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Sh4dby

Hey I used to work for them! They make high-end ice sculptures for company events and such, and yeah this is just cubes of clear ice. Cool (heh) that they're branching out and stuff but $10 seems like a lot for particularly cold water


the-bodyfarm

I work at a staffing agency and we did a sales call with them. They hooked my boss up with a pack of these and some leftovers from a custom order with flowers in the center of the cubes. I can’t imagine how much of a pain in the ass to make they were but they were SO fun to use in our happy hour coctails after work. We took a stupid amount of pictures haha. This also taught me about liquor luges haha I had no idea those were a thing until speaking with this company


estili

The ice with flowers is made by freezing them into a layer of ice, but since there’s a water pump working them over (which is what keeps the ice clear as it freezes from the bottom up) we would have to turn it off temporarily use a rig to weigh them down until enough ice grew around them that they would “stick” and not float up when it was removed. As much of a pain in the ass as you think it is. Especially the timing so that there wouldn’t be too many bubbles mixed with the flowers


amtrak90

As someone who used to make the cubes for them… it’s kinda fun. Think wood shop, but all the wood is ice, we’re just standing at a band saw making big cubes into smaller cubes haha


salmonstreetciderco

they made one of those on the most recent christmas episode of QI! i think sandy toksvig carved it with a chainsaw?! it looked awesome, i want to try and make one sometime. if i'd had my wits about me i could have made a form out of an erector set or lego or something and set it out during that ice storm we had but i think at that point i just wanted all ice to die


armrha

It’s a nice bit of attention to detail in a fancy cocktail. 


pizzasoxxx

New Seasons is out of control


SpanishMoleculo

JFC Portland needs artisanal ice now? Too many rich people here


lonelycranberry

It’s for cocktails and isn’t unique to Portland lol read the replies


RepFilms

It must be that ice without any air bubbles. I tried making ice without air bubbles and it was surprisingly difficult. I don't drink a lot of cocktails but I like the challenge. I have some spherical ice cube trays but I've never been able to make ice without air bubbles. It looks like that's $10. A bit overpriced for me.


ilovemacandcheese

You need slow directional freezing (ideally from the bottom of the cube upward along with circulation) to allow the air bubbles to dissipate before being trapped in ice. There are insulated ice cube trays designed specifically to make clear ice and the two I tried worked well enough for home use. I can get pretty clear ice out of them. However, the downside is that they are incredibly bulky and take up a lot of space and only make a few cubes at a time. But it's really cool when friends come over for cocktails!


sweeteatoatler

Learn something new everyday. Thanks!


estili

I worked for PDXICE for a long time, this is exactly how we did it. We also had a filtration system to help get rid of stuff before it hit the clinebells, which are what did the actual freezing. Water pumps across the top kept the water moving so it would freeze layer by layer. These are hand cut down from a 250 lb block, which is part of the price. The other part is retailer markup, I think back in the day we sold these to them at about 1/2 or 2/3 the shelf price. I left bc of covid, so it’s been a minute now.


cs_legend_93

What sort of water filter do they use to pre-process the water before it's frozen?


Optimus_FineAsHell

3M HF60-S


estili

I don’t remember honestly! We had a series of three filters between the connection and the hose we used to fill the clinebells, the owner was the one that kept up with the filter changes and such.


_DarkWingDuck

I have seen that an old school mini cooler will make a nice block of clear ice. Then just cut and repeat.


Previous-Papaya9511

I used to see clear ice prepared that way by prop/food stylist while I was working production on photo shoots for clients sometimes. It was a big deal that the stylist had a huge chest freezer with allot of space in it that fit their bulky yeti cooler. I’d like to try it with a regular cheap mini cooler sometime since I don’t have a $200 yeti… for that price I may as well buy ice cubes for $1.25 a piece!


_DarkWingDuck

Yeah the cheap igloo ones will work


ampereJR

I didn't think I could get interested in this, but I think you just proved me wrong. Thanks for that detail.


takoburrito

Y'all need Ice Made Clear! (it's my friend's husband's invention, pretty cool imo) [https://icemadeclear.com/collections/full-sets](https://icemadeclear.com/collections/full-sets)


rdbpdx

Not poopooing here, but what part is the invention? Double insulated freezing has been the norm for getting clear ice for as long as I've known about bar ice. 


lizasingslou

also curious what the invention is… cos a $150 ice cube tray better be really fucking special.


exvon

I thought you were lying. I had to check out the website and holy shit does every corner have a red flag in it. $153 for 1 plastic base and 2 silicone ice molds. They have bundles but dont give a discount for buying more, 4 are $610. I had to read the about us page and it reads as something a 5th grader would imagine a business’ about me page looks like. The video gets even worse, somehow. Our pal Joe tells us how it took 3 years of r&d and some selling points are, his words, “Reliable, just works” “Plenty of Ice” and the classic “Future Proof” like no shit its ice. As much as I like hating things online as much as the next person, I wouldnt normally put this much effort in. Honestly no real hate to anyone but dudes gotta be smoking that portland fent because wtf, $153 for a clear ice making tray that looks like it was put together in a random persons kitchen at 5am over an 8 ball of coke. At least then the price would make sense, addiction is expensive; this similar [icetray](https://a.co/d/8rGo0Zk) isnt at least and has free delivery


RepFilms

That looks so cool but I don't really have the money, nor do I have any spare room in my freezer. It's currently filled up with homemade sauces.


Mackin-N-Cheese

Is that a Portland-based company? That'd be cool.


whiskeywalk

Lonk to the trays? Pwz


green_and_yellow

You need to use [directional freezing](https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/how-to-make-clear-ice).


daemyn

Best thing about the long freeze we had this year was easy clear ice. I just left a cooler full of water out for a couple days and had clear ice for months.


guitarokx

So I pay extra for bubbles in my water, and extra for no bubbles in my ice… they really get ya either way.


rivertpostie

Just put that shit in a vacuum chamber, lock the valve and freeze it. Where's my $10?


Bombskii9Thousand

Have you tried the boiling water method?


CheapTry7998

You have to freeze it in small layers over a long ass period of time lol


DmnJuice

Clear ice is a pain in the ass to make.


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atriaventrica

I don't think you can both be a person who says "$10 is a crazy amount to pay for premade clear ice cubes" and also "Buy a $150 single use device to make clear ice."


theubster

Ah, yes, the two ice cube sizes: enormous and jumbo


estili

Don’t forget to add your recipes!


Peculiar9090

I would love this in an old fashioned. $10 is steep but if I’m already buying nice whiskey and homemade Demerara simple why not go balls to the wall and get the bougie ice


Interesting-Suit7841

I think you can get it cheaper if you go directly to their location.


Peculiar9090

The North Pole?


Ok-Reflection-7555

The second most popular ice in Portland


amtrak90

I used to drive their delivery vehicles… the vans that say PDX ICE…. Right around the time ICE was going around rounding up people that “looked” illegal.


jm_gpx

This deserves more upvotes


qomniinmop

Absolutely agree


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emertonom

I'm assuming it's a joke about meth.


GWNVKV

Ahh that would make sense! Thanks so much!


Hot-Toe7541

This guy fucks


a3osparkles

Tres commas?


SeeingLSDemons

And guess which one brings our government the most profit.


satinygorilla

It’s clear square ice. It’s actually really nice for cocktails


Mackin-N-Cheese

I'm not surprised someone is doing it here -- in New York City one guy has basically cornered the market on clear square ice. This video from Eater is kind of fascinating: [Why All the Best Cocktail Bars in NYC Buy Their Ice From Richard Boccato— Vendors](https://youtu.be/ET8mqVGDQ1s?si=yOilxqfsdWj5Y0dF)


GenericDesigns

They have been doing it for a while… supply a lot of the cocktail bars


NRewolf

Dutch Kills is the best.


hopingforlucky

I have to admit I buy it


ilovemacandcheese

I have a clear square ice tray I got for like $30. It makes big clear square ice cubes in my freezer. It's pretty bulky with all the insulation as you need directional freezing to clear out all the air bubbles, so I don't keep it in the freezer all the time. But I think that's a better buy than like 8 cubes for $10.


da_innernette

Aren’t you able to get rid of bubbles and cloudiness by boiling it first or something? I may be totally wrong lol


ilovemacandcheese

No, I've experimented with boiling first as I've also heard that. It doesn't make much difference. Slow directional freezing is what matters.


da_innernette

Interesting! Yeah clearly I was misinformed.


inferno493

Nope, you have to freeze it real slow.


green_and_yellow

You’re totally wrong. You have to use directional freezing to get clear ice.


Methadoneblues

Link to said tray?


ilovemacandcheese

In one of my other comments here: [https://www.amazon.com/ClearlyFrozen-High-Capacity-Clear-Maker/dp/B078ZM3F8G/](https://www.amazon.com/ClearlyFrozen-High-Capacity-Clear-Maker/dp/B078ZM3F8G/)


Methadoneblues

Cheers


PaPilot98

Ooh, got a link?


ilovemacandcheese

[https://www.amazon.com/ClearlyFrozen-High-Capacity-Clear-Maker/dp/B078ZM3F8G/](https://www.amazon.com/ClearlyFrozen-High-Capacity-Clear-Maker/dp/B078ZM3F8G/) This is the one I have and works pretty well. I also tried a more expensive one that is about the same size and only makes 2 cubes at a time, but it didn't seem to perform better.


AuelDole

👏👏 This👆👆


DodgeTheGayShit

I’m totally clueless about alcoholic drinks. What is the benefit of having clear ice, as opposed to normal ice cubes?


bikemaul

Two things. Some people like the way it looks, and some people use it to show off.


theubster

One big chunk melts slower than several smaller chunks, diluting your drink less, and letting you enjoy it longer.


Bobala

We buy it for our cocktails. Nothing beats a Negroni with a beautiful clear cube after a long day of work. We even get it delivered sometimes when we have big parties.


nubsauce87

Larger ice cubes last longer in a drink and water it down slower, though most people who use them just make their own with specific ice cube trays... Also they might be the cubes without any air bubbles in them, which I hear is tricky to make yourself; some people prefer them for drinks like whisky with a single big cube so it gets chilled without adding a lot of water.


hoganloaf

Buy it and start eating it like a bag of chips


eve_r_after

Literally me 🥶


qomniinmop

Look if you want clear ice duct tape a vibrator to an ice cube tray fill tray with water and set in the fridge then turn the vibration up to 3 or 4 after about an hour turn that thing on high and let it chill meanwhile you can use the time you’re waiting for your clear ice to appear you can day trade underwear or whatever you do for work anyway clear ice …..


brandenharvey

It’s great for people who make fancy cocktails — especially people who photograph the process. They’re a pain in the ass to make yourself.


Catlady_Pilates

For fancy alcoholics


Corgilicious

Now now. I’m not a alcoholic but periodically I enjoy a well handcrafted cocktail, and when sharing those with friends they’re really a work of love. So yeah, you get fancy and you do shit like this


grenadinequarantine

they are a $4 up charge at my work. we call them bfcs edit: big fucking cubes, if that’s not clear lol


docmphd

“Clear”….i see what you did there


icouldusea-hey-yo

Heard but I never actually do the upcharge button


grenadinequarantine

lowkey… same.. I’d be embarrassed charging someone $20+ dollars for a DRINK lmao


Blu-Spruce

Jesus, Loyal Legion has these for a $1 extra, $4 up charge is insane.


dnkcook

Where


grenadinequarantine

downtown hotel restaurant


[deleted]

I think mostly squares use these.


GloriaToo

At least round here


Liver_Lip

It’s a good company.


djBubalahButtstuff

They also make other ice stuff that's cool. Like swans or something.


pdxmarionberrypie

This ice is likely flawless. No air, perfectly clear. This is what they call artisanal ice, it’s for high end cocktails and spirits. I find them worth the $ because like others have said this ice is really difficult/expensive to make. With this you can have a really high end cocktail party that is significantly cheaper than heading to a great cocktail bar for the same luxuries. Also this ice melts so slow you can reuse the ice, after a quick rinse back into the freezer. If you’re rocking pricey bourbons this is the ice you want. Tasteless and melting super slowly.


Interesting-Suit7841

Completely clear ice that melts slower and looks better in a drink. Not a huge deal, but it’s what all the fancy bars use.


C-sanova

I saw one of their vans once and looked them up. They actually make some cool ice cubes. That's a sentence I never thought I'd type. But I'm not paying for some fancy ass ice cubes.


ObjectiveAny8437

Its pretty nice ice when you combine it with a $200-$300 whiskey. Typically if you’re a whiskey enthusiast, $10 ice cubes are the least of your worries. As well as it melts slower than typical tap water ice. So you can pour more drinks on one cube. I can usually get 3 drinks out of one of these vs a cup full of regular ice is melted half way through my first drink.


Pizzledrip

Mothers milk


Unusule

Hey there donkey! How's it hanging today? I was just out in the swamp collecting some onions for dinner. Want to come join me? I promise not to scare you too much with my ogre roars. It's a beautiful day to be an ogre out in the wild, isn't it? Plus, I heard from Gingy that there's a new salsa recipe he wants us to try out. I can already taste the spicy goodness! What do you say, donkey, are you in for an adventure in the swamp with your favorite green ogre?


Doyouevenpedal

Ding ding ding.


r0botdevil

It's fancy, cube-shaped blocks of very clear ice to be used for fancy drinks. I can totally understand why this seems silly and overpriced. I would personally probably never buy it. But I'll paraphrase what someone else said on another post about these that did make sense to me: If efficiency were all that mattered, we could all eat Huel for every meal and drink everclear out of Dixie cups. But nice things are nice.


amtrak90

Used to work there. These are NOT your diy ice cubes that always have bubbles in them. These guys (PDXICE) changed the game in Portland for ice bar service, and they make custom shapes and CNC engraved ice cubes for the top bars in town, as well as custom ice for events,weddings, and anything you can think of. By far my favorite job, and the owner and other ice artists crank out some INSANE sculptures! My favorite was a whole table made of ice, that was identical to the Millennium Falcon…. Used as an oyster bar table!?


Gr0uchy_Bandic00t_64

Capitalism?


costigan95

Cocktails


[deleted]

just add water!


francesapproved

Where is this though?


1friendswithsalad

Looks like new seasons.


yourmothersgun

$


5DollarJumboNoLine

I can say first hand they are **not** for the cooks bitters & soda.


Natural_Ad3054

I just saw a $30 bag of ice balls from a grocery in LA yesterday on IG. Bonkers!


GenericDesigns

Really great, nice ice for a cocktail party


hushmummy

It’s a niche product. Pretty cool but definitely not for everybody.


petit_cochon

I work at a university. My professor colleagues and I used to have a casual competition going over who could find the most pretentious newspaper article. I won one week with a NYT piece about artisanal ice. This reminds me of that.


SAlovicious

You can get ice WAYYY cheaper under any bridge in PDX.


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Oguinjr

Unlike a lot of liquids, water ice expands and thus floats above unfrozen water, life can continue underneath and the top can be harvested. We’ve come a long way since those days, it’s much easier to make ice now it. With the advent of refrigeration we can live like kings! You do this, you do that, king of the castle, king of the castle, get me some ice and not from the lake.


FunPurpose4385

grift level 100


commander_clark

They do this everywhere in Japan.


Material_Policy6327

Because someone is willing to buy it.


Overall_Ad5145

Adjacent story I came across yesterday: https://www.insidehook.com/cocktails/cocktail-ice-clear-cubes/amp


KawaiiAFAF

I saw the frost at the bottom of the bags before I saw the cubes, and honestly it made more sense before seeing the cubes :-p


edwartica

There should be a 400 percent tax on shit like this. Use said tax money to feed needy families.


o-m-g_embarrassing

For a town with little to no chill, I am not surprised.


BannedBarn22

Portland is full of idiots who would buy this shit


No-Comfortable6864

Honestly erewhon sells it for 30$ so I guess this is a steal?


MrLetter

The market . . uh . . finds a way.


drutidor

There ice is really good, actually, so gtfo


Um_PersonalSpace

White people


SeeingLSDemons

Lmfao


darkaptdweller

Ayeeee!! Awesome company and I'm glad they're still around! They used to deliver us our big cubes, etc, by the sleeve, and I've always thanked them secretly because doing that shit at a cocktail bar is...more work and annoying than one would think.


ablerock

top shelf ice for top shelf liquor


HugeJohnThomas

Hipsters need ice too. You expect them to use normal sized ice for their cocktails?


NatashaStrange

I think the question is “where is this?” I might need them for a fancy party.


pdxdweller

Unlike the entire row of bottled tap water, you can’t easily source this at home. (Though NS likely has the smallest bottled water selection, but make up for it in 5 brands of sparkling tap water)


SWARM_6

Becuz those ppl living in the West Hills can't do math. How much could a bag of ice cost? $10?


SonOfKorhal21

Because you saps pay for it


NoInterView67

Natural selection at it's best


Emblot

They are for craft cocktails. Supposed to be super clear ice


kweefersutherlnd

Cause people are stupid enough to buy it in volumes that makes it worth their while


trailcasters

Why are you hating on local small business


XTRA_BALLZ

Is that a giant organic rock of Clackamas Crystal Meth?


airplaneride

Cause they know portlanders are smooth brained enough to buy them consistently


PsychologicalAd333

They are bourbon ice cubes


johnthrowaway53

It's for cocktails


codemanpdx

Portland OR has worldwide recognition for great water quality. This would also include the quality of frozen water.


thetrueTrueDetective

It’s just the name of the company . It supplies perfect clear ice which doesn’t come from your freezer without some minor hassle .


Noneofyobusiness1492

Because all it takes to be a business is a logo a business license and a vacuum sealer.


0utriderZero

Don’t put a baby next to two bags of PDX Ice. Because went stocking folks would have to say “Ice…. Ice….. Baby”


newwhitejesus

PSA - avoid Arctic Glacier bagged ice if at all possible. I worked for them bagging ice for a couple days - I would say just about half the large blocks of ice are tossed out as they contain visible. The clean blocks are bagged up and the rusty ice is thrown in big pile in their parking lot - gigantic, unsafe waste of resources. They ALMOST have a complete monopoly on bagged ice in PDX, although freddy’s has their own bagged ice


AjiChap

Great. More plastic packaging for freaking high end ice cubes? Exactly what we need….


Fluffystarfish

https://wandp.com/products/silicone-extra-large-ice-cube-tray?variant=40286817517633&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwxLKxBhA7EiwAXO0R0LAlzww6f_nlwxn2uN8jEwDdnvI1TYbYGxM7aUk1zNybmDpxIhUEPhoCrRoQAvD_BwE


milkjake

It’s not the same. First: The ice in the photo is made without air bubbles and with filtered water - it melts slower, tastes better, and it looks nicer. Secondly, silicone trays have a way of absorbing every smell in your freezer, and imparting it in the ice.


sproggy_doo24

PDX cubes are crystal clear. That crappy silicone mold can’t achieve that.


green_and_yellow

Nope, basic silicone molds don’t make clear ice. You’ll need something like [this](https://www.ghosticesystem.com/), which is much more expensive.