Silicone Vs Plastic Ice Ball Molds

The recent comeback of the ice ball craze started in Japan and has now spread to the United States and other countries. A lot of companies have come out with their own version of ice ball makers. Bars and restaurants, due to the high demand for ice in their field, prefer to use the very expensive ice ball machines. However, the most popular molds for home use are made of silicone or plastic.

Professional bartenders and other people who are particular on the quality and appearance of the ice balls prefer the silicone molds over plastic molds. To help you decide on which one is the best choice for you, here is a quick rundown on the difference between silicone and plastic molds.

1 – Silicone molds are soft and elastic while plastic molds are hard. This is very important because as ice freezes, it expands. If you are using plastic molds, either you get deformed ice balls or your plastic molds get shattered or cracked. The silicone’s subtle elasticity not only allows room for the ice to expand but also makes it easier to remove the ice ball from the mold.

2 – Silicone molds produce smoother ice balls compared to ones created in plastic molds. The latter has hard edges tend to leak while silicone molds snap together easily and are leak-free. Leaks and hard edges produce lines or sharp edges on the ice where the mold comes together. That wouldn’t look very appealing.

3 – Plastic molds are small. There are silicone molds that are available at 2.5 inches in diameter. Bigger ice balls naturally last longer and because it’s big, you would only need one for every glass. If you use smaller ice balls, you’ll need 3 or 4 of them to make your drink cold enough. A single big ice ball means less surface area compared to several small ice balls. This means the bigger one will melt slower and the smaller ones will melt faster. With the latter, you will get watered down drinks which would compromise the taste – not good at all!

4 – Silicone ice molds don’t leave a ‘plasticky’ after taste as many plastic molds do.

5 – A silicone ice ball mold is novel enough to be a great gift for your friends and family. Let’s face it, who would want to get a boring plastic ice ball tray?

Overall, more and more people are choosing silicone ice ball molds as they are proving superior to plastic ice ball trays. Ice Ball Molds by Cuzzina come in an attractive box with a set of two ice ball molds and are made of premium quality, 100% FDA food grade silicone that are BPA free, durable and safe to use.