Transferred a dusty taste to my single malt beverage. Tried boiling them and washing them solo in the dishwasher over several cycles without soap and the still the dusty taste.

Dylistn wrote:cool idea but nonsense for cooling a drink.

Google: "heat of fusion"

Ice cools a drink by melting! Cold rocks will do very little.

But "on the rocks" with real rocks, is irresistible.

Bought several as gifts last time. Don't need any more.

Sort of. The heat of fusion is the amount of heat that must be put into a given mass of solid material in order to turn it into a liquid (or vice versa). Due to this, the temperature of ice cannot go above 0C (32F) until it has completely melted which makes it an EXCELLENT way to cool something. A material not going through a phase transition (like soapstone) must increase in temperature for every bit of heat exchanged with the drink so it is mostly only effective right away and loses effectiveness fairly quickly. It does have a fairly high heat capacity so it is better than some other materials for the job though. Soapstone cannot physically come even CLOSE to ice in its ability to reduce the temp of a liquid.

That said, I have 2 sets of these stones that I got for Christmas presents (were purchased for more than $9) and I love them. They cool my drink without getting it ice cold and they stop it from getting dilluted. A perfect combination to me.

Just like how a power drill can be much faster and more effective at screwing in some types of screws for many projects, I wouldn't use it to tighten the screws on my glasses. Same goes for ice vs. whiskey stones. Both serve the same purpose but have different applications.

jorta wrote: BTW, Why does the set consist of 9 rocks? Why not an even number like 8, 10 or 12?

Because 3 rocks per glass is the most aesthetically pleasing arrangement.

Big Whiskey Stones for your glass? At least they aren't ball shaped.

These again? Thanks but not this time... I already have 27 of them. Haha

wilcononomous wrote:Don't put them in a blender.

You're right. Wouldn't work that well to make margaritas on the rocks.

I bought two of these from a previous offering and haven't been entirely impressed. For those expecting it to cool your drink like ice, you'll be sorely disappointed. They really don't chill the drink much, if at all. If there is any chill, it goes away pretty quickly assuming you're not drinking outside in the dead of winter in Alaska. At least they stay at the bottom of the glass when sipping whiskey. Careful on the last sip. Would hate to hear reports of chipped teeth and choking.

If your idea is to give them as a gift, the recipient may just be confused about what to do with them and think "thanks for the box of rocks".

I bought these last time... does anyone else find it odd that the package it says the Food and Drug Administrations has found these "GRAS" or "Generally Recognized as Safe?"
seems weird to me, that i'm putting something they aren't real sure about in my drink.

well... i guess the alcohol will kill anything bad, right? haha

Thanks woot, I heard that guy who invented the pet rock made a million dollars.

tekkitan wrote:You would put ice in liquor. Amateur.

You would tell someone how to enjoy their liquor? Snob.

theroseknows wrote:I am from the "drink it however you like it" camp, and my teeth are already chipped anyway. Therefore, my biggest concern is what they do to your glass.

Do they scuff/scratch up your glasses over time? Immediately? I am not going to buy them if they are going to ruin my glassware.

My guess is that you're safe since glass is pretty hard. That's why it's an informal test for diamonds, the hardest substance (10) on the 10-point Moh's Scale (although cubic zirconia will also scratch glass). On the other hand, soapstone is made mostly of talc, the softest mineral on the scale (1). Soapstone is so soft that your fingernails, which ranks around Mohs 2.3, can scratch it. Glass, which is mostly quartz, is around a Mohs 6-7. As for your teeth, they're around a MOhs 5.

In absolute terms, glass/quartz is about 100 times harder than talc/soapstone (diamond is 1600 times harder than talc!). In other words, your glasses are pretty much safe from these whiskey stones.

'Will not react to household cleaners "

Yeah use these in your drink after using to chill your cleaners.

"Chill (or warm) and enjoy a perfectly balanced spirit "

I think its the whiskey that "balances" your spirit.

"Recycled soapstone from factory excess "

Refurbed soapstone for you to ingest.

"FDA approved GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe)"

Generally? kinda, maybe?

In for three. These are the best white elephant presents ever, and I also enjoy a little whiskey myself.

Wow! the Auto-word-scrambler is cool. I'll have to try some other 3 or 4 letter combos.

draigun wrote:ninja'd due to server errors. I was wondering this, too.

I've had mine for over a year and they seem to be the same size. They don't get that much wear and tear. It's not like you're shaking them in a cocktail mixer. At least I hope you're not.

Fringy wrote:Transferred a dusty taste to my single malt beverage. Tried boiling them and washing them solo in the dishwasher over several cycles without soap and the still the dusty taste.

I have not had the same experience. In fact, did a side by side blind taste test of "stoned" versus "un-stoned" with some Lagavulin and could not tell the difference.

nm3210 wrote:Is Woot trying to tell us something?

February 21st, 2012
January 17th, 2012
December 6th, 2011
November 30th, 2011
November 8th, 2011

Forgive me because some of these are from Woot-offs, but seriously Woot!, you haven't been the same since Amazon bought you.

Perhaps Woot believes we are all lushes and believe we like these considering they sold 49,687 on Nov 30th. Sold out at 4:24 PM.

You're right about the Amazon comment. In my opinion, Woot is better now.

vudean wrote:I bought these last time... does anyone else find it odd that the package it says the Food and Drug Administrations has found these "GRAS" or "Generally Recognized as Safe?"
seems weird to me, that i'm putting something they aren't real sure about in my drink.

Many of the additives that are in food have this same designation as do most vitamins and other suppliments. It just means that there have not been extensive human trials over long periods of time to prove there are no long term health effects.

The cool factor far exceeds the actual function of these stones. Was disappointed - did not keep drink cold or even lukecold (not a word, but it conveys the thought).

From The FDA Website:
""GRAS" is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use...."

GRAS basically means it's so safe that it doesn't warrant regulation by FDA.

I bought a set of these a few months back. They might work ok in a small mixed drink glass but I did not think they worked all that well, compared to ice cubes, in a glass holding a full can of coke.

My wife got these for me two years ago. I still have not used them. I put one ice cube in my scotch or bourbon not really for a little chill but to mostly open the flavors. I over do it with a splash of water (water helps, but just a little) and one cube is good metering for me.

sdc100 wrote:Woot's auto-word scrambler!!

We can always fix that, if you want. ;)

tekkitan wrote:You would put ice in liquor. Amateur.

You're a "professional" drinker? Lush.

The sip when these things bang into your teeth will be the last sip you take with them in your glass. This was my first and so far my only disappointing WOOT! buy.

Waste of money..had them threw them away..did not chill my scotch after being frozen....

I bought a set of these before and they showed up very badly damaged. They rolled around in the box and caused the edges to grind. They were all mostly broken and giving off debris that I would not want in my whiskey.

I'm not sure what kind of stone this actually is but it does not seem to be very hard at all.

I will say that woot was very accommodating and refunded my money after I sent a few pictures over.

I really want a nice set of these but honestly I don't think this set is worth the money. Perhaps someone makes these out of a harder rock that won't wear out over time.

mobiusm1 wrote:Soapstone is 1/4 the specific heat of water, so should generally be expected to only work about 1/4 as well as ice. Does anyone know from experience how well these work in practice for chilling drinks? (especially warm ones?)

I keep a set I got for Christmas in the freezer actually in my ice tray underneath all the ice that come out of my automatic ice maker. When I put the stones into a glass of whiskey, they do chill it moderately. However, it seems like they don't keep it cool for that long. By the time I'm done with my drink I can reach in and pull the stones out and they feel room temperature. If you want cold, stick with ice. If you don't want cold, but just cool and not watered down... these are perfect.

inkycatz wrote:We can always fix that, if you want. ;)

No no no ... I'm sick of having to use "arse" when to bypass Woot's word scrambler since I'm not British!

Trivia: The Hallmark Channel bleeps out the word "ass" ... so sitcoms like "Frasier" can get pretty distracting. Complaints are mounting though since Hallmark is a cable station and even non-cable networks have allowed the word for over a decade (hence its frequent use on "Frasier"). And BTW, in the past, British TV banned the word "arse" but allowed "ass." I guess they, like Woot, were animal lovers...

My buddy got me something like this. They are plastic with water inside. I am almost convinced they alter the flavor of my drink. Can anyone chime in and offer experience of the flavor with and without these?

Fringy wrote:Transferred a dusty taste to my single malt beverage. Tried boiling them and washing them solo in the dishwasher over several cycles without soap and the still the dusty taste.

I'm not sure what a dusty taste is, but given that much of soapstone is talc, I don't doubt that small flecks can come off. In fact, it's the reason soapstone feels like soap. Talc is the softest substance on the Mohs Scale -- so soft that your finger nails can scratch it.

denise1962 wrote:Perhaps Woot believes we are all lushes and believe we like these considering they sold 49,687 on Nov 30th. Sold out at 4:24 PM.

You're right about the Amazon comment. In my opinion, Woot is better now.

Wholeheartedly agreed. Amazon is easily the best thing on the web (well besides all the...you know). The idea that a company pretty much made of awesome has made woot worse is just..illogical. Better than it's ever been, IMO.


I'm typically a bourbon drinker, and I always go with a cube unless I'm mixing a Sour, so these are intriguing, but I think the water is kind of integral to that whole combination. Not sure how I'd do trying to figure out how much to splash in.

Put me squarely on the fence this morning.



*OW*

How are these better than just picking up some largeish gravel from your driveway and sticking it in the freezer? They seem pretty expensive for boring old rocks.

HAHA, I agree! Yeah I have a set of these (not the same brand) that really absolutely do nothing to make the 1.5-2 ounces of whiskey in my glass cold (despite feeling cold to the touch themselves). If you use 6 cubes, you might get a noticeable effect, but you might as well just chill the glass itself and not use any of these duds. I still use them anyway because I "want" to think they do something since they do look badass having your drink on the ROCKS...

I don't have anything new to add, except that I really love these things.

When I drink scotch or a nice single barrel bourbon (such as Four Roses) I Anvilania to dilute my whiskey. The flavor and taste of the whiskey is what I want. The stones cool the whiskey such that it is no longer room temperature, thus making it more palatable and pleasant to drink.

When I drink a blended or particularly strong bourbon, such as Maker's Mark, I add a bit of ice. I do this because the whiskey is too strong up front and by diluting it I am able to open up the whiskey and I can taste its deliciousness better.

So, the stones are not for every drink. I find that it classes up my drinks, and makes it slightly more delicious as well.

makes your wiskey smell like your freezer.

These, while not making your whiskey super cold, which it shouldn't, since whiskey is meant to be served slightly chilled, DO chill your whiskey while not melting and diluting a perfectly whiskey with tap water.

General Warning: DO NOT handle or make direct skin contact with stones warmer than room temperature. DO NOT let children handle stones or put them in their mouth.

Does this mean my girlfriend can't put my stones in her mouth???

Bought these stones about 3mos ago. They won't chill your drink, but they do keep it cool without watering down your drink. I bought another set today. Good Price.

I have these stones, and while they don't dilute your Scotch, they also don't chill it either. The stones just don't stay cold for long enough to cool a drink.

how great is this! Ice always waters me white wine - and it's NEVER cold enough - just throw rocks at it!!! Woo-hoo