Monday, March 23, 2015

Review: Kuuk Silicone Ice Ball Maker

I love a cold drink, especially since Spring is here, so I was happy to try out the Kuuk Silicone Ice Ball Maker.  I got the small twin pack which included a green and blue ice ball maker.  You've probably seen ice balls before in fancy restaurants when ordering scotch.  Scotch is nice, but I thought these would work just as well for making non-alcoholic drinks for the family!

When I opened the package, I noticed there were no instructions.  I decided to wing it and it wasn't that tough to figure out.  I filled the bottom half of the ice maker with water (1.5 Tbsp.) and put the top on.  Then I used a small measuring cup to pour water into the hole on the top (2 Tbsp.).  If a little ran over after it filled up, it was no problem because it was caught in the top of the tray and didn't spill all over the counter.

When I made these a second time I just put water straight from the tap into the whole thing put together, and I noticed when you fill one ball it fills the others too.  The ice balls didn't turn out as nice when I did it this way, though.  I pinched the top to get the excess that was in the lip of the filling hole- this part is key otherwise you will have little "handles" coming out of the top of your ice!  I popped them in the freezer, and when I took them out about 4 hours later, they were pretty easy to get out of the molds.   

I did a test to see how fast they melt compared to my regular ice cubes. They absolutely last longer- I would say 1 ball lasts about an hour, depending on the conditions and the drink.  A regular ice cube lasts about 15 minutes.
The Kuuk cube (left) and a regular cube (right) after 15 minutes
PROS
-Cheaper than other fancy ice ball makers or whiskey stones
-Makes ice melt slower (won't dilute your beverages while you sip them!)
-Made of flexible high-quality silicone (there's no aftertaste)
-Easy to clean & dishwasher safe (though I don't know how dirty they will get unless you use them for things besides water!)
-Lifetime money-back warranty

CONS
-It takes some practice to get them to look as perfect as in the promo pictures
-You'll need to use distilled water for crystal clear ice balls
-No tips/instructions included in the package
I think these ice balls would be great for putting in cold drinks for on the go.  Since they melt slower, they will keep your drinks cold longer while you're out running errands.

Next, I'm going to add some fresh herbs or fruits in there before I freeze them.  I'm imagining freezing some mint leaves, rosemary, or lavender buds in them and adding them to a big glass of sparkling lemonade- so fancy!  Or maybe adding raspberries to the balls and popping them into a pitcher of sangria- yum!  If you have kids, you could freeze different flavors of fruit juice in each one and make a rainbow drink.  Tons of possibilities!

I received this product from Kuuk in exchange for writing a review.   All opinions are my own.  For more reviews or to buy, see the product on Amazon here.

1 comment:

  1. I like the idea of putting fruit or herbs in them. How pretty!!!

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