Start freezing. Start discovering. Start with GLAZER mini.

Preface

In this handbook, we'll walk you through every detail of using the GLAZER mini.

Chapter 1 covers how to use the product correctly and addresses common questions.

Chapter 2 helps you choose the right water source—turns out, mineral water is one of the best choices for clear ice and the tap water could be the second.

Chapter 3 explains how different temperatures affect the freezing time and the resulting ice clarity. These are general guidelines; actual results may vary depending on your environment.
Finally, Chapter 4 provides the theoretical foundations we found behind the clear ice-making process.

Chapter 1 - User manual

Troubleshooting

1. Why is the top part of my ice missing?

• Reason: The mold wasn’t completely filled with water.

• Solution: Insert the mold into the liner more gently.

2. Why does my sphere ice look like an egg?

• Reason: The mold was pressed too tightly into the liner, causing deformation during freezing.

• Solution: Gently place the mold into the liner, avoiding pressure.

3. Why are there needle-like bubbles in the ice?

• Reason: Water with very low ion content and impurities provides no nucleation sites during freezing, resulting in uncertain freezing patterns.

• Solution: Use water with slightly higher ion concentration, such as tap or mineral water. Avoid purified or distilled water. (See Chapter 2 for details.)

4. Why are there clear bubbles in the ice?

• Reason: As the temperature drops during freezing, the solubility of gases in water decreases, causing bubbles to form. Some of these bubbles don’t fully escape the mold.

• Solution: Try setting the freezer temperature higher to allow more time for bubbles to escape before freezing completes.

5. Why is the bottom of the ice cloudy?

• Reason: Bubbles tend to gather around the vent at the bottom during the freezing process.

• Solution: Make sure the vent path is clear and freeze at an optimal rate to allow gases to escape.

6. Why are there tiny holes around the base of the ice?

• Reason: The air bubbles were not fully released through the bottom vent holes. Since our mold freezes from top to bottom, the air releases as the temperature drops and moves downward, but is blocked by the mold walls.

• Solution: Keep your freezer at a slightly higher temperature and avoid any vibrations.

7. I can't pull the mold out of the liner.

• Reason: The mold was pressed too tightly into the liner, causing deformation during freezing.

• Solution: Gently place the mold into the liner, avoiding pressure.

8. How do I use the plastic cup (liner)?Can it be reused? Is it sold separately?

• Solution: Use one, keep the other as a backup. Yes, it’s reusable. You can order extras from our store.

Chapter 2 - How can I select my water type?

Based on tests conducted on dozens of water sources, we have found that water with a TDS level between 30–50 mg/L tends to produce significantly clearer ice. Water with TDS levels either above or below this range typically results in less transparent ice.

From our experience, we can infer that mineral water, filtered tap water, and some municipal tap water often fall within this optimal TDS range and are therefore more likely to produce clear ice—though actual results depend on the specific characteristics of the water source used.

Purified water, due to its extremely low ion concentration (always 0), often leads to the formation of needle-like air bubbles within the ice. Conversely, water with higher ion concentrations can cause the bottom of the ice block to appear cloudy.

In the following section, we compare the effects of different TDS levels on ice clarity and outline the patterns we have observed.

Purified water - A | TDS 0

Purified water - B | TDS 10

Mineral water - A | TDS 34

Mineral water - B | TDS 44

Mineral water - C | TDS 52

Tap water HK | TDS 59

Mineral water - D | TDS 119

Mineral water - E | TDS 176

Mineral water - F | TDS 231

As shown in the image series, we conducted sampling tests on water sources with TDS levels ranging from 0 to 230 mg/L. These sources included distilled water such as Watsons, purified water like Bonaqua, and a variety of mineral waters with increasing ion concentrations—including Fiji, Evian, VOSS, Acqua Panna, and Dasani... The trends we observed were as follows:

At TDS levels of 0 and 10 mg/L, needle-like air bubbles appeared within the ice. As the TDS increased, these bubbles became less pronounced and eventually disappeared. At a TDS level of 34 mg/L, only minimal bubbles were visible in the ice sphere. When the TDS fell within the 44–59 mg/L range, the ice spheres became fully transparent. Beyond 100 mg/L, the bubbles reappeared in a more granular form, resulting in a cloudy appearance. Among the mineral waters tested, Evian had the highest TDS value.

Our findings confirm that while we recommend using mineral water with an appropriate TDS level to produce clear ice—especially given its compact volume, which makes it ideal for freezing multiple ice shapes even in smaller freezers—mineral water is not the only viable option.

Properly filtered or naturally balanced tap water that falls within the optimal TDS range can also produce crystal-clear ice, making it a practical and accessible alternative for many users.

In the next section, we will explore how the choice of water impacts freezing speed and structural integrity of the ice.

Chapter 3 - How long should you leave the mold in the freezer?

Freezing time is often considered the most critical factor in making clear ice, and the primary variable that directly affects freezing time is the temperature of your freezer. In this section, we will detail the approximate time required for completely freezing a clear ice ball at various temperature settings and demonstrate the resulting ice clarity achieved under each condition.

Please note: The water used in all tests within this section has a TDS of about 40 mg/L. And the initial temperature is room temperature.

In -25°C | Takes 16 hrs

A little cloudy at the bottom.

In -20°C | Takes 24 hrs

Almost clear with some needle liked bubble.

In -15°C | Takes 30 hrs

Super clear

In -10°C | Takes 36 hrs

Super clear

In -5°C | Takes 42 hrs

Super clear

Under optimal water conditions, it has been demonstrated that the lower the freezer temperature, the slower the freezing rate and the longer the total freezing time—resulting in better ice clarity. With the exception of ice frozen at -25°C, which showed visible accumulation at the bottom, ice produced at other tested temperatures exhibited high transparency.

To further explore how ice forms inside the GLAZER mini, we conducted a time-lapse study of the freezing process at -15°C. This investigation revealed that the volume of crystalline ice grows progressively slower over time until full solidification is achieved.

Let’s take a closer look at how clear ice develops during the freezing process.

Time Lapse of mineral water (TDS 40)

After 12 hrs

Ice begins to form on the top surface, with internal sheet-like crystals growing downward.

After 16 hrs

Outer surface solidifies; more sheet-like crystals form and start to intersect.

After 20 hrs

Upper part fully freezes into a solid dome; the bottom starts to freeze.

After 24 hrs

Bottom surface flattens and begins to protrude downward.

After 27 hrs

Still requires more time to fully freeze.

After 29 hrs

Ice completely forms.

This naturally led to the question: how does the freezing curve differ for water sources with significantly lower or higher TDS levels? To investigate this, we conducted additional tests using purified water (TDS 0) and Evian mineral water (TDS 230).

Using the same methodology and freezing conditions, we recorded their freezing behavior and outcomes. The results are as follows.

Time Lapse of purified water (TDS 0)

Time Lapse of Évian mineral water (TDS 230)

Chapter 4 - Technical Reasons.

In this chapter, we will explore the reasons behind the observed phenomena related to ice formation. By referencing third-party literature, we aim to support our experimental findings with external evidence. The discussion will include: why changes in TDS levels lead to corresponding changes in the outcomes, and why the transparency of ice varies with different freezing temperatures.

How TDS Works – A Balance Between Nucleation Promotion and Crystallization Inhibition

The relationship between total dissolved solids (TDS) and ice formation follows a characteristic inverted U-shaped curve, governed by the interplay between thermodynamic and kinetic factors.

At low TDS levels, dissolved ions (e.g., Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺) and particulate matter (e.g., CaCO₃ microcrystals) act as heterogeneous nucleation sites, significantly reducing the activation energy for ice nucleation. These sites facilitate ordered molecular alignment at relatively mild supercooling conditions (e.g., –5°C), in contrast to the homogeneous nucleation in pure water, which typically requires extreme supercooling (~–38°C).

However, at high TDS levels, the system exhibits crystallization inhibition due to several mechanisms:

Freezing point depression (Tf=Kf·m) increases supercooling depth, inducing stochastic nucleation and leading to polycrystalline and turbid ice.
Viscosity rise, as predicted by the Debye-Hückel theory, restricts molecular diffusion to the growing ice front, reducing crystal growth rates and increasing inclusion of liquid entrapments.
Hydration shell formation around ions (e.g., Na⁺, with a hydration radius ~3.6 Å) disrupts the hydrogen bond network, suppressing directional crystal growth and promoting dendritic defects or amorphous regions.

Thus, TDS influences ice clarity and microstructure through a balance between nucleation enhancement at low concentrations and crystallization retardation at high concentrations. The resultant ice quality is determined by the competition between nucleation thermodynamics (G) and kinetic barriers (diffusion, phase separation), explaining the non-linear trend observed.

Produkt wird damit beworben, dass es glasklare Eiswürfel herstellt. Das ist keinesfalls der Fall deshalb nur zwei Sterne. weil die Eiswürfel zwar grundsätzlich in der Herstellung gut funktionieren und das Material und System einen hochwertigen Eindruck macht aber die Eiswürfel sind nicht klar.

Danke für Ihr offenes Feedback – und entschuldigen Sie die Enttäuschung. Klare Eiswürfel hängen vor allem von gerichtetem Gefrieren ab. Eine kurze Anleitung finden Sie hier: /pages/user-manual-glazer-mini

Wenn es danach weiterhin nicht klappt, prüfen wir Ihre Form gern und finden eine Lösung (Ersatz/Erstattung). Bitte schreiben Sie kurz unserem Support – wir kümmern uns schnell.

Awesome product, I wish that the numbers stayed visible for longer, as soon as you pour liquid over it, they are gone.

Top Ice

Great product that is easy to use and saves space in the freezer.

Overall good for the price. Ice isn’t perfectly clear but I wasn’t expecting it to be perfect. Just consistent and it is very much consistent

Very easy set up and excellent quality ice. Cost is a little high, especially if you have to keep replacing the plastic cups. I would definitely recommend for occasional usage. One concern would be that freezer odor may accumulate in the rubber cast.

Hi there—thanks a ton for the thoughtful review and for recommending us!

On the plastic liner(cup): it’s thick, and built for long-term use. Under normal freezing/defrosting it won’t crack. The most common cause of damage we see is accidentally pouring boiling water into the cup. Warm (not boiling) water will be totally fine.

On rubber/odor: the “rubber” part is actually food-grade and BPA free silicone. This type of silicone has a very smooth, non-porous surface, so it resists absorbing freezer smells much better than ordinary silicone. If your freezer carries strong food odors, a quick care routine keeps things fresh:

Rinse after use, dry completely, and store the mold dry, that could be even better than any other clear ice mold.❤️

Nice cube, not perfect, but nicer than most I've tried

I tried a very cheap ball mold from IG for like 10 bucks and that was cloudy as heck, which then had the algorithm lead me to Ori. It makes a nice cube, if not perfectly clear. But this was from tap water. I wonder if I used Brita or distilled from the store, if I'd get a clearer result. Worth it if you don't want to spend the hundreds on those truly fancy cube makers. A solid middle ground.

Follow up question (If you can read these)

It came with two plastic cups. I assume one was just extra in case it needed replacing, but I wasn't supposed to keep the two cups together, right?

Also, mineral water comes up as sparkling water for me but I don't think that's what you meant. Can you name a brand or sometihng so I can try to find what you're talking about?

Hi Jonathan, thanks for trying GLAZER mini! For the clearest ice, seat the liner and lid snugly so all three parts seal—this slows the freeze and boosts transparency. Water-wise, mineral water around ~50 TDS works best; tap is fine and Brita-filtered is usually better. I wouldn’t pick distilled first since it can make needle-like microbubbles, but feel free to experiment. Cheers!

Love this!!!

Works Great!

Quick Delivery and great product!

Good quality. Buying a second set.

That’s it.

Great set!

I purchased 3 of the minis and have loved them since they arrived. Easy process, great to store in the freezer and works a treat. The after sales service has been great as they sent me the wrong mould but replaced it with the correct one. Highly recommended if you like clear ice!

Perfect sunset!

Awesome product. So much easier and quicker than my Berlino.

Great! It does exactly what the ad says it will do.

Works as they should

I bought these along with my mold in case they are fragile and are consumed with each ice made. They seem fairly sturdy and I'm on 3rd mold run with 1st cup. They do as they should, and make it easy to pull the mold from the container.

Awesome!

These are great and super easy to use. I was a little worried with the shipment and if I'd need to pay customs and duties fees separately because the shipment comes straight from China, but it showed up at my door relatively quickly without any issues. The molds themselves work great and I like that these take up less space in the freezer than other clear ice molds that I have. Don't hesitate!

Pretty Nice!

So far it's it or miss on the clarity. One mold gives me a perfectly clear sphere, the other gives me one that's mostly clear, with a little cloudiness at the bottom. I love the way the mold comes apart to gain access to the ice! All in all, I'm very pleased.

Works well

Worked as advertised

The directions are clear and setup was easy. The ice came out super clear.

Amazing!

This product is great! I'd been working out how to make my own clear ice and while I had a functional system it was large and inefficient. The Glazer Minis produce a better product more efficiently and so easily, now I just have to work out how to store my ice and maintain clarity :)

They work great!

Vert clear ice. Cool product

Ery disappointed in this. The ice does not come out clear as promised it is densly cloudy all theough the middle of the ice! I would rerurn it if I could!

Totally the real deal

Looks awesome and GLAZER makes perfect clear ice fast. 😍 I no more trips to the store!

Great Ice maker

i have to admit this works great! It's small so it doesn't take up much room.

Works exactly as described

I purchased 3 of the molds and love them all. They work exactly as outlined and easy to follow instructions make it easier. Only one issue is they supplied a D20 instead of a cube and still currently trying to get in touch with them.

These are by far the best clear ice makers on the market. Price, choices, product quality, and results are worthy of 5 stars.

Vielleicht gefällt dir

Start freezing. Start discovering. Start with GLAZER mini.

Preface

Chapter 1 - User manual

Troubleshooting

1. Why is the top part of my ice missing?

2. Why does my sphere ice look like an egg?

3. Why are there needle-like bubbles in the ice?

4. Why are there clear bubbles in the ice?

5. Why is the bottom of the ice cloudy?

6. Why are there tiny holes around the base of the ice?

7. I can't pull the mold out of the liner.

8. How do I use the plastic cup (liner)?Can it be reused? Is it sold separately?

Chapter 2 - How can I select my water type?

Chapter 3 - How long should you leave the mold in the freezer?

Chapter 4 - Technical Reasons.

How TDS Works – A Balance Between Nucleation Promotion and Crystallization Inhibition

GLAZER mini | Nimm ICE einfach!

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