Most people are happy to use regular, homemade ice cubes in their drinks. But there is actually such a thing as a perfect, ‘luxury’ ice cube, available to those who can afford it. It is supposed be healthier and last longer than those measly chunks of ice we have lying around in our freezers.

The concept of healthy ice, I must say, sounds ridiculous. And so does the price – a whopping $325.50 for a bag of 50 cubes. That sure is a lot of money for frozen water, don’t you think? But according to the manufacturers, Gläce Luxury Ice Co, these cubes are definitely worth the dough, because they provide ‘minimum dilution and maximum cooling’. Their luxury ice is also tasteless, which allows consumers to ‘maximise the beverage experience’ at high profile parties and events.

In fact the company insists that the good old-fashioned way of making ice – filling plastic trays with water – might actually be damaging people’s health. “Traditional machine-ice, generally made with local tap water, may contain upwards of 150 impurities and carcinogens, resulting in poor tasting and potentially unhealthy ice,” they claim. Because high quality drinks deserve high quality cooling, Gläce Ice is supposed to be the solution to all our cooling needs.

Each cube is hand-carved from a 300-pound, 8,000-cubic inch block of purified ice, which is made by freezing water from the outside so the center of the ice is stirred to allow gases to escape. When they are almost frozen, they are drained and replaced with sprayed layers, making them perfectly clear in appearance.

Then, they are shaped into cubes or spheres, completely clear and free from impurities. The cubes measure exactly 2.5 inches on each side, and can last up to 40 minutes in a drink. The spheres are supposed to be ‘the most mathematically efficient way to cool your drink’ – they can last for 20 to 30 minutes, owing to their smaller size. The ice is then stuffed and sold in re-sealable bags, with a one-way air valve to push out possibly dirty ambient air. So even if they do melt, you are left with a bag of pristine water.

Roberto Sequeira, the founder of Gläce Luxury Ice Co, is a business school lecturer who spent days dreaming up the ‘perfect’ business idea. He finally came up with the idea for luxury ice – a business that is niche, high margin and scalable. Here’s the shocker – the giant blocks of ice cost only about $60 to $100, and are enough to make 500 luxury cubes. And the company is selling them at over $300 dollars for a bag of 50. I’ll let you to do the math.

via Daily Mail