How to Make Good Ice Cubes

Clear ice is easy to make at home, with some work.

Making ice cubes is as simple as pouring water into an ice cube tray and leaving it in the freezer, but the cubes made this way aren't quite as good as they could be. Good, clear ice cubes are easy to make, but they do require a little extra energy. There are a few scientific reasons that the basic method for ice cubes turn out cloudy and less appealing than good ice cubes made slightly differently.

Things You'll Need

• Water filter
• Saucepan or kettle
• Ice cube tray
• Distilled water (optional)
• Muffin trays (optional)

Instructions

1. Pour water through your water filter. One of the reasons ice becomes cloudy is the impurities it picks up in the tap. Filter the ice water as much as possible.

2. Boil the water in a saucepan or kettle. Bring the water to boil rapidly, then leave it to cool for a few minutes. Boiling helps force air bubbles and some of the other impurities out of the water. You can ensure even more clarity by boiling the water a second time.

3. Pour the water into the compartments of the ice cube tray, still warm. Remember that ice expands in the freezer, so don't fill the compartments above the ridges between the ice compartments to get a more even division between the cubes.

4. Place the ice tray in the freezer and leave to cool for at least two hours. When finished, you will have good, clear ice cubes because the water had fewer impurities and air bubbles, which freeze inside the water and make it cloudy. Because the water started warm, it also took a longer time to freeze, which makes it purer.

Tips & Warnings

• If you begin with distilled water, it will be even more pure than when run through a filter. If you are green conscious, remember that distilled water is more expensive and does require more power to create than regular tap water.

• To make larger ice cubes, which last longer because of their size, use a muffin tray instead of an ice cube tray. Pour the water in to about 1/4 inch below the lip of the compartments to prevent having muffin-shaped ice.

References

• Eco Salon: How to Make Perfectly Clear Ice
• SlashFood: Tip of the Day: How to Make Clear Ice Cubes