Whether you enjoy mixing cocktails at home or prefer to sip your favorite spirit on the rocks, regular ice cubes have a tendency to melt quickly, leaving drinks diluted and flavorless. The best ice ball molds can help you create perfectly frozen spheres that melt slower than standard cubes, allowing you to chill your favorite cocktails without watering them down too quickly. And the best part? You can use them in your own freezer, no fancy equipment or appliances required.
Most ice ball molds consist of two hollow cups that connect to create a sphere, and a small hole for adding water. Look for a mold whose two sides attach securely to create a water-tight seal when filled, and separate easily after freezing. A flexible, food-safe material like silicone is ideal, especially because it’s also naturally nonstick and easy to clean. You can fill your ice ball mold with flavored liquid or even bits of fruit to enhance certain recipes, without worrying about the clean up process.
If you want to prepare multiple spheres at once, you should consider getting a tray with at least four molds. These don’t take any longer to freeze than individual molds, and you’ll always have a cube when you need it. Just make sure you have enough room in your freezer for the tray to sit flat for four to six hours, or opt for a stacking mold that makes good use of vertical space.
Whichever of the best ice ball molds you pick, your drinks will stay cold and flavorful to the last drop.
1. The Best Ice Ball Mold Tray
TGJOR’s ice cube tray can prepare up to six frozen spheres at once, equipping you with plenty of ice if you’re entertaining, or just enjoying a drink or two. The flexible silicone trays click together, and a mini funnel is included for filling each individual mold from the top. Two tabs on the upper tray make it easy to open the mold after freezing, and unused ice cubes stay sealed so they’re not exposed to odors or flavors in your freezer. If you decide to purchase more than one tray from TGJOR, they can be stacked to take up minimal freezer space. Each mold produces a 2.5-inch sphere.
According to one reviewer: “These trays are so fun! I love the slow melting sphere shape! I use these spheres in my water bottle and in my whiskey! The slow melting shape keeps my whiskey from getting watered down too quickly. I appreciate how easy the silicone molds are to fill, release and clean.”
2. The Best Individual Ice Ball Molds
If you want to freeze ice balls individually, this set of four molds from Chillz is a great option. The mold’s two silicone sections click together via a groove along their edges so water is sealed during freezing, resulting in a smooth-sided, 2.5-inch ice ball. Though it can take a little practice to fill them to the right level (don’t forget, water expands when it freezes), the Chillz molds have minimal parts and are user-friendly. One tip for getting perfectly round spheres: Since the molds don’t have a flat side or a base, they should be positioned securely against a wall in your freezer so they stay upright as the ice forms. They’re also available in a two-pack.
According to one reviewer: “These are the best. I like a good whiskey on the rocks, and these have really pulled through.”
3. The Best Stackable Ice Ball Molds
These stackable molds from Tovolo are another good option if you have limited space or only want to freeze one or two spheres at a time. The flat-bottomed design won’t roll around in your freezer, and allows for two or more 2.5-inch spheres to be stacked together during freezing. To ensure you don’t over- or under-fill the mold, a fill line is printed on the transparent bottom. The upper mold then attaches securely to create a tight seal to keep out odors and ensure the ice balls come out round and smooth.
According to one reviewer: “If you like whiskey on the rocks then you should get it. You would be surprised how many guests comment on the spheres when I bust them out. These spherical ice cube makers overall are a lot of fun. They’re pretty cheap and I really wish I purchased them a few years ago.”
4. The Best Ice Ball Set
This double ice ball mold from Adoric has a unique design, and uses an insulated material to help water freeze slower with the aim of reducing bubbles, cloudiness, and cracking, resulting in crystal-clear ice spheres. Rather than filling individual round molds or a tray with a funnel, water is poured into a plastic, rectangular box, and a two-sided, food-grade silicone mold is inserted and subsequently filled with water. Before freezing, these parts are placed in an insulated casing to help the ice freeze gradually. After about six hours, the mold can be removed and separated to reveal two, shiny, transparent ice balls, measuring approximately 2.36 inches in diameter.
According to one reviewer: “This is so cool. Literally. It’s so easy to use. Just make sure you don’t over fill it like I did the first time filling it up. When it freezes then it makes the top pop open. But it a great product over all.”
