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My first impression when I opened the package was how large they were! I was not expecting them to be so big. I like it.
I'm nursing, so I constantly have a large 32 oz container of water next to me. Before I got the ice ball makers, I would fill it up with ice cubes from a regular tray. They always melted pretty quickly and my beverage would go back to being tepid. Not the best way to get myself to drink all the water I need.
I pulled them out of their package and noticed that they did still have the smell of silicone mold release (from the manufacturing process). I've had things come with this smell before, so I knew that cleaning them very well was needed. Since they are food grade silicone, they are temperature safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. I scrubbed them out with Dawn dish soap, and then boiled them in plain water. After that, I threw them in the dishwasher. Voila, mold release gone. I HAVE to make sure I get all of it off because even a hint of it and I can taste it in my beverage. Once they came out of the dishwasher, I had no issues.
Getting the perfect fill with these is a little difficult at first. You need to leave room for the water to expand. If you don't leave enough room, water is going to be pushed out of the fill holes. If you leave too much room, you won't have a symmetrical ball (aesthetic issue only from what I could tell). A fill line would be helpful, but hard to see because of the color of the silicone. A plug to cover the hole would also be nice, I accidentally spilled a couple of them after filling. This is only a problem when your freezer is smashed full of stuff like mine is.
Overall, these are a fun variation from regular cubes, and last much longer than a cube does. I didn't time how long it took one to melt, but was over an hour. Every time I tried to measure time, the baby would need me, or I would forget! I think these would be great for alcoholic beverages, but didn't have the chance to try them that way. I don't remember the last time I had a mixed drink.
Pros:
Large balls
Food grade
Easy to sanitize
Long lasting
Fun shape
Cons:
Mold release smell is strong out of package.
No way to see how much you should fill them.
I've been using them for around a month now, and I definitely find them convenient and pretty easy to use. I think the 4 pack is more realistic to buy than the 2 pack. It would be fun to make a bunch in advance for a party/BBQ for people to use in their beverages. The freeze time is longer than a traditional cube, but you need less ice to cool the same amount of beverage.
I'm trying to think of ways I can use them for sensory play once little man gets bigger. Leave suggestions or ideas in the comments!
And now for pictures!
Overall, these are a fun variation from regular cubes, and last much longer than a cube does. I didn't time how long it took one to melt, but was over an hour. Every time I tried to measure time, the baby would need me, or I would forget! I think these would be great for alcoholic beverages, but didn't have the chance to try them that way. I don't remember the last time I had a mixed drink.
Pros:
Large balls
Food grade
Easy to sanitize
Long lasting
Fun shape
Cons:
Mold release smell is strong out of package.
No way to see how much you should fill them.
I've been using them for around a month now, and I definitely find them convenient and pretty easy to use. I think the 4 pack is more realistic to buy than the 2 pack. It would be fun to make a bunch in advance for a party/BBQ for people to use in their beverages. The freeze time is longer than a traditional cube, but you need less ice to cool the same amount of beverage.
I'm trying to think of ways I can use them for sensory play once little man gets bigger. Leave suggestions or ideas in the comments!
And now for pictures!
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| The molds compared to a regular rectangular ice cube (large standard cube). |
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