The machine comes with four ice molds, or you can purchase a Collins mold separately to make three prismatic ice cubes for taller glasses. The molds are made of thick silicone and are much thicker than typical ice molds. Once you fill the molds with water, place them in the internal compartment, close the lid, press the knob, and let the machine do the rest. There is no need to use filtered water; tap water works just fine, as it removes all impurities in the water, including minerals and gases. We tested cycles with both filtered and tap water and the results were the same.
Each cycle takes 8-12 hours to complete. This is a fairly long time frame, depending on the temperature of the water you put into the mold and the temperature of the surrounding environment. Ideally, Klaris would provide a more concise time frame for completing a cycle. They show the elapsed time, but not the remaining time.
In my apartment, where the temperature hovers around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the Collins Rock took about 10 hours and the standard cube took about 8. I’ve heard anecdotally that in colder climates, they can get away with as little as 5 hours in the winter.
It takes time, and there were a few times when I forgot to harvest the ice right away.
It’s convenient because it can keep things chilled for up to 5 hours.
I completely forgot to check after the delay, but everything was back to liquid water.
We started over: if you want to host a specific event, you need a plan.
Use ice. The delay feature is a great feature overall and helps time your ice.
Harvesting can sometimes be completed in one night,
Making things clear
But since this machine plugs into the wall, I don’t understand why it doesn’t have the ability to keep things cold until you open it. How does it work? Water freezes in layers, from the bottom up. This is called directional freezing. (This doesn’t happen in typical freezer styles, because the cold comes from all directions.) At the same time, an impeller-type device inside the cover spins the water, circulating impurities upwards from the cube. This motion provides the constant agitation needed, eliminating the chance of impurities settling to the bottom.
Because the impeller needs to be submerged, the mold needs to be filled with water up to the fill line, which is higher than the height the ice will eventually reach. When the cycle is complete and you open the cover, it will look like almost nothing happened because there is a layer of liquid water on top of the clear ice. This water contains impurities. Then you pull out the mold and dump that water into the sink. Turn the mold upside down and give it a little twist and push, and the rocks will pop out. You will need to use the plastic divider in the mold to separate the rocks from each other. This divider is a bit flimsy and won’t let any excess in, so I am careful not to break it.
