How to Make Clear Ice (and Why Home Ice Is Cloudy)
Clear ice looks better in a glass, melts more evenly and is what good cocktail bars use. So why do home ice cubes come out white and cloudy, and how can you make them clear?
Why ice cubes are cloudy
Tap water contains dissolved air and minerals. In an ice tray, water freezes from all sides at once, so the air and impurities get pushed to the middle and trapped there. That trapped air is the white, cloudy core you see in most home ice.
How to make clear ice at home: directional freezing
The trick is to make the water freeze from one direction only, so the air and impurities are pushed down to the bottom, which you then cut away.
- Take a small insulated cool box that fits in your freezer, with the lid off.
- Fill it about three-quarters full with water.
- Put it in the freezer for around 18 to 24 hours. The insulated sides and bottom slow freezing there, so the water freezes from the top down.
- Take it out before it freezes completely. The top part will be clear; the cloudy, unfrozen part collects at the bottom.
- Pour away the remaining water, then cut the clear block into cubes with a serrated knife and a small mallet.
Myths that don't work well
- Boiling the water removes some air, but ice still freezes from all sides and usually stays cloudy in the middle.
- Distilled water helps a little, for the same reason, but doesn't solve the problem on its own.
How commercial ice is made clear
Commercial ice machines freeze running water in thin layers. Because the water keeps moving, air and minerals are washed away instead of being trapped, so the cubes come out clear and hard. That is why ice from an ice factory is usually clearer than home-made ice.
Clear ice for drinks
Clear, dense cubes melt more slowly and dilute drinks less, which is why bars prefer them. For cocktails see crushed ice vs ice cubes, and for bars see ice supplier for bars and pubs.
Need a lot of ice? Get it delivered
- £10 per 12 kg bag: cube ice, crushed ice or 6 × 2 kg bags.
- Free delivery across London from 5 bags.
- Order by 5pm for next-day delivery, Monday to Saturday, in a morning or afternoon slot.
- Order ice online in a couple of minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my ice cloudy? Air and minerals in the water get trapped in the middle because a tray freezes from all sides at once.
How do you make clear ice at home? Use directional freezing: freeze water in an open insulated cool box for 18–24 hours so it freezes from the top down, then cut away the cloudy bottom.
Does boiling water make clear ice? It helps a little, but ice frozen in a tray still usually has a cloudy centre.
Is bagged ice clear? Ice from commercial machines is made by freezing running water in layers, which produces clear, hard cubes.
