Sifting though listing of ice ball presses or in conversation with your local bartender, it's not uncommon to come across the terminology of Japanese Ice Press (sometimes referred to as a Japanese ice mold, but we think that's misleading given the many actual plastic ice molds out there). What's interesting about this is that many of the ice presses you have seen or heard of are made by companies based in the United States (Like Bar & Craft). So why is it so common to see ice sphere presses referred to as Japanese ice presses?
From what we can gather, the concept of an ice press is actually not one that originated from the US. In the early 2000's in Japan, it was common for bartenders to carve out ice spheres by hand to include in the drinks they serve to their patrons. One day, a precision metal works expert observed this process and believed there was a better way to create ice spheres without having to hand carve them, and came up with the concept of the ice press.
With ice presses being so often referred to as Japanese ice presses, there must be a difference between the two, right?
Functionally, no.
Maybe some domestic ice press companies refer to themselves as Japanese ice presses to pay homage to the product's origin or to adopt perceived quality because of the revered Japanese craftmanship. A Japanese ice press can also simply be an ice press built in Japan! Either way, it's important to be mindful of the terminology being used and to use the qualities of the ice press you want as the determining factor for purchasing, not what it's called.
