TINANA Clear Ice Ball Maker - 2.5" Sphere Ice Cube Tray for 2 Large Balls, Crystal Maker for Whiskey, Cocktails & Bourbon - Gifts for Men

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 researched multiple different ice ball makers on Amazon and decided on this one as the best model for the price. I have used it several times and it really works well. I just used regular room temperature tap water and was very pleased with the results. I did have to adjust the time required in the freezer. I tried 37 hours the first time and that was too short to get the balls completely frozen on the bottom. Turns out my freezer requires about 41 hours. The extra time is probably based on the settings I am using in my freezer. On the plus side, the slower freeze probably allows the ice balls to be more clear. Also takes a little practice to get the rubber mold out of the plastic sleeve but just work it back and forth from both sides and it will come out. Initially, I wasn't sure if I was better off getting the model that makes 2 or 4 ice balls. Based on how long it takes in my freezer, I am very happy with the unit that makes 4 ice balls. Overall, very nice product to use for yourself or give as a gift to someone who drinks whiskey/bourbon.

Classy clear ice balls for your cocktails! Crystal clear ice that lasts and doesn't water down your drink. I've been using mine for years and it's high quality and easy to use. It makes crystal clear ice. Just put it in the freezer and about 16 hours later (maybe less) it's ready. Put your balls in a zip lock freezer bag and do it again. A trick to keep them from cracking when making a drink is to "temper" the ice by letting it sit out on a saucer for ten minutes or so and then it won't crack when adding it to the cocktail.

These work as described, our ice is very clear! The skulls come out of the molds perfectly & look great. I just wish the mold made more than 2 at a time especially since it takes 32 hours to make 2. Otherwise I’d have given it 5 stars. Even 4 at a time would be better.

It took me a couple of tries to get it right. But here is what I do to get super clear balls.Step 1 : Use the cleanest water you can. I have a undersink RO (Reverse osmosis) unit that helps give me pretty pure water. I tried with hot tap water and it was meh and I saw the impurities so use the cleanest water you can.Step 2 : Boil the water in a kettle or something similar. I let it boil and then basically sit around a while. The boil setting on my electric kettle is 212 F. This step is super important because it gets rid of the gases within the water. Otherwise you see air bubbles in your ice which is not good lookin.Step 3 : After the water has cooled down I heat it up to 160 F on my kettle again.Step 4 : Make sure to clean the silicon mold and the inside plastic with clean water throuroughly. Not really required but helps.Step 5 : Pour the water into the plastic mold up the line marked on the plastic.Step 6 : Insert the silicon mold slowly to avoid creating air bubbles, basically submerge it till the top 2 holes show some water coming out.Step 7 : Put in the in Fridge while the water is warm. I set my Fridge to -18C for safety but I hear you can get even better ice at -15C.Step 8 : After like 24-30 hrs remove the mold and enjoy awesome clear ice!

True to its advertisement, it does make perfect clear ice balls! Not a fan of the product design, a bit clunky and difficult to maneuver. It’s not easy to remove the silicon pieces from the mold. Also, not sure if I’m doing it wrong, but it uses a lot of water to make the ice balls, and I had to wait till the water melted so I could refill it, which makes the process a bit tedious.

It works perfectly and as designed. I've never had anything but crystal clear ice when completed.