Side by Side Comparison of: The Classic Kitchen vs Sipping Stones

Himself asked for these because summer is coming along and he loves to have a LOT of ice on hand. (He just requested we order four more..) We've been trying several different designs and after trying these I've discovered that these are quite the right size, not just for a glass - but for water bottles (I use Lifefactory and they fit wonderfully). It is a bit of a trick to get them filled properly (he has the hang of it, while I'm still learning. but overall these are a good design and freeze very well. There isn't the problem with them getting stuck either. (we've tried other designs where that has been an issue) These freeze quickly and are clear as pictured. (We do use filtered water)If your looking for a round ice cube (that's an awkward sentence) I recommend getting this one.

Ok, it makes ice balls. And the kids actually fight over them. Seriously, right? Who fights over ice? It makes round frozen water well. And it does really seem to not melt as quickly. I'm glad it's BPA free considering how much this get used. My only regret is that it only makes 4. I'm going to have to purchase additional ones. Ironically this frustrates me because I have a perfectly functioning ice maker in my freezer. Reluctantly, I have to admit it's a great product.

I use these to make flavored ice cubes. I drink aloe vera juice for my stomach which is not flavorful. So, after I fill these, I put 1-2 drops Rosemary essential oil or wild orange essential oil. Then I mix 1 oz aloe with 4 oz unfiltered cranberry and 4 oz ginger tea. Add an ice ball and enjoy. I made a couple with cinnamon-nutmeg combined and poured cider over it. These things make for endless creativity.

I bought this mold about three months ago. The mold works remarkably well. The ice balls usually come out as you'd like (if you don't fill the tray properly, you CAN get some funky-looking results). The mold is pretty easy to fill, freeze, and empty. And the ice balls are neat and really do seem superior to the smaller cubes in terms of drink watering and chilling. And the best part is that you can just throw the mold in the dishwasher when you start getting that hard water build-up on the tray. All told, I'm pretty happy with this purchase.

I got these to keep my bourbon from getting too watered down. They work great, but do not expect perfectly clear ice balls... it is sue to the impurities in most water and the temperatures most home freezers freeze to.Unless you have a blast chiller or liquid nitrogen.. your ice will come out cloudy.

you can't fill them up all the way or the water over flows out of the top because the water expands. it's hard to know just how much water/liquid to put in them. I am using reverse osmosis water to fill them and I have filled them to the top and poured a little out to make sure that the water doesn't overflow which will create a water "nipple". The ice keeps cracking as well so it's not a solid round ball when I take it out of the mold. The silicone top and bottom don't stay together because the water expands so it creates an extra water ring around the ball of ice.

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.

Well I still have yet to make my ice balls to look as pretty as the picture, but some day I will. But I look forward to using these for more than just ice. Maybe some chocolate balls, or Kool aid balls? I'm trying to make some whisky balls right now, got another couple hours in the freezer till they're done. Next I want to try some moonshine balls.

I originally gave this product a poor review. I am changing my opinion about the product and especially the company. Reps from the company actually read my original review and responded by email personally to me. They suggested that since I was unhappy with it, I should watch a video on how to use it. I did and found that the original fault was mine, not the product's. I am very impressed that even with a low priced item, the company followed up with me and that is so important today when it's almost impossible to get to the right people for any concerns we might have with purchases.So, I give them FIVE Stars for their follow up and four for the product. It works well now that I know how to use it.

This silicon tray look very elegant and it makes 4 small ice balls. You can add fruit or other things like mint leaves for a even nicer end product.This ice mold is nearly perfect. The ice balls come out very nice and smooth. My only negative statement would be that you HAVE to make sure it's 100% in place and put it in the freezer very carefully, or you'll get half a ball because unless you are very careful the water will empty on you.

They will not make beautiful ice cubes in my experience, but having large round ice balls is more useful than I could have imagined. I'll never own cube shaped ice molds again. They take a long time to melt, and fit perfectly in mason jars. 1 star off for one of them having a hard time sealing itself (but not impossible).

These ice balls are great for whiskey! They are a little smaller than I originally thought but they are great for the average size low ball! I thought these would be difficult to use in that I would experience water spillage in the freezer! But NOPE! Great for entertaining! And a great gift - I gave my son in law these too - because I knew as soon as I served them with their whiskey they'd be like "MA - where'd you get these?" And I was right they did! That's why I ordered three of these at one time!

I've started using some other ice makers for my whiskey ice because this is hard to fill up and leaves a big slab of ice on top, and i couldnt get rid of all the water in between the balls so they ended up all connected.EDIT: So, as the seller pointed out, i was filling them wrong. I will still get some connecting ice that but it really not as bad as i was getting. Who would have thought i should actually read directions? Check out the videos on youtube to see the correct way if you're as slow at this as I am. Sorry Classic Kitchen.

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.

The ice balls are not nearly as perfect as those shown in the pictures. Due to overflow there is a ring of ice around each ice ball. You can count on spilling water each time you place the mold in your freezer. I suppose most of this is just the nature of the product. It's not a bad product; its just not as nice as they lead you to believe. The silicone mold does seem to be durable.

I should have read the description better, but in the picture with the ice in the glass and someone's adult baby hand they appear larger, they are actually quite small like a golf ball really.I have to use a funnel that I have for my flask to get the water in the mold and would recommend it. I haven't been able to get a perfect mold, I;m sure in time it might happen, but due to the inability to get it perfect straight out the box then this product only deserves 3 stars.

It does not form clear ice spheres as shown in the picture, and they come out nowhere near as cleanly as that, and it was a bit smaller than I had imagined. When I put the water in to the right level and push on the top a lot of water spills out. Will the water really expand into a full ice sphere when it freezes or am I doing something wrong?

These ice ball makers are alright, they do what the say, but I think you need to have the technique down on how to fill them in order to truly get a real nice finished ball. Also when separating them you have to really twist in order to get a perfect ball.

Great idea, but messy and problematic. You have to guess how much water to add to each tray because there is no fill line. If you put too much water in the tray, it overflows through to top hole and you end up with ice all over the outside of the tray. If you don't get enough water inside the tray, you end up with deformed ice cubes. The silicone trays, filled with water, are also hard to carry to the freezer without dripping water from the external overflow area.

The ice balls do not come out looking as the picture suggests. They are more cloudy and less polished (as you would expect) and they have a ring around them where the top part meets the bottom. However, once they have been in water for a minute, they look nice. Four balls is not a lot of ice but they are large enough that one per cup is great as long as you don't like tons of ice to water down your drink. They are large so they melt more slowly which is also a plus. I will be keeping this item and using it often, but i probably would not have bought it if I knew (as I should have) that the balls would not look like the picture.

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.

Fast delivery.Now that I'm using them, I have noticed that strange film left on the glasses, that another reviewer mentioned. For that reason, I'm lowering the stars. I tried this out in many ways. I have washed & rinsed the trays well, many times. I use purified, distilled bottled water to make the ice. I rinsed the glasses well, so there was no left over detergent in the glass & have washed & rinsed the molds well. I don't know why it's doing that...creepy. I stopped using them. Who knows if that's coming from the silicone or what. Also, the smell issue, when I opened it, it had a strong chemical smell, which still has not gone away. I do not want to drink something that leaves an unknown film & smell. I would not drink anything from it with those issues going on.

I have a couple of single ice ball makers I use for my scotch at times. These were smaller in size so I figured I would give them a try. It worked ok but my main concern was when filling it up is the top tray also fills with water which is a pain to remove prior to freezing (if you bother). Couple that with this being designed to make 4 at a time with no real separation in the mold, you end up with 4 ice balls joined together with a thin layer where the layer is the void between the top and bottom section. No matter how much I tried to compress the sections it still formed. Much more of a pain to use than my old single units so I doubt it will get any use after the first go round.

Really like the ice molds, but after using them for awhile, I wish they were larger. I have seen molds with larger diameters that would work better in a highball glass verses these smaller ones. I don't believe these are what I was wanting and will look for larger diameter molds for my cocktail glasses.

I have to say this did not turn out to be nearly as cool as I anticipated from the product pictures and overall positive reviews. For one, no matter how careful I am in filling the mold, the ice spheres are pretty much never perfectly formed or smooth. But even more, this thing is just a pain to fill. To fill it, you have to pour water past the half-way point in the bottom section, then sandwich the top part down into the bottom part, causing the water to overflow and spill out. Since it's made of floppy silicone, this must be done on the countertop (near the sink), and results in a bit of a mess of water that must be cleaned up afterward. Additionally, placing them in the fridge is difficult given the floppy nature of the silicone. They could have been made with a bit stiffer base to help with these issues.

Pain in the butt. The silicone tray does not stay tight enough between the "ice balls". So you get ice ridges all over and you have to use a knife to knock all the ice (sometimes a lot) off to make it a nice round ball. Not good for your fingers! And the balls start to melt. Better off with individual ones or ones that have a ridge of silicone that "clicks" shut before filling. I plan to returns these and get another set elsewhere.

Photo is deceiving, like many others on Amazon. These spheres do not come out perfectly, and have a "halo" on them (think Saturn's Rings). This has to be manually broken off, and it never looks right.Looks like someone had a good idea, a bad mold, and the guts to shrug it off and sell it anyway. I am not impressed.

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.

So hard to remove the ball from the silicone. When it does come out, it’s round only on 1/2 the ball. The top where the fill hole is it is flat. Also if it does come out it often breaks in 1/2. Not recommended. For this type of ice cube you need the more sturdy oversized trays.

Incredibly hard to fill without making a mess compared to "The Original Whiskey Ball" which is almost always perfect. Also, the picture is deceivingly big compared to how small the molds actually are. Don't waste your time on this!

Totally disappointing. Water pushes up through the hole in the silicone and creates a mess.

These are really horrible and do not freeze like perfect balls in the picture. Amazon confused my order so I was stuck with two...which would have been okay if they worked as described. Unfortunately not worth your money.

Much smaller in person. Rubber is so flimsy it didn't hold the top half, I ended up with semi spheres for my old fashions. Waste of money

Leaves stuff in the drink....yuck

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?