How do I make good ice for drinks?

Why home ice is cloudy and melts fast, and the simple changes that produce clear, slow-melting cubes.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 15 min
Read: 2 min

Short answer

Use bigger cubes and keep them well frozen. For clear ice, freeze water in an insulated container so it freezes from the top down, then cut off the cloudy bottom. Cloudy ice is trapped air, not impurity.

Ice affects both temperature and dilution, so it is a genuine ingredient rather than an accessory. Small cubes melt fast and water a drink down within minutes; large, cold, dense cubes chill effectively while barely diluting.

What you'll need

Freezer
Ice trays
Small cool box or insulated container (optional)
Serrated knife (optional)

Step by step

Use the largest cubes your glasses take.Less surface area per unit volume means slower melting. This single change makes the biggest difference.
Keep ice fully frozen until the moment you use it.Ice that has sat at the top of a freezer near the door is already near melting and dilutes immediately. Store it deep and covered.
Store ice sealed.Ice absorbs freezer odours readily. An open tray next to fish will taste of it, and that flavour transfers straight into the drink.
For clear ice, use directional freezing.Freeze water in a small insulated container with the lid off inside the freezer. It freezes top down, pushing air and impurities to the bottom.
Cut off the cloudy portion once frozen.Let the block sit five minutes so it does not shatter, then cut with a serrated knife. The clear part is what you use.
Do not bother boiling water for clarity.It is widely repeated and makes very little difference. Directional freezing is what actually works.
Use crushed ice deliberately, not by accident.It is correct for juleps, tiki drinks and anything meant to dilute as it is drunk. It is wrong for a spirit served over ice.
Make ice ahead for gatherings.Freezers make ice far more slowly than people drink it. Bag a large quantity a few days ahead.

Tips

Silicone moulds for large cubes and spheres are cheap and transform a spirit served over ice.
Freeze fruit, herbs or coffee into cubes for drinks that improve as they dilute rather than getting weaker.
For a party, a cool box of ice is more practical than the freezer — it keeps ice frozen and keeps the freezer usable.

Common mistakes

Using a few small cubes — They melt within minutes, so the drink is warm and watery at the same time.
Storing ice uncovered in the freezer — It absorbs food odours, and those transfer directly into the drink.
Boiling water to get clear ice — It has minimal effect. Clarity comes from the direction of freezing, not from the water's air content.

Questions people ask

Why is my homemade ice cloudy?

Trapped air and dissolved minerals pushed into the centre as the cube freezes inward from all sides. Freezing from one direction only, in an insulated container, gives clear ice.

Does ice size really matter in a drink?

Yes. Large cubes have less surface area per volume, so they chill effectively while melting slowly. Small cubes dilute a drink noticeably within minutes.