For a while now we've loved the Neat Ice Kit, which lets you freeze perfectly clear blocks of ice for use in cocktails. We also dig Tovolo's sphere ice molds, which (as their name suggests) creates perfectly round — but unfortunately cloudy — ice spheres.

The Wintersmiths Ice Baller combines these two concepts into one product, allowing you to freeze clear ice spheres.

Comprised of a silicon mold, an insulating outer mold, and a stainless steel tumbler, the Ice Baller uses the same "directional freezing" method as the Neat Ice Kit, pushing impurities and air bubbles downward and leaving the water in the upper spherical mold totally clear by the time it freezes. Let it freeze overnight, rinse the mold with some cool water to loosen its hold a little, then take the ice sphere out and use it in any drink you like.

Photo: Kevin Liu

The cool (heh) thing about these ice spheres is that their surface area-to-volume ratio is lower than a cube's. This means they melt more slowly, thereby causing less dilution while you enjoy your beverage. Plus they just look awesome.

The Ice Baller kit is $85 at Wintersmiths.