How to Make Hot Ice
Choose a large cooking pot., Add baking soda., Pour in white vinegar., Wait until the liquid stops fizzing., Make sure the liquid is completely clear., Boil until the first trace of a film appears on the surface., Scrape off the crystals on the side...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a large cooking pot.
This must be a clean pot made of steel or Pyrex, and should hold about two quarts (two liters) or more. "Hot ice" is non-toxic, so don't worry about ruining your cookware.
Do not use a copper pot. -
Step 2: Add baking soda.
Measure out three tablespoons (45 mL) baking soda into the pot.
You cannot use baking powder, which contains other chemicals that interfere with the process. , Measure out about one quart (liter) white vinegar, then pour it bit by bit into the container.
It will fizz immediately, so don't pour too quickly or it might overflow.
This measurement assumes you're using 5% acetic acid, which is a common concentration for commercial vinegar.
This doesn't need to be a precise measurement, though. , The vinegar (acetic acid) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) are reacting to produce sodium acetate, along with the carbon dioxide that causes all this fizzing.
Give the liquid a good stir as it fizzes to make sure all the baking soda is mixed in, then wait for the reaction to end. , If you still see a single grain of baking soda, add more vinegar until they all disappear.
Any baking soda left in the liquid could freeze your "hot ice" before you want it to, later in the process. , Vinegar is mostly water, which you'll need to boil away.
Once about 90% of the liquid is gone — which could take half an hour of boiling or more — a crusty film will begin to form on the surface.
This means all the excess water is gone and you need to turn off the heat as fast as possible.
If you let too much of a crust develop, your liquid will get cloudy and not work very well.
If it does get very brown and cloudy, add a bit more vinegar and boil again.
The sodium acetate starts out as "sodium acetate trihydrate," meaning it contains water.
Once all the water around it is gone, those water molecules start to evaporate and the sodium acetate becomes "sodium acetate anhydrous," meaning "without water."
As the water level gets lower, you'll notice powdery sodium acetate crystals sticking to the inside of the pot.
You'll need these later, so use a spoon to gather them in a separate container.
You can do this at any point while the mixture is boiling. , Ladle the liquid into Pyrex glass or another container that can safely hold hot liquid.
Make sure not to get any solid crystals into this container.
Cover tightly.
It's a good idea to add 1 or 2 tablespoons (15–30 mL) of vinegar.
The vinegar will help keep the solution in its aqueous state, instead of forming that crust again. , Wait until the container of sodium acetate cools to room temperature or lower.
This should take about 15 minutes in a bowl of ice water, or longer in the fridge.
The goal is to "super-cool" the sodium acetate trihydrate.
This means it will drop below its freezing temperature, but still remain liquid.
If the liquid freezes during this stage, there might be a solid piece of crystal in it, or some other impurity.
Add more vinegar, return to the stovetop, and try again.
This is a difficult process, so it's rare that you'll get it on your first try. , Use the powder scrapings you removed from the pot while you were boiling down the solution.
Start with a small pinch or two; if they have no effect, add more. , The solid sodium acetate provides a seed crystal for all the super-cooled acetate to grow from.
Since the sodium acetate is already super-cooled and ready to freeze, this should set off a rapid chain reaction, freezing the entire solution.
This releases heat, which you can easily feel if you put your hands near the container.
If this does not happen, there is a problem with your solution.
Add more vinegar and boil again — or try the more reliable store-bought method below. -
Step 3: Pour in white vinegar.
-
Step 4: Wait until the liquid stops fizzing.
-
Step 5: Make sure the liquid is completely clear.
-
Step 6: Boil until the first trace of a film appears on the surface.
-
Step 7: Scrape off the crystals on the side of the pot.
-
Step 8: Transfer to a sealed container.
-
Step 9: Chill the container in an ice bath.
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Step 10: Add a bit of crystallized sodium acetate to your aqueous solution.
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Step 11: Watch your hot ice form.
Detailed Guide
This must be a clean pot made of steel or Pyrex, and should hold about two quarts (two liters) or more. "Hot ice" is non-toxic, so don't worry about ruining your cookware.
Do not use a copper pot.
Measure out three tablespoons (45 mL) baking soda into the pot.
You cannot use baking powder, which contains other chemicals that interfere with the process. , Measure out about one quart (liter) white vinegar, then pour it bit by bit into the container.
It will fizz immediately, so don't pour too quickly or it might overflow.
This measurement assumes you're using 5% acetic acid, which is a common concentration for commercial vinegar.
This doesn't need to be a precise measurement, though. , The vinegar (acetic acid) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) are reacting to produce sodium acetate, along with the carbon dioxide that causes all this fizzing.
Give the liquid a good stir as it fizzes to make sure all the baking soda is mixed in, then wait for the reaction to end. , If you still see a single grain of baking soda, add more vinegar until they all disappear.
Any baking soda left in the liquid could freeze your "hot ice" before you want it to, later in the process. , Vinegar is mostly water, which you'll need to boil away.
Once about 90% of the liquid is gone — which could take half an hour of boiling or more — a crusty film will begin to form on the surface.
This means all the excess water is gone and you need to turn off the heat as fast as possible.
If you let too much of a crust develop, your liquid will get cloudy and not work very well.
If it does get very brown and cloudy, add a bit more vinegar and boil again.
The sodium acetate starts out as "sodium acetate trihydrate," meaning it contains water.
Once all the water around it is gone, those water molecules start to evaporate and the sodium acetate becomes "sodium acetate anhydrous," meaning "without water."
As the water level gets lower, you'll notice powdery sodium acetate crystals sticking to the inside of the pot.
You'll need these later, so use a spoon to gather them in a separate container.
You can do this at any point while the mixture is boiling. , Ladle the liquid into Pyrex glass or another container that can safely hold hot liquid.
Make sure not to get any solid crystals into this container.
Cover tightly.
It's a good idea to add 1 or 2 tablespoons (15–30 mL) of vinegar.
The vinegar will help keep the solution in its aqueous state, instead of forming that crust again. , Wait until the container of sodium acetate cools to room temperature or lower.
This should take about 15 minutes in a bowl of ice water, or longer in the fridge.
The goal is to "super-cool" the sodium acetate trihydrate.
This means it will drop below its freezing temperature, but still remain liquid.
If the liquid freezes during this stage, there might be a solid piece of crystal in it, or some other impurity.
Add more vinegar, return to the stovetop, and try again.
This is a difficult process, so it's rare that you'll get it on your first try. , Use the powder scrapings you removed from the pot while you were boiling down the solution.
Start with a small pinch or two; if they have no effect, add more. , The solid sodium acetate provides a seed crystal for all the super-cooled acetate to grow from.
Since the sodium acetate is already super-cooled and ready to freeze, this should set off a rapid chain reaction, freezing the entire solution.
This releases heat, which you can easily feel if you put your hands near the container.
If this does not happen, there is a problem with your solution.
Add more vinegar and boil again — or try the more reliable store-bought method below.
About the Author
Jacob Martinez
Jacob Martinez has dedicated 9 years to mastering education and learning. As a content creator, Jacob focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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