Berlinzo Premium Clear Ice Ball Maker Mold - Large 2.4-Inch Crystal Clear Ice Balls for Whiskey, Cocktails, and Bourbon - Easy-to-Remove Ice Sphere Mold - (Ice Storage Bag Not Included)

So far so good. This is my first attempt at making clear ice and instructions were straight forward and the setup itself is easy to use and straightforward. Got clear ice balls on first try and couldn’t be happier. Got the four ice sphere version and it’s compact and high quality. Left the first batch for 24hrs and while it did produce clear ice, it wasn’t perfectly spherical at that point. Left the next batch for 36hrs and they came out perfect. Would highly recommend.

I have ordered and tried other ice molds that claim to provide clear ice only to find out that it was not 100% true, so I was skeptical of this product. I was very pleased and surprised that it does make 100% clear ice balls. They are a little bit smaller than the ones that I currently use but they seem to stay frozen longer and yes they are 100% CLEAR!! Very good addition to my bar and the process is very simple to make them. I will be ordering the larger version as this was to test if it actually worked.

This is a review for the 8-sphere model. It works like a charm.Directions say to freeze for 24 hours, mine actually takes about 27 hours to freeze all the way, but they come out beautiful, absolutely perfectly crystal clear.Directions also say to use filtered or distilled water that you boil and then let cool to 100 degrees F. Nonsense. I do recommend using filtered or distilled water to minimize impurities, but the cold line of my tap water is filtered and I just use that, with no warming or careful attention to temperature. I guess your results may vary, but mine come out perfect.The hardest part of the process is getting the molds out of the box, but here's a tip for that - If you have a kitchen faucet with an extendable nozzle, spray the sides with hot water. You'll hear the ice on the interior walls cracking a little. It makes it easier to remove the molds, but you still need a little patience. Just take your time. Pull up on one side then the other, one side then the other, etc.Really, really pleased with the end result. Highest recommendation.

The Tinana and Berlinzo are essentially the same ice maker with two different labels. But there are some differences between the two, and to my mind, they do not favor the nearly twice as expensive Berlinzo:1. Physically, they are 98% identical. The only physical difference between these is that the Berlinzo is sheathed in a hard plastic outer casing with a satin black finish and some small, but nice, graphics. Between the two, this gives the Berlinzo a more “formal” and “classy” appearance. Seriously, it looks nice. If that matters to you, while it sits in your freezer, then it’s your ice maker of choice. Or, perhaps you want to give one of these as a gift; the Berlinzo does look nicer. [FWIW, their exterior shipping boxes are both nice, but to my mind, the Tinana is nicer in its simplicity.] Other than the Berlinzo’s outer shell, they are identical, and their parts are interchangeable. However, I think this outer shell contributes to difference #2.2. Per their instructions, the Tinana should be allowed to freeze for 30 hours, while the Berlinzo requires 40-48. If you’re on any kind of clock, that’s significant. Other than the thin satin plastic shell on the Berlinzo, I can think of no reason why the two devices should have such significantly different freezing times. Interestingly, the Berlinzo instructions specifically state that you should not freeze it for more than 50 hours, else there is a risk of cracking the shell. That strikes me as a disadvantage, or at least a risk of disadvantage. I found the freezing times for both devices accurate.3. The Berlinzo comes with a nice plastic bag in which to store your spheres. Unfortunately, it’s not really big enough to hold more than one batch at a time. Ziplock is your friend here.4. In all other respects, the two devices produce identical, almost entirely clear ice spheres when you follow the instructed times for freezing. And if you don’t, they also perform similarly. Pulling either device out of the freezer six hours ahead of time will reveal a not-fully-frozen base, and partially formed (about 75%) spheres. Also, if you decide to use warm or even hot water to slow the freezing process further, you’ll need to adjust your freezing time accordingly. I do, and have found an additional six hours (for a total of 36) in the Tinana works well, while the Berlinzo requires its full 48.5. The spheres from both devices also benefit from tempering. Without tempering, they didn’t always crack, but they did sometimes. And with tempering, none of the spheres cracked when room temperature whiskey was poured on them. Most people recommend five minutes for tempering, and that makes sense if the spheres are kept in an ice bucket or bowl. I found that when placed in individual glasses, 2-3 minutes seemed sufficient to avoid cracking. YMMV.I have attached pics showing the spheres side-by-side. They are indistinguishable. I also did a 90-minute melting test, with images taken at 00:00, 00:30, 01:00, and 01:30, with a sphere from each maker in a glass containing 2 ounces of water. Granted, water and booze are not the same thing, and holding a glass will speed the ice melting process. But all I wanted to do was compare how a sphere from each maker would perform in the same environment. Short answer: they melted identically. And that’s no surprise since they are almost identical in their construction, and entirely identical in their method. For me, the performance of both the Berlinzo and the Tinana are 5 stars, with the Berlinzo docked one star for value and the additional 10-18 hours of freezing time.With respect to some of the less positive reviews:1. Yes, it’s difficult to remove the rubber molds from the freezing box. It gets easier after first use, but they’re tight for a reason. I’m older, and my finger strength isn’t what it used to be, but I managed to get everything apart.2. It’s not difficult to fill the container or to get the molds topped up. A gooseneck kettle is handy for topping off.3. There is occasionally a little bit of excess ice around the seams (see pics), but it comes off easily.4. Depending on your water minerality, you may find you get better results by boiling the water first, filtering it with a real filter (Brita doesn’t cut it), etc. Distilled or RO/DI water doesn’t always produce more clarity. The people who make the OnTheRocks version of this (I use their box for cubes) have some videos with recommendations for “fine-tuning” your ice. We have off-the-charts hard water in our house, and a whole house softener that reduces, but does not eliminate, the hardness. The tap water produced quite acceptable ice spheres.5. With respect to water “wastage,” don’t rinse that ice block down the drain. Let it thaw and use it to water plants or pets or whatever. It’s perfectly clean water. It’s only waste if you waste it. Don’t throw it away!

I was very skeptical after using silicon molds that this system would produce the results it claimed, so I only purchased the 2 ice ball mold. It also takes up a lot of room in the freezer.However I am amazed at the ease of use and clarity of the ice balls it makes. Absolutely perfect!! 💯. An added bonus is the two ice blocks at the bottom of the mold which can be used for drinks, crushed, or to keep your beer cold 😉.To address some of the other comments...I used water straight from the tap, no problems. To remove the large blocks of ice from the bottom of the mold I turned it upside down in the sink and ran hot water over it for a few minutes and the blocks fell right out.I highly recommend this for anyone who wants crystal clear ice balls for their drinks 🥃 .