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Affordable Men's Style

The Splurge: Big Ice Cubes

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Williams Sonoma King Cube Trays | Tovolo XL Ice Cube Trays – $8.00

Paying more than a couple of bucks for ice cube trays sounds ludicrous at first.  But tpeel your first big ice cube out from the silicone walls, drop it in a glass, and pour your favorite liquid over it… and then it sort of becomes worth it.

For some.  Some will still think these are a stupid waste of money.

The Williams Sonoma ones are no longer available online, but check in store.  They should be around $15 for a set of two.  I know.  Fifteen bucks.  Dumb.  But again, a low cost splurge that you should have for a long time.  A larger cube takes longer to melt and thus, longer to water down your drink.  That and it just looks better than a collection of half moon cube pups that were birthed by your fridge door.

The trays take a bit of getting used to, being that the ice doesn’t stick to the sides like standard plastictrays.  There’s no twisting and popping out of the cubes.  You just pull the sides down until most of the cube is exposed and then pull it out.  It’s a good idea to have a bucket of these in reserve in your freezer.  Because once guests see them, they have a tendency to switch from beer and wine to cocktails.

Liquor at top of page:  Port Barrel Finished Angel’s Envy Bourbon Whiskey

Comments

  1. Don’t put ice in scotch. Add a bit of plain water, and warm the glass up in your hand a bit. You’ll thank me later.

  2. I’ve had a couple of these trays for 5+ years that I got at Ikea… when guests find out about them, I always end up with an empty freezer

  5. If you’re looking for nice, clear ice read the article at Camper English’s site, Alcademics.  He’s done some research into what it takes to keep ice from clouding. 

  7. Already have these and love them. Not too much of a splurge at $8 and great for stuff on the rocks or cocktails. If you order from Amazon you can get some nice whiskey glasses + the mold to hit the free shipping amount for $25.

  8. The only issue here is that sometimes silicone ice cube trays can impart a somewhat ‘chemical-y’ flavor to the ice.  In my experience, it’s been kind of hit or miss.  The trays I have now are fine, but not the first set I bought (not of the big cube tray referenced above, but still silicone).  Not a huge issue, but something to be aware of nonetheless…

  9. Y’know, tried it.  Not for me.  I’m either ice if it’s above say, 65 degrees, or neat if it’s under.  But I’ve got a few friends who swear by the water method.  But I’m also more Bourbon / sipping rums than scotch.

  10. I have been looking for something exactly like this! Currently have been freezing ice blocks in coffee cups.

  13. I agree. Although how people drink their scotch is their business, I always cringe a little when I see people drink a good single malt in a glass loaded with ice. To me it’s like flushing money down the toilet.

  14. I picked up whisk(e)y stones for $20 a year or two ago and have loved them. http://www.amazon.com/Teraforma-1220-Whisky-Stones/dp/B002GZX2DE

  15. +1

    Almost bought a set this weekend actually, but decided to wait til I move in 2 weeks. Avoiding unnecessary packing. They will be a nice addition to my day 1 party after the liqour is unpacked.

  16. I deffo need to get some silicone ice trays, regardless of cube size. It is SO obnoxious to have a tray of perfectly good ice cubes and have no way to remove them, short of dumping them all into some large container. Plus our ice trays have more than a few cracks in them from all the violent twisting required to break the cubes free.

    I’m not into plain bourbon but I really like Drambuie on the rocks. Letting the ice melt a bit really tones down the cloying sweetness.

  17. This is probably the next best thing to the ice ball mold, which is an even larger version, but round.  I probably won’t be investing in these cubes in the future, however, mainly because my favorite cocktails are meant to be shaken.  Sidecar, anyone? 

  18. Did you ever wash the Tivolo trays?  I washed them with regular dish soap the first time, and then use filtered water (from the fridge, nothing fancy) and have never had issues.  Every once in a while, I’ll soap up the trays again, just in case.

  20. I’m with Joe, I need a slight chill. I drink mostly bourbon and dabble in single malts (my favorite being smokey ones like Caol Ila) and my preferred method is a single regular sized cube that I can drop in and wait for it to melt a little bit, so it dilutes it like the splash of water but also brings down the temp slightly.

  21. I keep a thick-bottomed whiskey tumbler in the freezer for my single malts.  I also have a set of Whiskey Stones (available at ThinkGeek.com and elsewhere) that help.  These keep the scotch cool and undiluted and the warming is much more gradual.

  22. For those that asked about the Amazon links: http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-80-5521-Jumbo-Size-Silicone-Ice-Cube

  24. Found an ice ball silicone mold for $11.75! http://www.muji.us/store/silicon-ice-ball-maker.html

  26. Damn, brother, if you’re gonna splurge on a fancy ice cube tray like that, spend an extra dollar and make your ice with distilled water from the supermarket. Clear and beautiful.