Mind you, I don't think they make good review fodder since they're very boring.
While I definitely wouldn't buy these, I think wanting to improve something, even something this effective already is admirable. That said, these are fails, lol.
I have some trays from sterilite that I picked up from walmart - they look like his dollar store tray and they are glorious. one little twist and they all pop out 99% of the time. The previous trays I had were a pain in the butt to get all the ice cubes loose and most of the time I had to settle for "most" of the cubes. I love the sterilites though!
@@mlast6145 I have a couple of free ice cube trays (left by the previous tenant, but I'm guessing they were dollar store items) that are too rigid to flex like his in the video. (You have to bang them on the countertop, or hit the ice cubes with something like a mallet to free them.) His tray looks to be ideal -- stiff enough to not spill the water when you're loading the tray in the freezer, but flexible enough to easily pop the cubes out.
@@SvobodovaEva Also, if you live in a area with hard water, that can build up in an ice cube tray over time. It's nice to give it a wash periodically to knock some of it out. And, with ones like these, I think you might end up with more than a few looseer flakes of water deposits than a normal tray. So cleaning might be a necessity.
Why are they so freaking expensive? It's ridiculous, they're just plastic and they don't make nearly as much ice as the $1 one. I mean come on man $40.
@@nicememes7570 I’m sure you could get it a bit tighter, My point still stands he filled it to the fill line and there’s no way that fill line is low enough to be for when it’s fully open.
I looked up the directions it is without a doubt supposed to be filled closed and then you squeeze any other potential air out. Super easy to tell cuz the fill line is very near the top
I got a giant iceball making for about 7 bucks. Bottom half is hard plastic that forms the bottom half of the ball, top half is silicone or rubber or whatever that forms the top half. You put them together, and at the top of each ball is a small hole in the silicone to fill water. When ready you take the top half off and take the ice ball out. No gimics, just a giant iceball maker as simple as they can get it. Takes a long time to melt in a drink. Well worth it.
As my dad would say, "it's a solution looking for a problem". I like the idea it doubles as a drinking vessel and if they had some way to keep it from collapsing so you could just grab it anywhere, it'd be a neat thing.
Although I love the idea of having sphere-shaped ice cubes, I do not love it at $40. Maybe $20 or even $25 but not $40. There is my comment and it's not a troll comment. I have been in a weird mood, but I guess the troll part of me fell asleep.
Given how cheap and easy it is to fill up a dollar store plastic tray and freeze it, I do wonder why spend $40 on something that doesn't really do anything special. But I guess for people who love gadgets. . .
Not everyone has the room to carefully place an icecube tray in their freezer without knocking it over or spilling it. These products definitely have a place in an extremely busy home.
@@tinncan But it is sealed and can be put in in any orientation. So I can see the benifit to some people if space is a premium. Not nearly enough for me to ever consider it, but not totally unreasonable.
@@tinncan i do agree that they occupy more horizontal space but since this gadgets are enclosed it opens the possibility to use more vertical space in your freezer. You can stack things on top of this ice gadget without the worry of water spilling over your freezer. I do believe this gadget have a place in the market but need more competition so there can be a substantial price drop and be more affordable.
I remember having an "ice ball" maker from the late 80's, early 90's - it was Rubbermaid-ish (I don't believe it was actually from Rubbermaid, but it was made from a similar plastic) bottle. You would fill it half way. put the lid on, put it on its side, and put it in the freezer. After it was frozen, you'd take it out, open the lid, squeeze it a bit, and dump out the ice. Granted, the "balls" were only half balls, but seemed much simpler, and DEFINITELY did not cost anywhere near $40! (if it was more than a couple of dollars we probably wouldn't have had it!) My favorite ice cube tray has to be the Frigidaire Quickube tray that came with my '40's Frigidaire. It's similar to your "vintage" tray, but double the width, so twice as much ice! Honestly, since the majority of refrigerators these days have built in ice makers, Why do $40 gadgets to make ice even exist?
@WMB woooah there! You cant just wade in here with your 'crazy conspiracy theories' what evidence do you even have to substantiate these ramblings of a madman?
The advantage of spherical ice is that it takes much longer to melt, keeping your drink cooler for longer without watering it down. Not worth 40$ though.
that’s kind of a myth IMO, the same amount of ice will always lower the temperature the same amount no matter what shape. The sphere will last longer but only cuz it’s not cooling your drink as much, I think the spheres really only work for aesthetic.
Giving me serious "The Rock" vibes. looks like those sarin gas glass balls. They are also a lot like that whole "Inventing a better mousetrap" thing.. Honestly just a plain old silicon ice mold is all you need.
I can say I got lucky and was given a real ice maker for a Christmas gift. Living in my own apartment needing ice is one I always am having to get, and not being able to drive I am constantly having to get ice. So my ice maker was a good investment. I love watching these reviews always on my list. Thanks for making my day! I will always be a big fan. Hope you all have a wonderful day Much Love and God Bless.. and please stay safe!
@@xxgn I was given the ice maker to me, I never purchased it. It was a Christmas gift. Plus the apartment I do live in is quite small, and the refrigerator I have is not a big one at that.
The only good thing about these ice trays is that the ices are kept inside a closed tray, preventing any other thing mixed inside from the freezer, rather than the ices exposed along with other frozen things as well.
The fact that it expands and works as a small pitcher is kinda cool. If you had the desire to freeze water in a pitcher for some reason it's certainly more compact.
Those do look like a PITA. Nothing wrong with regular plastic trays, except I do find they eventually crack after several uses, so I bought some XL silicone trays that hold 8 big cubes in the same area (maybe a bit taller) and have covers so you can stack them; been using them for years and it's great.
My thought of why you might get one of these instead of a regular ice tray is not having the freezer space to lay it flat. I have a small freezer and can't use the $1 kind, it takes up too much real estate.
Take 1 or 2 litre freezer bag, partially fill with water, twist top and secure with a rubber band. Freeze. Remove and smash in bag with smooth side of meat tenderiser. Interesting selection of shapes and variable sizes. Reseal and return to freezer if less ice required. Low cost, no cleaning, no ice contamination, fits into almost any space.
The dollar store trays are fine if you want all the cubes out at once, but are less good at letting you just pop out two or three cubes at once. The Oxo ones with the half-moon shaped "cubes" are my favorites because you can easily poke out just a few, or twist the tray to release them all. And they have a lid. They were more than a dollar but have held up well for the 5 years I've had them. One is just for coffee ice cubes to keep my cold brew strong without diluting it as the ice melts.
It sure looks like every year they invent a new ice forming gadget the same way they invent a new gadget to cook old fashion eggs. The old fashion way is the best. That ice gadget probably has a freeze/thaw life cycle of about 30 times before it starts to develop cracks in it and it will not hold water in it without leaking.
I had a similar idea like this years ago.... Make it similar to standard ice trays but double or triple stacked, with a removable top seal lid and fill cap...Step #1 Put lid on, fill full with water under the sink and close fill cap. When ice is made, peel off the top sealing lid, empty & refill with water.
I have a silicone one that makes round ball ice cubes. It was like $4-6 and you fill it like a normal tray and put the top on then pop it in the freezer.
After you crack and open the turquoise one, recap and shake like hell. Also- they don’t get freezer burned. I love them. They’re they’re own container too
Recently bought a pack of reusable plastic cubes. 40 of them. You can pop them in your drink, they won't melt and dilute it, when you're done, you just rinse them off, wipe quickly and throw them back in the freezer. And no, they don't add any taste to the drink. Everything with ice cubes looks like such an awful hassle now, even the most basic ice cube tray.
I wouldn't buy either, but I can see one advantage of both over a regular cheap ice tray. If you don't have an organized, ice-free freezer, it can be hard to place a regular ice tray in such a way that it won't spill. The ice makers in this video can be placed in a messy freezer at an angle with no problem.
Me, watching this video probably a week after seeing the original Ice Wizard video: "Oh wow I remember that" like I watched the Ice Wizard video when it launched or something, like it was years ago for me
And what if you want just one or two ice cubes/balls? Once you pull the handles, even if you want only one you have to throw away everything, squeeze it back, and start all over because If you put the rest back in the freezer they are gonna be one massive piece of ice, and you'll have to wait hours to melt until the ice box become usable again. Simple things (unlike these here LOL) are always closer to perfection.
The ice ball maker definitely would make a great water bottle for people who like ice cold water, without having to wait for bottles of water to chill in the fridge. But the 40 dollar price tag, ehhh. maybe not as much.
Will you ever try one of those on the counter ice machine makers!? I know there is standard ice and clear ice machines. I know they're a bit expensive (110-200 dollars depending on module) I got one of the clear ice machine Euhomy(same as Frigidaire,just rebranded) made sense for my family of 7 and seemed better then fixing my freezers ice machine which broke
I actually like the ice ball maker, the ball shape makes it surprisingly easy to put ice into some bottles and it can be converted into a good pitcher, all in all not bad, definately not for everyone tho.
For the water taking so long to trickle into the ice maker I assume they ment you're supposed to open it like when you're using it as a water bottle then push it together to ice mode.
The ice ball maker would be incredible as a water bottle for people like me who like to have ice water next to them in bed for when you wake up at 3 am thirsty. As an ice tray it's totally useless though.