Berlinzo Premium Clear Ice Cube Maker Mold - 8 Large 2.1-inch Crystal Clear Ice Squares for Whiskey and Cocktails - Easy-to-Remove Ice Cubes Mold - Storage Bag & 24 Ice Prints Included (Non-electric)

The process is a little clunky, and it can sometimes be frustrating but with a little practice and patience, you get beautiful, crystal-clear ice cubes every time. I gave this ice cube maker 5 stars because it is relatively inexpensive for what you get, the materials are high quality with good fit and finish. The drawbacks (such as taking 30 hours to make only 2 ice cubes) are really a function of thermodynamics rather than the product itself. (See the end of this review for the TLDR "how it works".)I have been using this ice maker for around 18 months now and here is the process I use to get crystal-clear cubes every time:1) Start by cleaning and drying all the parts. If any of the parts are wet when they go into the freezer, the unit can be extremely difficult to open up and can result in the corners of the ice cubes being chipped. Also, if you're refilling the ice maker after using it, make sure there is no residual ice chips or drops left in the mold.2) Assemble the components. First, make sure the foam insulator is pushed all the way down into the plastic shell and then the plastic reservoir is pushed all the way down into the foam insulator. These parts all fit very nicely together and it will be apparent from the way the lips of each piece connect when they are properly assembled. Leaving a gap between any two of these pieces will result in substandard ice.3) Fill the reservoir to the indicator mark. I use reverse-osmosis (RO) filtered water but I've also used tap water successfully. Use lukewarm water for best results.4) Assemble the silicone ice mold and then slowly let it settle into the reservoir. Don't push the mold into the reservoir or you'll end up with incomplete or malformed ice cubes. A small amount of water should bubble up out of the 2 vent holes in the mold. Make sure the mold is completely settled into the reservoir before proceeding - again, the parts fit together nicely so it will be obvious when settling is complete. Use a towel to dry any standing water on top of the ice mold.5) Use two hands to lift the entire assembly and place it upright in the freezer. Lift it by the side handles. Do not squeeze the assembly (by lifting it with one hand) or you'll end up with incomplete or malformed cubes. The goal here is to have no additional water bubble out of the vent holes as you put the assembly into the freezer. Leave the mould in the freezer for 30 hours.6) Pull the silicone mold out of the reservoir, pull the two halves apart and gently remove the ice cubes. Cubes can be stored in the included silicone zip-lock bag (the bag holds 6 cubes) for several weeks. Cubes can be stored in regular freezer Ziploc bags for a couple of weeks but longer than that and they start to degrade. Use warm water to remove the ice in the bottom of the reservoir. Dry all the parts and you're ready to start again.How it works: the key to the process is the insulating layer on 4 sides plus the bottom of the mold. The mold orients the cubes with one corner up (the non-insulated side) which is exposed to the ambient air in the freezer. This orientation along with the insulation forces the water in the mould to freeze from the top down. As the water freezes, it pushes the entrained air (and any impurities) down into the reservoir, leaving crystal clear ice behind in each cube. (The reservoir holds about 3x as much water as needed to make the cubes. This extra space give the water with entrained air a place to go as the cubes freeze.) The insulating layer is a bit thin but using warm water in the mould ensures that the process proceeds properly. The whole assembly is kinda bulky and it would be quite a bit bulkier if the insulation was thicker so I think this is a good design trade-off.

Gets the job done very well! I purchased the square cubes that make 8 at a time, will definitely need a good amount of space in the freezer for this, it is the size of a six pack igloo cooler. I have the space in a second refrigerator/freezer and keep the temperature around 10-15f, it takes closer to 36 hours rather than 24hr recommended time but makes perfectly clear ice with little to no air bubbles, 100f water eliminated all air bubbles.The square molds make very large squares, will need large enough glass size for these to fit. The round ice molds will allow for a smaller glass diameter.

Cubed perfectly clear ice cubes and super easy to do, highly recommended. Well made and an attractive apparatus. I ordered the 8-cube being as I have a dedicated full-size freezer and have the space. At the third batch and I feel like a pro...i don't understand people having problems using this.

It makes clear 2" cubes, but takes up a lot of space in the freezer. The cubes are only the top half of the ice that freezes in the box. The bottom half stays behind when you remove the molds. After each use, it takes a day to thaw the ice left in the bottom of the insulated box before you can use it again. The cubes can be challenging to remove unless you let them thaw a bit, then when you put them in the silicone bag for storage they freeze together.

It worked perfectly the first time! Clear ice in a large solid square!

This thing actually produces crystal clear ice cubes. A bit daunting as it suggests filtered water that has been boiled so it is a process but worth it. I just make several ahead of time and put them in the bag.

Not at all easy to remove and makes cloudy ice. All I like about this product is I get large cube ice. The rest is NOTHING SPECIAL

First time I made ice cubes and they all came out clear. I will say that this is not a fast or easy process. 1st you have to clean everything, 2nd you need to boil filtered water and let it cool to about 100°F, 3rd you fill the chambers with the tepid water, 4th you press the ice molds into the chambers, 5th you freeze the whole thing for 24-48 hours (I pulled mine after 24 hours and top molds were frozen but not below the molds, needed more time), then last step is to pull out the molds and pop out the cubes. It was a struggle to pull the molds out but the rubber is strong.Overall, I am happy and they look great in a glass of whiskey.