Method and apparatus for making clear ice

A refrigeration appliance including an ice maker for making substantially-transparent ice comprising:

• a fresh food compartment in which a refrigeration temperature that is greater than 32° F. and less than 55° F. is maintained;
• a water tray disposed within the fresh food compartment and exposed to an ambient environment of the fresh food compartment maintained at the refrigeration temperature, the water tray comprising a bottom surface and an upwardly extending wall forming a reservoir for holding a volume of water;
• a plurality of fingers supported adjacent to the water tray to be at least partially submerged in water within the water tray;
• an evaporator in thermal communication with the fingers for chilling an exposed surface of the fingers to a finger temperature that is less than 32° F.;
• and
• a controller for controlling a depth of water relative to the fingers to repeatedly submerge at least a portion of the fingers in the water and subsequently remove the fingers from the water to build substantially-transparent ice on an exposed surface of the fingers.

A refrigeration appliance including an ice maker for making substantially-transparent ice comprising:

• a fresh food compartment in which a refrigeration temperature greater than or equal to 32° F. and less than 55° F. is maintained;
• a water tray disposed within the fresh food compartment and comprising a bottom surface and an upwardly extending wall forming a reservoir for holding a volume of water;
• a plurality of fingers supported within the fresh food compartment adjacent to the water tray to be at least partially submerged in water within the water tray;
• an evaporator in thermal communication with the fingers for chilling an exposed surface of the fingers to a finger temperature within a range of about 28° F. to about 32° F.;
• a second evaporator in thermal communication with the fresh food compartment to maintain the refrigeration temperature therein, wherein
• the second evaporator is operable independent of the evaporator in thermal communication with the fingers;
• a compressor for introducing a refrigerant to both the evaporator in thermal communication with the fingers and the second evaporator;
• means for separating the ice from the fingers;
• and
• means for repeatedly adjusting a depth to which the fingers are submerged in the water within the water tray during formation of the substantially-transparent ice.