Ice, Ice, Baby! Does the Icebreaker Pop actually work in practice?
2.7.2022
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
I seek out innovative ideas that make everyday life easier. Which is why I bought a new ice cube tray. But first, the Icebreaker Pop and I had to, well, break the ice.
They come with every decent refrigerator: simple, usually white plastic trays with many compartments for making ice cubes in the freezer. You put water in the container, balance the dripping mess carefully, place it horizontally in the freezer and a few hours later the ice cubes are ready. The real challenge lies in removing ice cubes from the mould: some swear by hot water, others – like me – «ernten» the ice cubes by twisting the mould and gently tapping. This usually ends with ice cubes slipping into the sink or onto the floor. Or with a work surface full of ice chips and puddles of water.
Yes, it’s a first-world problem. And yet I feel for those who have to design ice cube trays. They tinker with improvements, crafting ways to stylishly extract ice cubes for your chilled summer drink. I don’t like having to slap frozen plastic bowls on my kitchen counter while in the salon my guests are excitedly discussing the state of the Mongolian opposition. And by the way, I don’t want to squeeze cubes out of a plastic bag either. Once a bag is empty it’s just unnecessary waste, for one thing. Furthermore, I’d then have to fill the next bag, which always costs nerves as the water jet mustn’t be too strong.
It must have been one of those moments of frustration when Galaxus’ omniscient and powerful algorithm pointed me to this fabulous product.
The Icebreaker Pop seemed to me the long-awaited revolution after decades of ineffectual ice cube trays. Here, the makers weren’t simply satisfied with a lid or proved their limited creativity by inventing ice cubes in the shape of unicorns. Instead, this:
Ice cubes are ‘plopped’ by pulling the straps and the ice cubes are easily served without spillage or hassle. Simple and hygienic to use.
After unpacking, the first disappointment: the hole at the top isn’t much bigger than that of the plastic ice cube cones I hate. At least it’s stable and I don’t have to hold anything apart for water to flow in. Nevertheless, it takes time to fill the container.
A line on the outside of the mould shows me how far I should fill it. On the opaque part, mind you. So unless you have X-ray vision, you’ll be hard-pressed to determine if you’ve reached the correct fill level.
An incontinent Icebreaker in my freezer
After filling, the real magic starts. With a cover made of rubber, you close the Icebreaker and simply place it in the refrigerator. You can even lay it. It’s waterproof, after all. I still got small patches of ice in the freezer from time to time due to water dripping out. I’d also got the Icebreaker Pop wet on the outside when filling it. But in any case, you’ll get a bigger mess with an open ice cube tray.
After a few hours at minus 18 degrees, the laws of physics turned water into ice. Time to test my might. A plastic band is mounted on each side of the Icebreaker. Like with an expander, I now had to pull them apart so that they’d pop and the 18 ice cubes inside would release from their plastic mould. For me, it usually doesn’t pop right away. Only after twisting the whole thing a bit did it work for me too. The Icebreaker then resembles a puffer fish, inflated in case of danger.
By the way, I pulled on the plastic straps before twisting the Icebreaker on my first attempts. The result was several individual bits of the mould in my hand and me almost throwing the whole thing in the trash. Fortunately, I consulted the instructions again and learned that this is done intentionally so that individual parts can be cleaned in the dishwasher. After that you can put everything back together.
The ice cube «harvest» is a game of patience
The popping makes the opening at the top large enough for the ice cubes, around two and a half by three centimetres, to fall out. Or to be exact: shaken out with a little patience and skill. Patience and skill – in the context of ice cubes, neither is my strong suit. I rarely manage to pour exactly the desired and correct amount of ice cubes into a glass. I fervently hope that my guests will forgive me for the faux pas when I serve them the drink.
As I usually don’t need 18 ice cubes at once, some remain in the popped icebreaker. Once the expander exercise is done, the Icebreaker is difficult to rearrange. To do this, all the cubes would have to fall back exactly into their shapes. I want ice cubes, and none of those patience games where all the beads have to be in the right place.
When popped, the Icebreaker is a space waster
Stupidly, it’s over eight centimetres thick when piled up and thus twice as wide as in its original state. Next to cool packs for bruises, emergency ice cream and a bag or two of not-quite-used-up oven fries, there’s simply no more room.
Despite my criticism after initial use, I haven’t banned the innovative ice cube maker from my household. Thankfully. Because I’ve learned, in time. For example, that the right fill level makes popping easier.
I have withheld one field of use from you: the Icebreaker is a very neat, well-insulated cooling item for a trip to the lake or swimming hole. There, you could even shake a few ice cubes out of the Icebreaker and make a snazzy drink, as evidenced by this all natural and barely posed photo.
Source: Icebreaker
Conclusion: ice cold love at second sight
The Icebreaker Pop is many times more expensive than a «normal» ice cube tray, which you get for free as an accessory to the refrigerator. Nevertheless, this doesn’t make ice cube preparation much easier. I still think it’s worth the money. Even though it wasn’t love at first sight, I now appreciate the strengths of my Icebreaker Pop. We’ve become accustomed to each other. I’ve developed a sense of the ideal amount of water, made room for it in the freezer, and I enjoy every single pop. Messes on the kitchen counter are a thing of the past.
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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