Clear ice looks beautiful in a glass, melts slowly and doesn't water down your drink as fast. The good news: you don't need special equipment to make it.
Why ice turns cloudy
Water in a regular tray freezes from every side at once. Air bubbles and dissolved minerals get pushed toward the middle and trapped there, which creates that cloudy center.
The directional-freezing method
Freezing water from the top down pushes bubbles and impurities in one direction, leaving clear ice behind.
- Fill a small insulated cooler (or an insulated container that fits in your freezer) with water.
- Put it in the freezer with the lid off so it freezes from the top down.
- Check after about 18–24 hours. Remove it before it freezes completely — the cloudy part will be the unfrozen bottom layer.
- Let the block temper for a few minutes, then score and cut it into cubes with a serrated knife.
Shortcut options
Large silicone sphere and cube molds give you slow-melting ice with less effort. Filtered water can help reduce cloudiness a little, too.
Find ice molds and trays in our Drinks & Coffee collection.