
Is customization important? If so, the aluminum ice press might be the right solution for you. If you are willing to spend the money on a product that will melt ice a bit quicker, then the copper version ice press is the one for you! At the end of the day it comes down to personal preference and intention when choosing the best ice press for parties or home occassions. Sometimes ice press distributors run deals on presses, but for the most part the budget needed for the copper ice press option is triple or quadruple the price of the exact same product in the aluminum form. Getting a copper ice ball press for under a thousand bucks is hard to come by but not impossible. This comes down to your budget primarily. It does not melt the ice as fast, but the differences are in the seconds, not minutes between the aluminum ice press melt time vs the copper ice press melt time. The aluminum itself is lightweight and less expensive, so companies can offer it for lower prices. The colors provided range from Gold, Deep Red, Brushed Aluminum, and Matte Black, and the surface of the aluminum allows for all of them to take well. No matter which anodizing color is chosen during the manufacturing of the ice ball press halves, the conductivity remains the same. The aluminum ice presses, from the elemental level, is 61% less conductive than copper. Now, copper does take less time to melt than aluminum, and heats up much faster in between ice press runs. The machining time for copper is longer which adds cost, and the copper ice ball press is heavier which adds to the shipping. Now copper is significantly more expensive as an ice press, for a few reasons: the raw material is 5-10 times more expensive than other ice press metals that are opted for. In the case of the copper ice press, the selected 'color' for the anodization is clear so that the copper tinge shines through as a show piece in your party settings. Anodization is the process that adds an exterior layer to the ice ball press, with manufacturers able to select the finish from a palette of provided colors. Copper typically isn't anodized with color. The included pair of stainless steel tongs secures a finished ball for placement into a glass to await a pour. The formation of several ice spheres will cool the cylinder, so running both halves under warm water yields optimal results. cylindrical top slides over the lower, compressing the stationary cupcake-sized ice cube into a perfect sphere in seconds using only its weight and thermal conductivity-three vertical grooves built into the lower section enable meltwater to empty into its integrated basin. The bottom mold accepts a preformed ice cube using one of the six included silicon preforms. With less surface area and a slower melting time than conventional ice cubes, the sphere chills a preferred drink faster while ensuring minimal dilution, enabling the connoisseur to fully enjoy a spirit’s subtleties and nuances. The two-section mold is made from solid aluminum with an anodized copper finish-the lower section forms the bottom hemisphere of the ice sphere while the upper’s underside forms the top hemisphere.

This is the same precision-crafted mold used in premier restaurants and bars that yields a perfect 2 1/2"-diameter sphere of ice in one minute. Exploring the spooky, surreal and surprising.
