Making clear ice cubes: how to get perfect ice
Cool drinks with clear ice cubes are a real treat – but how are they made? Our modern freezers produce ice cubes automatically and quickly. But you can also make clear ice cubes at home. We reveal the technology behind our IceMaker and a few tricks that ensure your ice cubes are crystal clear and not cloudy.
The key points
- Making clear ice cubes yourself: slowly freeze boiled or filtered water to avoid air bubbles
- IceMaker in the freezer compartment: automatic filling, sensor control and special ejection mechanism for perfect ice cubes
- Choice between plumbed-in connection for permanent supply or water tank for flexible use
- Conical shape for easy removal and fast production – up to 1 kg per day possible
Making clear ice cubes yourself – here’s how to do it without any equipment
To make clear ice cubes without special equipment, it is important to use the right method. Use boiled or filtered water to reduce impurities. Allow to cool before freezing. Then fill an insulated box or an open container and freeze the water slowly from top to bottom. This allows air bubbles to escape and the ice remains crystal clear.
With creative ideas, you can make clear ice cubes that have that certain something. Here are a few possibilities:
- Fruit and herbs: freeze mint leaves, berries or lemon slices – they not only add flavor, but also look elegant.
- Edible flowers: lavender, violets or rose petals create an elegant look.
- Coffee cubes: perfect for iced coffee – simply freeze cold coffee.
- Juice & syrup: colorful ice cubes made from fruit juice or hibiscus syrup for a color gradient.
- Glitter effect: edible gold dust or silver flakes add sparkling accents for special occasions.
How do you make ice cubes with the IceMaker in the freezer compartment?
The plastic tray in the IceMaker or IceCenter is filled automatically by the electronics, whereby, depending on the type of water supply, either a pump at the water tank or a solenoid valve at the plumbed-in connection is activated for a defined period of time. A sensor below the ice cube tray detects when the water is sufficiently frozen and starts the automatic ice cube ejection. To do this, the ice cube tray rotates. Once a certain “twist angle” has been reached, the shell rests on the rear end and is rotated forward by 20 degrees. This causes the tray to twist, similar to what happens when done by hand, causing the ice cubes to fall out of the tray. This principle ensures that the ice cubes are ejected automatically.
The ice cubes are not thawed before being ejected, which prevents them from sticking together in the freezer’s storage compartment. This is precisely what gives the ice cubes their visually appealing shape.
Making clear ice cubes: appliances with a plumbed-in connection or water tank?
Various bottom-freezer refrigerators, including Side-by-Side refrigerators and French door models, have an IceMaker. Depending on the model, the IceMaker is operated either via a plumbed-in connection or a water tank. You will need to refill the water tank from time to time. The IceMaker with a 1.2-litre water tank provides an innovative solution for poor water quality or a lack of water supply. The tank is removable for conveniently replenishing the water. The connected IceMaker automatically keeps you topped up with the finest quality ice cubes so that you are prepared for every occasion. Depending on the model, the appliance produces one kilogram of ice cubes in 24 hours.
Appliances with IceMaker, regardless of whether they have a plumbed-in connection or a water tank, produce conical-shaped ice cubes. The simple reason for this is that once the water has frozen, they are easier to remove from the ice cube tray and fall into the bowl. Depending on the “production process”, ten ice cubes are produced. Thanks to the speed of the machine, you can produce new ice cubes every two hours. If necessary, the ice cube production time can be increased by almost half by pressing the SuperFrost button. This means that in summer, producing lots of clear ice cubes for a nice cool drink is straightforward.
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