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.

Love the ice this produces!

Worked as advertised! Looking forward to many cocktails with these ice cubes.

Product when it finally arrived was good. Delivery took months and thrtr was no response to emails requesting updates.

Isbitarna blir så fina 😍

They did not ship me the whiskey barrel. Instead, they sent the golf ball ice mold

Not a gimmick in practice

I worried GLAZER Press: Reshape Ice, Reshape Moments. might be gimmicky but in practice it is just useful. Looks better than average ice and stays easy to use. Shipping was smooth and everything arrived in good condition.

I don't really want a cabinet full of mixers and syrups, so the pods make a lot of sense for me. Easy to store and easy to try.

I've been using these for weekend drinks at home and they make experimenting pretty easy. Still trying to decide which flavor is my favorite.

I've tried several of the Flavor Pods so far and I definitely have some favorites. Still have a few more to try, but it's been fun experimenting with different flavors.

I normally keep my home bar pretty simple, so I wasn't sure I needed something like this. After trying the Flavor Pods, I can see the appeal. I'm still figuring out which ones I like best, but I'm looking forward to trying them with the machine.

Love them

My very first try came out crisp and clear

My very first try came out crisp and clear. The numbers do melt off quickly, but it looks great when you serve it and is an excellent mould.

No rolling 1's with these.

I bought 3 of the D20s. They are great. I've read people say that they aren't clear. If you use tap water they get pretty clear but spring/purified it clears up. I'll buy more, maybe not the D20s as there's more stuff to get.

It’s a process

I’m still working out the process, make sure the apparatus is sealed tight at the top. I didn’t realize that and I went to using distilled water only to have a hit or miss process for clear ice. Then I learned if the plastic insert doesn’t fit flush in the mini glazer, I get cloudy ice, thus time to switch the plastic insert.
But when everything is aligned the ice is clear, when I finish using my distilled water I’ll take my lessons learned back to using my filtered refrigerator water…keeping my fingers crossed. I do wish the ice designs lasted longer, as soon as you add your drink the designs fades quickly

Bra men dyr.

Prima zak om 6 blokken in op te

Prima zak om 6 blokken in op te slaan

Het product doet wat je ervan verwacht

Het product doet wat je ervan verwacht. Met kraanwater komt er een nagenoeg helder ijsblok. Het duurt wel langer dan ik verwacht had, de laatste keer 36 uur en er zat nog een beetje water onderin. De temperatuur is rond de -16 onderin de vriezer. Maar wel tevreden.

Ça marche comme ceux des vidéos.

C'est effectivement assez magique et cela fonctionne à chaque fois.

Works very well with clear ice results

Works very well with clear ice results.
Easy to unmold.
Love it

Good first step into nicer ice

If you are taking a first step into nicer ice at home, GLAZER Press: Reshape Ice, Reshape Moments. is a sensible starting point without going extreme.

Good value if you use it weekly

If you will use it weekly, GLAZER Press: Reshape Ice, Reshape Moments. feels like fair value. The per-use cost is low and the enjoyment is consistent. Shipping was smooth and everything arrived in good condition.

Easy enough for beginners

I am not a trained bartender and Halo Smoker still felt approachable day one. Load a chip, tap, smoke the glass, and you are already doing the cool part. The quality feels better than I expected for the price.

Controlled smoke every time

The touch workflow on Halo Smoker feels precise and tidy. Each cycle gives controlled smoke without extra steps, and I never worry about heat too close to the glass. It has been easy to start using right away.

Aroma lingers in the best way

The aroma from Halo Smoker hangs around just long enough to set the mood, not so long that it feels like a smoke-filled room. Perfect for cocktails where scent matters.

Hosting upgrade without complexity

When people come over, Halo Smoker is my low-effort showpiece. It looks impressive, runs quietly enough for conversation, and does not slow down drink service. Shipping was smooth and everything arrived in good condition.

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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 | Take ICE Easy!

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