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This is something we swear by, a series in which our editors articulate the items they use (and love) every day (or almost every day).

Project: Wintersmiths Phantom Mini Hockey Maker

Description: Developed by two brothers, they are frustrated with the astronomical number of ice machines commonly found in high-end cocktail bars. Phantom Mini is a compact device that can make multiple crystal clear ice balls using only tap water and a household refrigerator .

How do I use it: water enters the Phantom, and Phantom enters the freezer. In about 24 hours, Phantom created a beautiful hockey puck. The ice ball is placed in a glass, followed by wine. What followed was relaxation.

Why I swear: First of all, a short science class to answer "But why is spherical ice?" The question there: As Wikipedia explains, a sphere "has the smallest surface area of ​​all surfaces surrounding a given volume" ——This means that, in the case of ice, you can get the largest ice cube to touch the surrounding wine as little as possible. Smaller surface area of ​​ice in contact with wine = slower dilution rate (ie, ice melts slower and your drink stays cold/tasty/without water for longer).

Now, in the world of spherical ice, people’s choice is traditionally limited to a cheap thing with poor results (like this), or something that can provide you with the cocktail bar quality ice you are looking for but with astronomical Price (like this). Wintersmiths cleverly pierced the needle into a device that can do the job with ease (more on that later) without breaking the bank. 

Wintersmiths produces two sizes, the larger Phantom and Phantom Mini. I use Phantom Mini, which is about the size of a small champagne bucket and can make three large spheres and three smaller mini spheres. It is very easy to use: just fill a metal bucket with water (I find hot water works best), snap two pieces of molded rubber together, and put it in the water.

There are two things to note here: First, it takes a few attempts to make sure that the two molded pieces are properly snapped together-this helps if the pieces are wet, and when they snap into place, you can Feel a soft "pop" sound. Secondly, once you put the mold in the water, you need to add more water to the mold through the small hole on the top (I use a water bottle just because it is easier to aim than a glass).

Then, you just need to put the suction cup into the refrigerator (another benefit of Phantom Mini, it does not take up a lot of refrigerator space) and... wait. After about 24 hours (depending on the temperature of the refrigerator, this also requires some trial and error), you pull it out and remove the top of the mold to reveal a perfect, crystal clear ice ball. Without BS, this is my first attempt:

Here's the thing: Since these spheres are very dense and have no bubbles, they just flatly refuse to melt. The only problem I have with them is that I may have drunk more bourbon than I should have, purely because when I finish a glass, I feel I need to refill it to avoid wasting the inevitably remaining perfect ice puck .

In each batch you will get three spheres (plus mini balls, although not very cool, but definitely a nice reward), which means that unless you completely degenerate, you should stack spare spheres every time-so When you have a company, you are covered.

In addition, it is worth noting that the structure of the barrel and mold has proven to be very strong in many applications. I believe that my Phantom will continue to produce cloudless glacier balls in the next few years.

Hope my bourbon budget can keep up.

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