Behind Better Ice A deeper look at how GLAZER mini works

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.

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 1 - 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 2 - 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 3 - 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.

Not overly precious to use

Some nice kitchen items feel too precious; GLAZER Press: Reshape Ice, Reshape Moments. still feels okay for everyday use.

Nice if you dislike cloudy cubes

If cloudy cubes bother you, GLAZER Press: Reshape Ice, Reshape Moments. is a sensible fix. It is not magic, but the improvement is obvious side by side.

Good !

Good

This has been a great addition to my home bar. It's compact, easy to handle, and does exactly what it promises. The quality feels solid for the size, and it's simple enough to pick up how to make great ice for my cocktails.
I'm still fine-tuning my technique to get that perfectly clear, streak-free finish with minimal lines. It takes a bit of practice but even as a beginner, the results have been noticeably better than what I was getting from similar products. Once I get the technique fully dialed in, I have a feeling this will be a 5-star must-have.
Would definitely recommend to anyone willing to put in a little practice for great results!

Works great! Bought a few and will probably buy

Works great! Bought a few and will probably buy more as they are perfect for a party

Great advance to simplify making, But.

Overall, it's a great advance to simplify making clear ice. BUT, I live in a region of Europe with very hard water - very hard - such that constant dekalking of the coffee maker, washing machine, etc. is needed. For my Glaze product, even with filtered water, there is always a cloudy part in the lower 3/4 of the ice. So that part has to be chipped off. It probably is what it is.

Excellent clear ice mould.

I've tried other types of clear ice moulds/makers and the Glazer mini is equal to those. I bought 2 and I really like how quickly I can churn out ice

Smoked glass technique is easy

Coating an empty glass with Glass Smoking Dome before pouring is now my go-to move. It is the fastest way to add aroma, and even tonic drinks benefit from that first smoky breath.

Better release than silicone trays I had

Compared with older silicone trays, GLAZER mini - Sports Series gives me cleaner looking cubes and fewer stuck pieces. Overall it has been less frustrating to use.

Helpful when guests want ice water

When guests want ice water, GLAZER Press: Reshape Ice, Reshape Moments. makes even that feel a little nicer. Simple hospitality upgrade.

Glad I bought this

I wanted something that would make my ice setup look a little better and GLAZER Press: Reshape Ice, Reshape Moments. did exactly that. It has been easy to use, feels practical, and the result looks much more intentional.

No llega

I bought a few, loved them. So I bought more!

These are awesome, the ice is clear and nice to show off to your friends.
The ice from my freezer is little, cloudy and sometimes stuck together, not at all appealing.
Follow the tutorials and you will be very pleased!!

Helpful for uniform hosting sets

When I set up multiple glasses, uniform ice from GLAZER Press: Reshape Ice, Reshape Moments. makes the table look coordinated.

Looks cleaner in the glass

The main thing I notice with GLAZER Press: Reshape Ice, Reshape Moments. is how much cleaner the ice looks in the glass. It is a small detail that reads quality.

Great for weekend cocktails

I picked up GLAZER mini Classic Ice for weekend drinks and it has been perfect for that. The shape looks great, the mold is straightforward, and it makes even simple mixes feel a little more special.

Glad it is not oversized

Some molds are huge and impractical; GLAZER mini Classic Ice feels right for my freezer shelves. Still makes an impact in the glass.

Even my skeptical partner noticed

My partner rolls eyes at kitchen gadgets but even they admitted GLAZER mini Classic Ice looks nicer in drinks. That says something.

Glad it is not oversized

Some molds are huge and impractical; GLAZER mini D20 Ice feels right for my freezer shelves. Still makes an impact in the glass.

Happy I did not cheap out

I almost bought a budget tray and I am glad I went with GLAZER mini | Take ICE Easy! instead. The clarity difference is real, and it feels like it will last.

Well, so i was skeptical about ori products, but i bought a few, and well, they were really good, so i bought some more. Then i saw this one - and thought, well i don’t really need it, the others produce amazing clear ice - but i guess I’ll get one to try. Suffice to say, this is my new favorite - and perhaps I should have bought more than one! If you want a long lasting clear ice, this is the one. Works great in tall glasses/pint glasses.

Great smoking dome, works perfectly

The Glass Smoking Dome fits my Halo Smoker perfectly and traps the smoke really well. It looks elegant when serving cocktails and cleans up easily. Very happy with this purchase.

Quite good at what they claim to do to be honest

Quite good at what they claim to do to be honest. BUT, you have to play with different water types, especially if you have a freezer that can't lower its temperature. I found that 32mg/L water (usually advertised for babies) works like a charm, and delivers crystal clears ice with perhaps a few impurities at the bottom (can be removed by rubbing with you hand, so only surface level.

Amazing

Very nice , good quality. My ice is just in the bottom a litje bit grey. But super clear for the rest of the ice. Got already some good compliments from peopel gettin a glas with the ice cube in it.

Dit vind je misschien leuk

Behind Better Ice A deeper look at how GLAZER mini works

Preface

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 1 - How can I select my water type?

Chapter 2 - How long should you leave the mold in the freezer?

Chapter 3 - Technical Reasons.

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

GLAZER mini | Doe rustig aan met ICE!

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