Does Warm Water Freeze Quicker than Cold Water?

Experimental evidence seems to indicate that hot water does indeed freeze faster than cold water - this seems counterintuitive and there are a number of different explanations for the phenomenon. I don't think anyone has found a grant to study it in depth so there are not clear answers to the cause.
Thermal contact argument
The hot water melts the ice under the tray and when it refreezes there is more surface area in contact with the ice tray. …