3D Skull Ice Cube Maker: Clear Ice Trays for Whiskey - Crystal Skull Shape Ice Cubes - Silicone Ice Skull Maker for Cocktails Bourbon

Pretty solid. The directional freezing makes for clear ice if you don’t mind using 5x the water to get two smaller end skulls. However I rarely get a perfectly full compete skull formed. There’s always some minor imperfections.

Let me just state the obvious first. This is science. Not Rocket science but still. Science. Warm water cooling releases gases. Impurities in the water are carried away in those gases. Directional ice making also draws impurities downward via gravity. A tight seal helps force the issue. It also prevents air bubbles. When you fill to the top and apply downward pressure to the silicone mold you further force air up and out. When the water freezes in the bottom of the container you will notice the silicone form/insert is no longer flush to the plastic/styrofoam outer container. It will rise above the rim by approximately an inch. This is due to the expansion of the freezing/frozen ice in the base of the container. A good indicator of the process nearing completion. In conjunction with another good indicator. Time. If your freezer is working and not over loaded, 24-28 hrs. Will do the job. (The only instructions printed on the packaging says not to exceed 30 hrs. I’m not sure why, but since I can read AND comprehend, I followed the instructions). It was a tight fit when I opened the package, so it stands to reason fit would get tighter as water freezes. A little common sense goes a long way. Let it stand @ room temp for a few minutes and with some forceful exertion the mold will come loose. Work it out by alternating upward force side to side. About 1/3 of the way out, the silicone mold should release it’s grip. Yes, you’ll see the seam in the ice. Yes, there will be small nubs where the air holes are located, top and bottom. But none of that will matter once you see how crystal clear regular tap water can look as ice skulls! I bought the 2 mold version because I don’t have a large empty freezer. I do have large zip lock freezer bags though. They work also. Read the negative reviews first. A lot of people are too impatient and don’t respect the process. This works nicely and as intended. I didn’t take pics b/c it’s not the wknd. yet. I’ll pick up a small bottle of bourbon on my way home from work Friday. I’ll put an album on the turntable, drop a skull head ice ball into a rocks glass and maybe post a pic or two. Cheers!

I really wanted to love this skull ice ball maker because the design looks awesome and it’s supposed to make crystal-clear skull ice for drinks. Unfortunately, the actual experience didn’t live up to the expectations. First, it’s much more work than it should be. Getting the mold aligned correctly takes trial and error, and if it’s even slightly off, the skull comes out misshapen or incomplete. I had several failed attempts before getting something usable, which was disappointing given the price. The ice also isn’t as “crystal clear” as advertised unless you’re very careful with water quality and freezing time. Even then, the skull details don’t always come out sharp — the face can look blurry or uneven, which takes away from the whole novelty. Removing the ice is another issue. The mold can be hard to open, and I’ve had the skull crack or break while trying to take it out. It definitely requires patience and careful handling, which isn’t ideal when you just want to make a nice drink. While it does look cool when everything goes perfectly, the inconsistency and effort make it hard to recommend. For occasional use or as a novelty item, it’s okay, but for regular use or entertaining, it’s more frustrating than fun. Overall, it’s an interesting idea, but the execution falls short for the price.

The skulls come out okay but a lot of work to get that. The mold freezes in the insulator and takes way too much effort for two pieces of ice. Have tried all the tricks to no avail- still searching for a good means of large clear ice that is easy to produce and extract

Works pretty well, need the timing just right. Can't leave the cubes in more than 26 hours or they start to get cloudy again. Inserts a difficult to remove. The end resulting ice cubes are fantastic though!