How to make ice faster: simple tricks that really work when you need cold drinks in record time

It sounds counterintuitive, but hot water can freeze faster than cold water, thanks to the Mpemba effect - a physical phenomenon in which hot water, under certain conditions, loses heat faster and reaches freezing point before cold water.

• How to make it: boil the water, let it cool down a little (so as not to damage the mold) and put it in the freezer.
• Bonus: boiled water also makes the ice more transparent.

Aluminum or stainless steel molds conduct cold much better than plastic or silicone ones, speeding up ice formation.

• Ideal for rectangular ice bars or small cubes.

Not all areas of the freezer have the same temperature. The bottom, near the evaporator, is usually the coldest.

• Tip: avoid opening the freezer door during the process - each opening increases the freezing time.

Smaller cubes or "mini ice sphere" ice molds freeze much faster because of the smaller amount of water.

• Great for when you need emergency ice.

In situations such as cooling drinks in buckets or coolers, adding coarse salt to ice water speeds up cooling and keeps the temperature down, forming ice around the bottles quickly.

• Warning: do not use salt if the ice is for consumption.

Bars often have high-powered freezers with direct ventilation over the ice to speed up the process. At home, you can simulate this by using your freezer's "turbo" or "power freeze" mode, if it has this function.