Fortunately, there are alternative ways to make lots of ice for an ice bath, here’s how:
1. Freeze Plastic Bottles
The plastic bottle method is very popular amongst the cold plunge community. Mostly due to its simplicity and effectiveness in producing and storing ice.
All you need to do is fill a plastic bottle three-quarters full with fresh water. Do not fill it up completely, as water expands by about 9% when it freezes. And that’s pretty much it! Simply place it in the freezer and you’ll have a bottled ice supply available for the next day.
To implement frozen plastic bottles in your ice bath, submerge the bottle with the lid removed. Once you’re finished, refill the bottle with fresh water and place it back in the freezer.
2. Freeze Heavy Duty Zip Lock Bags
High-quality zip-lock bags are a great tool for producing sizeable ice blocks for your ice bath. This is because they are strong, see-through, and ice can be removed from the bag before submersion. If plastic absorption was your concern, this may be a favourable method.
To use this method, partially fill a zip-lock bag with fresh water. Then, gently lay it down in your freezer. And that’s all there is to it.
As a reminder, make sure to use strong, high-end bags. Otherwise, the freezing process will tear through your bags and zips. Save the stress, go quality.
3. Freeze Balloons
The balloon method is certainly less popular, but in the right circumstances, it is just as effective. As you might have guessed, it involves putting water inside of a balloon and freezing it afterwards. In the end, you’ll have a perfectly smooth ball of ice.
It will result in the most aesthetic ice, however, it will require lots of free space in your freezer. Round objects aren’t exactly space-efficient.
Also, you’ll need to repurchase balloons regularly as they can only be used once. I’d recommend eco-friendly balloons as your balloon of choice.
4. Use an Ice Block Mold
An ice block mold is a great investment to support your ice supply. It performs its job excellently, as it is easy to handle and highly effective at ice production.