Side by Side Comparison of: Basily vs Sipping Stones

These were gifts, and receivers loved them.

These are exactly what we needed! My wife likes chilled reds and cold whites, but doesn't like watering down her wine with ice. These steel chillers do the job without changing the composition or taste of her drinks, so she loves them!

Not only very good looking, but they work very well. Easy to clean ,wash off. I use these to cool off and keep whisky,wine, beer cold in a glass. I have an extra set in the freezer to switch out.

great product for chilling cocktails without cubes. will also use for white wine. cute and brilliant!!! my husband was interrupted from his manhattan by a 30 minute phone call, so i popped 2 of these in his glass. when he came back his drink was still cold! yay!

Fantastic idea! I just love these. I use them in my wine glass and it keeps it cold for a long time. My husband uses them in mixed drinks and even in his beer. Don't hesitate to purchase these. You will not be sorry you bought them.

These truly do keep your drinks cold, even milk! I do find putting the stones in the glass first & then pouring the drinks over them, keeps the drinks colder longer. Really helps save on the making of ice cubes & the water it takes to make them in this drought time we're in.

I purchased these as a gift and the recipient loves them! She is a wine drinker and is happy to have an ice cube replacement so that the nice white wines she enjoys do not get watered down. Very happy!

These "whiskey stones" or "drinking rocks" are great for keeping a beverage cold without diluting it. The rocks came in a small, well constructed pine box with a sliding lid. The box was shrink wrapped with plastic as were the rocks themselves inside box. I plan to eventually stain the box so that it matches our decor and keeps the wood fresh and clean. The label did not specify where the rocks were mined nor of what type of stone they are cut from. They were much, much smaller than I had anticipated; I would even call them tiny. They ought to be stored away from small children and pets, as they could be a choking hazard. It would take 4 rocks to equal the size of a standard ice cube. Please note that there are not enough rocks to use just one set for a group of people, however, using multiple sets, these would be great for entertaining.
I bought these drinking rocks as a gift for my husband, but I tested out the drinking rocks before giving them to him. First, I froze the rocks overnight. Then, I put 4 oz of water in a ceramic mug and used my thermometer to take the temperature, which was 75 degrees F. After putting all 8 rocks in the mug, the temperature dropped to 55 degrees F and stayed this temperature for 15 minutes before starting to rise again. So, they performed better than I expected. I imagine that they might work even better with alcohol such as vodka or whiskey.

What a great purchase!
I don't know much about Whiskey, my fiance is big into Whiskey right now and i wanted to get him something special and different. When he opened my Valentine's Day gift and saw the Sipping Stones a huge smile came across his face. It was perfect! He could not be happier. Even when he isn't having a Whiskey he will put the stones in a glass of soda. They are very unique and just an all around cool and fun gift. The packaging was also very nice and i was excited that it came with the little carrier bag for the stones too.

Only one piece of criticism is that in the name of the product you spelt Whiskey as Whisky.

These stones are awesome! They don't take long to get cold, and I love that you just rinse them off after you've used them, let them dry and throw them back in the bag in the freezer. They can't melt, so they don't water down the drinks, and they save space in the freezer by eliminating all the ice cube trays. They don't give the alcohol any sort of flavor, so I really don't see any adverse effects to using this. I would absolutely recommend these!

This is the second set of these whiskey stones I have purchased because when people come over, they prefer them to ice. Since they are not made from water, they will not melt and dilute your beverage. It's a great way to keep your "neat" drink chilled without cutting the alcohol with water.

I have seen other kinds of stones that use different rocks, like granite, instead of soapstone. The problem with granite is that it's a porous stone and can absorb smells and colors of liquids in which it is submerged. This is not something you want when you're trying to enjoy the taste of a nice scotch, whiskey, bourbon, etc.

Soapstone works well because it is non-porous and can hold heat/cold longer than other minerals. These will not stay super-cold for hours so if you're planning on sipping your drink over a long period of time, you may want to have some ready to swap out when the temp raised above your liking.

I use warm soapy water to clean them, let them dry and then throw them in the freezer. The pouch is a nice touch too making it an easy and classy way to travel with them or bring them to a friend's house.

Gift, but seem great!

I've noticed ads for all sort of beverage-cooling pellets lately, and I liked the unique shape of these ones. All others I'd seen were in shapes such as oval or flat discs. These come in a small drawstring pouch, and I keep them in the freezer at all times. They do manage to keep my beverages cooler than without them, but I expected them to work a bit longer than they do. I use them when drinking white wine, and notice that after a half hour or so, the wine is no longer chilled. This might be because I only use one heart at a time. At any rate, these are a nice idea, and preferable over ice.

Aesthetically beautiful but don't hold their coldness for long. Better drink up quickly. Good concept though.

Attractive looking, and come in a nice bag. However, they won't cool a warm drink, only keep a cool drink at its temperature.

These keep my drink cold without deleting it. Besides it's a cool conversation piece.

I really like this product! It came in a timely manner, and looked very nice. I didn't get to use them, as they were a gift, but the giftee loved them!

it is a cool idea and its definitely a conversation piece but I thought it would be childish;ling the drink more.
maybe I misunderstood but it does the job.
I like it

I purchased these as a gift for someone I now live with, and they work extremely well. I will say after over a year of continuous use, they have chipped away and become a little worn around the corners. The one in my house that uses them has never complained about them chipping or coming apart in his drink, so I don't think it's been a problem. They are made of a soft-ish material, so I think it's just wear and tear of throwing them around and cleaning them.

Note that these are not ice cubes or anything other than advertised, so while provide a chilling temperature to any drink (we leave them in the freezer in their handy bag until wanting to use), they won't super cool something. They do keep things chilled, and they get used at least twice a month, usually more like once a week, so a good investment on my part I think.

They work as advertised. It is not a replacement for ice cubes but those who prefer not to dilute their scotch this is a very good alternative along with adding a drop of water to break the surface.

i bought these as gifts for christmas, i bought one for myself to try out before hand, i followed the instructions on cleaning them before placing them in my drink, unfortunatly that was not sufficiant, they needed several washing before, they left a chalky taste in my drink. They are fine now, but i would suggest several washings and rincings before placing in an expensive drink

These are a great idea... for the right person. They are cutely packaged in a book style set with a bag for containing them. Great as a stocking stuffer or small gift idea for someone who prefers their spirits straight. Also a unique conversation starter.What they will do:- Drop the temp of your drink by a few degrees- Keep the drink from being diluted for slow sippers who don't want their drink watered down- Allow for a reusable set of chilling stones that provide many reuses- Keep an already chilled drink cool longerWhat they won't do:- Cool a drink to refrigerator temperatures (they just can't, it's a matter of physics)- Keep a drink ice cold for long periods of time (meant to chill, not super-cool drinks)- Scrape high quality glasses (soft stone, rounded corners mean little to no scuffing)... no promises on low grade glassThese will work for the intended purpose, which is to keep a chilled drink cool longer, or to add a slight chill to a drink. They can't possibly make a room temperature drink ice cold, because they just don't have the thermal mass to do so. But if kept in the freezer (in a cold spot, not on the door), they will work nicely for someone that absolutely must have their spirits straight. Many people are used to ice diluted drinks, and no, these cannot compete with the thermal mass of frozen water, but the trade off is, they won't dilute the drink either.As long as you know what you're getting when you buy them, these are great. Just don't expect them to be something they're not.

They are what they say they are; stones not ice cubes. I've actually had these for several years and they're the same as when I got them, so there's something to be said about that durability. When you put them in a room temperature drink they pretty much have a minimal affect. Just kind of take the edge off the drink, definitely doesn't make the drink "cold". I tend to like my whiskey on the colder side, so I'll use the big block ice cubes more frequently so I get minimal dilution but actually make the drink cold.

Received cubes and opened them. Followed instructions and rinsed them off before freezing and the cubes lost a substantial amount of material from being washed and even more after being frozen. Corners began to chip off and left the cubes looking low quality. I love the idea though and also like the quantity options, as our wouldn't have to buy multiple sets from other sellers.

These were a gift for my husband who is a whiskey enthusiast who is trying to broaden his pallet. While he will drink whiskey at room temp, he preferred it a little cool and used to use ice, but that in turn waters it down, which sometimes makes it better, but if you are really trying to understand the whiskey and its flavors, watering it down might not be the best solution.He was excited at first for the stones, but I think it is just the anticipation of this new fancy "gadget" that is sort of in fashion now... the reality is that they are literally just some fancy rocks, that yes, do cool the whiskey down a little. They are not "non melting ice" or some miracle thing that will make your drinks super cold or keep them cold forever. They are just a way to cool it off for a bit- by the time you sip your whiskey and go pour another glass, you need to change out your rocks for a few "fresh" cool ones.

They do what they say they will do. They chill the drink. For those who like to have drinks on the rocks (and are used to the fact that the ice melts in the drink) you will have to get used to the lack of dilution. Also, the rocks tend to have a smell to them. Not sure if this is from other “stuff” that is in the freezer or the rocks themselves.I am now using them in combination with a couple of cubes of ice. Keeps the drink cold but still get a little ice dilution.

The chilling rocks work as well as they have been described. They kept our drinks cool for a good amount of time and are easy to store, wash and use. They are big enough where swallowing one should not be an issue. I gave these to my friend as a welcome home gift. The box these come in is not the same one from the picture. It is a small tacky box and wouldn't impress anyone. Due to the cheap look I really didn't enjoy gifting these. They do work well though.

I purchased these sipping stones for my boyfriend who is an avid scotch drinker. He was impressed by them at first but this turned out to be one of those gifts that grows dusty in a drawer somewhere from lack of use. Though they look really classy, they don't really add to the drinking experience much. You're supposed to store the stones in the freezer until you're ready to use them and then put them in your drink to chill it a bit while not diluting it (as would occur when using ice). The effect is really subtle. The stones do not keep the temperature down for that long and even immediately after putting them in the drink, it just takes the edge off. Don't expect to have an experience close to using ice. It's basically like drinking your drink straight. That said, my boyfriend was impressed that I thought of this gift and it was a neat novelty item for him to try out. If you are looking to keep your drink cold but want to limit the dilution, try ice cubes with large surface area (which allow for slower melting) like the Tovolo KING Cube Ice Trays, Blue.

I rather have ice.

If you actually like your drinks "cold" then you won't find these helpful. I wouldn't purchase again.

Bought this for my husband and he doesn't seem to care for it

Sipping stones were as advertised and reasonably priced. However, they don't cool the beverage as I prefer and so I don't use them after trying them.

The stones were good & smooth, the pouch was nice & clean, and the package box was nice too. Just that among the stones I received, one was slashed too much that an entire corner had been cut & missing (as in photo, on the middle stone). As the product had been shipped a long way from US to Hong Kong, I guess the chance of replacement is low. I hope next time the manufacturer did a better quality check on the products that they ship out, so other customers can get a better satisfaction.

These really don't work very well. I've kept them in the freezer for days and added ALL of them to a single glass of Whiskey and they don't seem to last very long.I'll stick to Ice Globes instead.

The stones are great for whisky as described... at least the ones that are still intact. The sipping stones original packaging was ripped, bent, and dusty like it had been sitting on someone's shelf for years. I should have taken that as a sign because after opening the product, 2 stones were broken in half and I could literally pour residue from the stones out of the package. Will not be buying this brand again. I guess you get what you paid for.

cute, but not effective at cooling... at all.

As others have commented these seem to be more of a novelty than an effective drink cooling agent. My experience has only been with pre-chilled wine. I have always used two of the stones in one 6 oz glass. I have not found them to be useful to maintain the wine's temperature.

These kept the drink about 4 degrees cooler and started warming up again in about 5 min. Too bad. I had high hopes for these.

Bought for Christmas gift and 2 stones were broken. Shipping box was fine when received

These stones do not stay cold long enough to make my drink cold like they should.

the white stuff don't come off, even if you wash it over and over.

First off I only received 17, not the listed 18. I used them once to chill some whiskey using four in a glass. This was after they were in freezer for a week or more. They failed to chill the whiskey at all. I guess disappointed is the best description.

I have had whiskey stones in the past that did keep your drink cold. This one says they will last for up to two hours - not the ones I received! The only way I could get them to cool my drink for even 15 minutes was to have the glass in the freezer along with the whiskey for 30 minutes or longer before adding the rocks. Even then the drink was luke warm before I could finish it and I am using a 4 oz glass. I don't know if I just got a bad box of rocks or what?