From the mailbag.  Craig in Portland, OR:

“I received my nICE mug kit in the mail a couple weeks ago.”

Craig goes on to say:

“I’ll admit, I opened the box and filled the molds and put them in the freezer right away.  The ice glasses produced were a bit cloudy.  My wife and I each had a Vodka tonic and hers started to leak after a couple minutes.  Then I read more on your website about insulating the molds and tried it again. (I used a wool sock on one mold and some bubble wrap packing with a rubber band on the other).”

This time, I could tell the difference immediately.

When I took the molds out of the freezer, there was a bulge at the bottom of the frozen molds.  I let them sit on the counter for a few minutes.  When I separated the mold from the ice, wow, crystal clear!  What a difference.  I get it now.  Clear ice is harder ice and no air bubbles means no leaks.

Now, i’m experimenting with making clear ice mugs.

It’s such a blast.  I have 8 nICE mugs in my freezer and I hope to make a dozen ready for our Christmas party.  Do you sell just the holders?

And my record so far is 36 minutes.

The sides get real thin, like China glass and it melts down to a hockey puck.  Friggin’ awesome.  Thanks for the nICE mugs, we love ’em.  Glad we found you.”