Make Perfect Spherical Ice Balls

I’ve posted about other ball makers before, namely the MUJI Ice Ball Maker, but nothing comes close to the Ice Ball Mold by Taisin. First of all, there’s a major price difference between the $12 MUJI model and the $200 Taisin Model. Secondly, the cheaper one is made of plastic, while the Taisin is made of aluminum.

The Ice Ball Mold features:

• Ice ball-creator, ideal for both bars and home-use
• Creates spheres of ice which melt slowly, keeping drinks cool
• Available in 30, 55, 65, 70,75, 80mm sizes (please see pull-down menu for prices)
• Made of aluminum
• Cold-proof wooden grip on top (except 30mm version)
• Ball release at bottom (except 30mm & 80mm version)
• Creates 30-40 ice balls per hour
• 55, 65, 70, 75,80mm size Molds include ice-maker blocks (2 pcs.)

Why use spheres? The logic is that since the surface area of a sphere is smaller than a cube, it melts slower. A slower melt means a less diluted drink over time.

Plus, this device simply looks badass. Imagine it sitting alongside your home bar.

Buy the Ice Ball Mold from Japan Trend Shop for $201.

Aladdin Sake Bottles

These lovely bottles were spotted by the Notcot staff while shopping at Mitsuwa Marketplace. The bottles were so uniquely shaped and colored that I just had to share them here with you. They’ve indeed got sex appeal. Mitsuwa Marketplace, by the way, is a great place to shop for Japanese goods in the good ol’ United States. It probably is the next best thing to actually flying to Japan to do your grocery shopping. You can find a Mitsuwa Marketplace in California, Chicago and New Jersey. And if you decide to stop by at one of their location, maybe you can seek out one of these sake bottles and let me know what it tastes like!

Via Notcot.

Ice Ball Maker

This device makes perfectly cylindrical ice ball and I’m not sure why I want one but I do. The 3″ x 3″ ice ball mold is made out of silicon and will be available for sale mid-February at MUJI Ice Maker. Granted that an ice ball made with the ice ball maker will be no different from your typical ice chip when it come chilling your drink – but it will chill in style.

How to make an ice ball:

1) Attach top and bottom parts. Please close it tight.

2) Pour water from top hole. Do NOT fill water completely, please keep a little space on the top.

3) Push top part to make sure there is no space in between, then store in freezer.

4) Slow freezing will make better ice than fast freezing. (Fast freezing will cause crack on ice)

Buy the Ice Ball Maker from MUJI Ice Maker for $11.75.