With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.

Many of us have visited a restaurant, been served a glass of water with ice, and marveled at the clarity of the clear ice. Some people may not notice this detail and even if they did they may not make the connection to the quality of their ice made at home. This is not a purely aesthetic characteristic. Clear ice doesn’t just look better, it tastes superior to cloudy ice that we typically have at home. The next logical question is “How do restaurants make clear ice and can I make it at home?”. Let’s take a closer look at the major differences between cloudy and clear ice to help you make an informed decision.

Do I Need to Care About Cloudy Ice?

Many people will not care too much about the cloud versus clear ice choice. After all, most people are simply happy if their drink is cool on a warm day and aesthetic appeal is far from their minds. But, this isn’t always true and some people want the best looking and tasting drinks to offer to their guests. In truth, adding cloudy ice cubes to any drink doesn’t enhance the visual appeal but a budding mixologist will certainly know the difference.

For purists, the main problem with cloudy ice is that it can detract from or even impair the taste of a carefully mixed drink. Cloudy ice may have a freezer-burned taste that ruins the taste of many cocktails or even a simple glass of water. It’s also worth noting that clear ice tends to thaw at a slower and more even rate. A typical cloudy ice cube will contain air pockets that make the ice melt quickly or unevenly from one cube to another. This may not seem like a big deal, but it can dilute beverages quickly and water down your drinks.

What is the Cause of Cloudy Ice?

An ice cube can emerge from your freezer with a cloudy appearance for a number of different reasons. The most common cause is a source of home water that is not filtered and purified to a good standard. It stands to reason that water contaminated with elevated mineral content, tannins, dissolved solids, and other materials will not make good ice.

The best way to rectify this situation is to invest in a high-quality water filtration and purification system. An ideal method is a reverse osmosis (RO) that forces incoming water through a semi-permeable membrane. The RO filtration system can remove up to 99% of contaminants and it only allows virtually pure water molecules to pass through. This takes some time, so the water is processed gradually and stored in a tank under the kitchen sink. Water that is cleaned to this standard is very pure for drinking and it makes high-quality ice cubes for your drinks.

Another way to remove minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and iron is a water softening system. Water is an effective solvent and it naturally adds minerals that it passes through to its makeup. This is known as hard water and around 85% of homes receive it. This hardness is not removed at a municipal treatment plant and the elevated mineral content can damage water using appliances in our homes. The most reliable water softeners use an ion-exchange process using sodium or potassium (both salts). Although this does add a little salt to the water most people don’t notice the difference unless they are very sensitive.

When people make an investment in a RO filtration system and a water softener they notice that the quality of their water drastically improves. This can be noticed in a simple glass of water and their next cup of coffee. But, in terms of making ice cubes, the clarity and taste of the water are dramatically improved.

Why Do Restaurants Have Clear Ice?

Because the customers prefer clear ice, that means that restaurants and other places that serve drinks have a vested interest in the quality of their ice. Many bars and restaurants have a dedicated ice machine that uses a variety of filtration and cooling processes to create clear ice. In our own homes, this would be overkill, but a commercial ice maker can make multiple ice cubes at once with tiny jets of water to fill the molds. The ice cubes are actually constructed gradually in layers to prevent the formation of air bubbles that cause cloudiness.

This process is similar to the way that an icicle would be formed in nature. The drops of water are slowly added to the ice as they drip along the length of the icicle. This is why icicles look so clear when the light hits them on a cold day. So, another option to create clear ice is to invest in a countertop ice machine. But, these units can be expensive and even a smaller machine could cost $200 or more depending on the exact model. This may be a good investment if mixing cocktails is an important hobby for you or you simply cannot make do with cloudy ice cubes. The main problem with this approach is that the expensive ice machine won’t have any effect on the water quality in other areas of your home.

Can I Create Clear Ice Without Spending Money?

It is possible to improve the quality of your ice at home but it won’t be 100% clear like the ice cubes you get in a bar or restaurant. Start by boiling a pot of water, let it cool a little, and then pour it into the ice cube trays. When water boils the oxygen content is reduced and this can remove some of the air bubbles. The best type of water to use is filtered water which you can boil and cool multiple times to condition it for making clear ice. Again this is a hit or miss process, but it may improve the look and taste of your ice enough to warrant the hassle. A final strategy is to place the ice cubes in a cooler and then place that cooler in a freezer. This will slow down the freezing process and cause the cubes to freeze from the top to the bottom. This can trap any tiny air bubbles at the center of the ice cube where they are harder to notice.

If you want to improve the quality of your water and ice cubes at home, contact your local water treatment specialist today.