ice

Want to add a bit of novelty to your party drinks during World Cup season? Well then, the mini version of the Ice Ball mold is a must-have. The mold, which is made from aluminum, uses conduction to create 1.2-inch or 2.5-inch-size ice soccer balls. It's also dead simple to use.

You just need to heat the mold briefly in hot water, place a regular ice cube in the center, and watch the two halves of the mold come together, and you'll have a miniature ice soccer ball in seconds. The only thing preventing us from … Read more

It might be the new Rickroll. It might not. But a new Internet meme has popped up that could be worth a second look: "icing," an unusually inane and relatively harmless fraternity drinking game centered on the consumption of Smirnoff Ice, the sugary bottled malt beverage that's become classified as the ultimate "girly drink."

"The rules are simple: hand a Smirnoff Ice (the warmer/more disgusting the flavor, the better) to a friend (your "bro"), and he must get down on one knee and chug the malt beverage, regardless of location and … Read more

Hosting a gathering is never easy. There's the menu to be considered, eating preferences to be anticipated, and last but certainly not least, the drink selection to be determined. After all the preparation is over and it's time to greet the guests, it's not uncommon for hosts to run through a mental checklist: hors d'oeuvres? Check. Music? Check. Appropriate lighting? Check. Cold drinks? Che--uh-oh.

Faced with the unpleasant proposition of facing off with a thirsty crowd, party hosts in need of rapidly chilled beverages have little recourse. They can toss drinks in the freezer for a … Read more

Though there are plenty of ice cream makers that look like every other appliance on your counter, the White Mountain Ice Cream Maker may make you think that you've stepped back in time. The ice cream bucket is handcrafted from white pine, and even the steel inner bucket and the the cast-iron dasher look a little old-fashioned. Old-fashioned isn't a bad thing, though: the White Mountain Ice Cream Maker is available in a manual hand-crank version, but it also comes in an electric version. You get the benefits of an ice cream maker that actually looks like an … Read more

As the weather turns warmer, the joyful sound of the ice cream truck driving around the neighborhood becomes more common. And since I have no intention of paying $4 for a Sponge Bob-shaped treat with gumball eyes, I've stocked my freezer with less expensive, if more boring, boxes of chocolate and vanilla goodness.

Whenever my parents serve ice cream, they first microwave the container for about 30 seconds. I prefer my ice cream cold, so I usually just leave it out on the counter for a few minutes to soften enough for easier scooping. But apparently, so many people … Read more

One of my biggest complaints with mixed drinks is that small ice cubes can melt long before I've actually finished my drink, leaving what was once a tasty concoction very watered down. The bigger the ice cube, the less likely I am to have a problem, however, which led me to look for bigger ice cube trays. I found the Tovolo King Cube Extra Large Silicone Ice Cube Tray, an ice cube tray that turns out ice that measures two inches across. The tray is made from food-grade silicone, making it easy to clean in between uses. The ice … Read more

Certain foods have a way of transporting us to far away places. The deceptively simple act of eating can not only take us on a journey through space, but also through time. If there is one food above all that screams another place, another time, that edible train ticket would have to be ice cream.

Perhaps not surprisingly, ice cream is relatively easy to make; like all good things, simplicity is key. Consisting of little more than cream and sugar, the luxurious taste of real ice cream does not necessarily have to require grandiose plans. In fact, it can be … Read more

On Wednesday I gave lip service to the Audi Ice Driving Experience that took place roughly a month ago in Finland. Today's video is a continuation of the current topic, showing the sights and sounds of this yearly event that's been in effect since the mid-'80s. There isn't a whole lot that I can add to what this video displays--it's simply poetry in motion with cars driving around on the beautifully snowy mountainside, and that can hardly be a bad thing. Enjoy.

So recently we've gotten a look at BMW's xDrive all-wheel traction control system, both in theory and in action. Not surprisingly, German manufacturer Audi thinks its vehicles run and handle better on snowy and icy roads to the point that the company is hosting an event known as the Audi Ice Experience; it's a racing-track-based high-performance practical driving education event that's been around for more than 20 years now. And today we've got video from the most recent Experience held this year in Finland.

The Audi Ice Experience is a winter-specific course that is usually … Read more