Anyone tried any of the clear ice makers on the market, or have a homemade system for making clear ice for whiskey and other cocktails?

Our new LG refrigerator makes the large round craft ice balls that are (mostly) clear. Does that count?

Not hard to make yourself.

Look up "Directional Freezing". Requires a bit of freezer space. Lots of DIY options.

I have something similar to this. The only thing is you have to remember to check it, because if it freezes all the way through you have to let it thaw and start over. It takes about 24 hours to freeze the cubes.

https://a.co/d/7kbmPtc

The methods I've seen involve using a small cooler filled with water, and placing that in a freezer so the ice can freeze from the top down, forcing the impurities to the bottom. And you have to catch it before it freezes fully and lift the top layer off to keep that part clear. Personally, I like ice cubes that have a little streaking through them. I use purified water, and pour it in a silicone mold. Not perfectly clear, but looks interesting with the streaks.

Directional Freezing:

HTownAg98 said:

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The methods I've seen involve using a small cooler filled with water, and placing that in a freezer so the ice can freeze from the top down, forcing the impurities to the bottom. And you have to catch it before it freezes fully and lift the top layer off to keep that part clear. Personally, I like ice cubes that have a little streaking through them. I use purified water, and pour it in a silicone mold. Not perfectly clear, but looks interesting with the streaks.

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You may do it the hard ways above, but if you are willing to spend a small amount of money ($140), it's worth every penny.

https://www.wintersmiths.com

Ended up getting this on Amazon - only $40. Have already tried it out and it works as advertised.

https://www.amazon.com/Berlinzo-Large-Crystal-Whiskey-Cocktail/dp/B0CRGJYCD2/ref=sr_1_4?adgrpid=189582019434&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.2PJacaGj4Ve5w25v31520MJ2thgne7MR-svlSAmoXhVj6b6FmI0EwccmedlTpy3SkmwdR63m3M0--GQ6bOCbOZYgpW3gekszV5EAFhjQMX-Wp2utB3y2UVKXuiUcM7ySrzAI6WtOAlZUDlJ93uF46AJpagZl-O135hvhEMWBueUNbL9Dkvrly_LGymheXKr13SXuFa82X_uPeO33x1OC****hPFrQy00Zjqemn7EnV4.E7MtruCO7kA1OwgDp-V_H_traFBXuwMl5ZdfDryXdGA&dib_tag=se&hvadid=779692836419&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9027721&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=11149579945678435883--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=11149579945678435883&hvtargid=kwd-1848008587152&hydadcr=28521_14958664_1932835&keywords=berlinzo%2Bice%2Bmaker&mcid=afc8aa06ddb230b598e7ad10f12cf881&qid=1765796466&sr=8-4&th=1

If you are just doing this one off, just get a small cooler, put it in the freezer, and take the ice out of the freezer before it is fully frozen. Use distilled water.

The reason why ice cracks when you use directional freezing is because:
1) The ice freezes from the top down.
2) ice expands when it freezes
3) When the water at the very bottom of the container finally freezes, it tries to expand, but has no where to go. This creates pressure on the block of ice and the ice compresses. That pressure creates cracks. Avoid that pressure, avoid those cracks.

In a regular ice tray, the water in the middle of the cube is the last to freeze, and you get the same pressure. That's why this technique is called directional freezing.

If this is a one-off, just get a small or throw-away cooler and use a largish freezer. Just make sure you get the ice out before the pressure. Cut the frozen ice sheets into blocks with a new hacksaw blade. It will look rustic but artsy, but take a while. Once the ice is cut into cubes, you can put it back into the freezer. The outside of the ice blocks will frost from the humidity in the air, but the ice will be completely clear again once it gets wet.

If you want to always have these clear cubes on hand, I had a device similar to Pennypackers, and it worked great. You just have to commit to the timing.

Bottom of cooler allows you to have custom shapes (like a longer rectangle for a collins glass). I use a long serrated break knife to cut (just score and pop it off.. like drywall), and it's more like a 'live edge' ice cube, which I think is kinda cooler than perfect cubes.

I've also had good luck just putting the silcone molds in a freezer secured off the bottom, and drill a 1/2" hole in bottom the mold in each section. Air escapes through the bottom. If you're a good 1" off the bottom, you have plenty of time to grab it before it freezes solid.