Ice making assembly with twist ice tray and directional cooling

A method of defrosting an ice tray after making ice, comprising the steps of:

• filling an ice tray with water, the ice tray having an axis of rotation, a distal end, a motor engaging end, and plurality of ice compartments;
• freezing the water in the ice compartments into clear ice by:
• providing a plurality of heat sinks disposed on a bottom side of the plurality of ice compartments;
• removing heat from the plurality of heat sinks by blowing cool air underneath the ice tray;
• and
• warming an upper portion of the ice compartments;
• removing defrost water from the heat sinks by:
• providing at least one defrost water channel on a bottom side of the ice tray from the motor engaging end to the distal end and along the axis of rotation;
• providing at least one defrost water channel along one of the distal end and the motor engaging end and in liquid communication with the at least one defrost water channel along the axis of rotation;
• delivering defrost water to a drain or defrost water catch tray positioned at one of the distal end and the motor engaging end.

A method of making ice pieces comprising the steps of:

• providing an ice making assembly comprising:
• a motor;
• an ice piece forming tray having a motor engaging end, a distal end, a first side, and a second side;
• and
• a plurality of ice piece making compartments divided by divider walls;
• a plurality of metal heat sinks engaged to a bottom surface of the plurality of ice piece making compartments, wherein the plurality of metal heat sinks each have a plurality of downwardly extending and spaced apart fins that extend away from the bottom surface of each of the plurality of ice piece making compartment;
• a first defrost water channel positioned at least substantially parallel to or along an axis of rotation of the ice piece forming tray, and a second defrost water channel positioned along one of the motor engaging end and the distal end, wherein the first and second defrost water channels engage one another in liquid communication;
• placing an ice piece forming tray canopy spaced a distance above and covering the ice piece forming tray wherein the ice piece forming tray canopy includes a heater and a temperature sensor;
• filling the plurality of ice piece making compartments with an amount of water;
• oscillating the ice piece forming tray;
• using the temperature sensor and the heater to maintain an air temperature above the plurality of ice piece making compartments above freezing during at least a portion of a time for forming the ice pieces;
• moving air below 32 degrees Fahrenheit through the plurality of downwardly extending and spaced apart fins;
• forming the ice pieces within the plurality of ice piece making compartments directionally with freezing starting from a portion of the plurality of ice piece making compartments distal from the canopy and proximate the heat sink and toward a top of the plurality of ice piece making compartments;
• rotating the ice piece forming tray with one or more formed ice pieces spaced within the plurality of ice piece making compartments to invert the ice piece forming tray until the tray is at least about 160 degrees rotated from its level, flat, and upwardly facing position;
• and
• twisting the ice piece forming tray to release the one or more ice pieces within the ice piece forming tray;
• and
• wherein the step of rotating the ice piece forming tray comprises moving the plurality of downwardly extending and spaced apart fins into closer proximity to the canopy and into a volume of air proximate the canopy that has a temperature above freezing due to heat applied to the volume of air proximate the canopy from the heater such that frost on the plurality of downwardly extending and spaced apart fins melts and enters at least one of the at least one defrost water channels.