How to make perfect ice cubes.

[KC0VWU]

I hate it when ice cubes turn out all fragmented and broken but this way they come out nicely formed and in one piece. You will have the best ice cubes of your life.

Start with a clean tray free of any leftover ice chunks.

Fill with COLD water. I've tested this a million times and trust me, you need cold water for this to work.

Now put the ice cube trays in the freezer in a SINGLE LAYER. Do NOT stack them and don't put anything directly over them without at least a 3 to 5 inch gap. This is extremely important. If you stack the trays the top one will be good but the bottom one won't.

There, I just saved you from a lifetime of ice cube agony. You're welcome.

[K9STH]

Or, do as I do: Use an ice maker in the freezing compartment!

Glen, K9STH

[KC0VWU]

Quote[/b] (K9STH @ May 20 2007,13:37)]Or, do as I do: Use an ice maker in the freezing compartment!

Glen, K9STH
Well you could do that but where is your sense of adventure?

[KW4MW]

I haven't filled an ice cube tray in years. $75 buys a nice in freezer ice maker. Chuga chuga chuga - another load of ice.

[n2ize]

Take a large block of ice. Place in a large open area clear from any obstacles and out of the way or persons or property. Take your favorite rifle, stand a few yards away, take aim and shoot. That will give you all the chopped ice you need.

[N7RJD]

Never thought we'd have to resort to posting recipes for ice. Must be a slow news day. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[KC0VWU]

Quote[/b] (KE7DLG @ May 20 2007,14:13)]Never thought we'd have to resort to posting recipes for ice. Must be a slow news day. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
No it is just my way of giving back to the community. Try it and let me know if your ice experience has improved.

[ve2nsm]

Quote[/b] (KC0VWU @ May 21 2007,14:31)]I hate it when ice cubes turn out all fragmented and broken but this way they come out nicely formed and in one piece. You will have the best ice cubes of your life.

Start with a clean tray free of any leftover ice chunks.

Fill with COLD water. I've tested this a million times and trust me, you need cold water for this to work.

Now put the ice cube trays in the freezer in a SINGLE LAYER. Do NOT stack them and don't put anything directly over them without at least a 3 to 5 inch gap. This is extremely important. If you stack the trays the top one will be good but the bottom one won't.

There, I just saved you from a lifetime of ice cube agony. You're welcome.
You have too much time on your hands.

[KC0VWU]

Quote[/b] (ve2nsm @ May 20 2007,14:19)]You have too much time on your hands.
Maybe but I bet my ice cubes are better than yours.

[K2WH]

Since we are speaking of ice. Try this and get back to nature. Next time it snows, get a cup of snow and pour your favorite liquor, (cream de Menth etc.) over it. Sort of like a snow cone. Of course country snow is more pure than city snow. Oh, beware of yellow snow - do not use it.

K2W

[K9STH]

When I was in high school and college I worked summers in an ice plant a few of times (early 1960s). Of the various things that were done was to take 400 pound blocks of ice and run them through a machine that cut the blocks into ice cubes. Those were then "bagged" and trucked to restaurants and bars to use in drinks. Now most of those establishments did have ice makers but those machines couldn't keep up during the summer months.

We also ran the large blocks of ice through a machine that created "crushed ice" which was sold to restaurants, bars, construction companies (to put in the water coolers at job sites), etc.

There were even a few customers that took the full 400 pound blocks of ice. Generally those were fishing boats on Lake Michigan but the Chicago, South Shore, and South Bend Railway had us deliver several blocks of ice every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for use by their maintence crews.

Then there was one elderly lady in Michigan City, Indiana, who still had an "ice box". She had one of the old window cards that had the quanity of ice that was needed printed so that there were 8 weights indicated (4 on each side of the card). The weight that the customer wanted was indicated by the top number on the card when it was placed in the window. She usually got ice twice a week. Unfortunately, she lived in a upstairs apartment and whoever delivered the ice had to carry it up the stairs (and she usually got a 50 pound block). The woman was pretty "poor" and her ice box was several decades old. Finally, a local charity got a used refrigerator for her and hauled off her ice box. Those of us who had to deliver her ice were definitely VERY happy!

Glen, K9STH

[N7RJD]

Quote[/b] (KC0VWU @ May 21 2007,05:18)]Quote[/b] (KE7DLG @ May 20 2007,14:13)]Never thought we'd have to resort to posting recipes for ice. Must be a slow news day. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
No it is just my way of giving back to the community. Try it and let me know if your ice experience has improved.
Actually I got tired of being the only one to fill the trays which were empty every time I reached for a few cubes. I have been using the auto maker for years and will have it no other way.

Of course, being basically lazy, my preferred way of making ice is to wait for winter. Then you'll have more than you ever wanted. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[ve2nsm]

Quote[/b] (KC0VWU @ May 21 2007,15:20)]Quote[/b] (ve2nsm @ May 20 2007,14:19)]You have too much time on your hands.
Maybe but I bet my ice cubes are better than yours.
Maybe, but I don't care, they'll melt anyways http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[N2RJ]

Two words - ice machine.

Push the button and ice falls down.

[W2ILP]

After all the threads about "theoretical" man made global warming...Now here we have a thread about man made ice. #How cool?

w2ilp (Icy Little Pieces) may not look good but they cool drinks more efficently as they have more surface area than big cubes.

[KC0VWU]

Quote[/b] (W2ILP @ May 20 2007,16:24)]Aftert all the threads about "theoretical" man made global warming...Now here we have a thread about man made ice. How cool?

w2ilp (Icy Little Pieces) may not look good but they cool drinks more efficently as they have more surface area than big cubes.
Yeah but they get in the way when you try to drink something. That is why perfect ice cubes are so important.

or you could keep your drinks in the refrigerator in the first place ;)

i remember when i used to make those little Popsicles out of rootbeer or something like that by doing that http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[ae4fa]

I stack the trays and never have any of the problems the original poster presented. Have to - it's a side by side fridge.

Just gotta make sure not to overfill.

or pull them out upside down, lol
(not admitting to anything)

[KI4PEQ]

Quote[/b] (KC0VWU @ May 21 2007,12:31)]I hate it when ice cubes turn out all fragmented and broken but this way they come out nicely formed and in one piece. You will have the best ice cubes of your life.

Start with a clean tray free of any leftover ice chunks.

Fill with COLD water. #I've tested this a million times and trust me, you need cold water for this to work.

Now put the ice cube trays in the freezer in a SINGLE LAYER. Do NOT stack them and don't put anything directly over them without at least a 3 to 5 inch gap. #This is extremely important. If you stack the trays the top one will be good but the bottom one won't.

There, I just saved you from a lifetime of ice cube agony. You're welcome.
I'm glad you published this now instead of later. You could die later, and taken the recipe to to the grave.

[W2ILP]

IF
you can chug down your drink long before the ice melts...
You'll be a man my son.

w2ilp (Ice Looks Pretty)...but lime wedges, olives or cherries may be prettier. Never put ice in wine...drink it streaight. If you must cool wine, cool it by refrigerating it for a short time before serving. I drink my home made sake at room temperature...although I know some Japanese prefer to heat it. Pina coladas and other tropcal or rum mixed drinks are made in a blender that is strong enough to also crush ice. Many blenders are not so powerful and quickly have burnt out motors.

[KW4MW]

As long as we're on this cool subject (sorry http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif ) -

I've been told that one can cool things down, i.e a six pack for instance, by buying it in sand, pouring gasolene over it and lighting the gasolene.

Now it makes sense that the evaporating gas surrounding the six pack will cool it down but is it very effective? I think for it to be effective the sand would have to be in a container instead of using the entire beach front.

Has anybody every done this or at least seen it done?

[W2ILP]

Never put ice in beer. #Refrigerate the beer bottles or cans. #Wet beer mugs and put them into the freezer upside down and serve beer in the frosted mugs.

w2ilp (I Loathe Pilasters)...I'm a mug man myself.

[W1GUH]

One thing that always eluded me about ice cubes...how to make them clear. I once read about boiling out all the air, but that didn't work. A friend used to freeze gallon jugs of water, then chip away at that until he got perfectly clear ice.

How do professional ice makers do it?

[W2ILP]

kw4mw

I hope that you never run out of ice before you run out of liqour...because if you do you may be in no condition to "pour gasoline and fire it up."

w2ilp (Inhibit Liqour Pouring)...Have an assigned bartender do it if you're having more than one...six pack!

[N4AUD]

John Wayne used to serve drinks with ice from a chunk of iceberg...

[W2ILP]

Ice cubes will be clear if they are made with very clear water. #Where sink water is cloudy some folks use bottled water to make ice....BUT sometimes cloudy water ice can actually add a regional taste to drinks and the slight metalic flavors are actually enjoyed.


Too much ice... waters down drinks...and don't try to fool serioius drinkers by adding lots of ice and think that they will #only see the tip of large floating ice cubes.

Orange juce with ice,
is nice.
--sung by Dustin Hoffman, as he played Ratso Rizzo in "Midnight Cowboy"--

...BUT Vodka makes a screwdriver.

w2ilp (I Loathe Pepsi) and I get no kick out of Coke either.

[W2ILP]

Who cares what John Wayne drank?

Charlie Chaplin ate a boot.

w2ilp (It Looked Possible)...but it was only possible in the movies.

[KC0VWU]

Quote[/b] (KI4PEQ @ May 20 2007,18:08)]Quote[/b] (KC0VWU @ May 21 2007,12:31)]I hate it when ice cubes turn out all fragmented and broken but this way they come out nicely formed and in one piece. You will have the best ice cubes of your life.

Start with a clean tray free of any leftover ice chunks.

Fill with COLD water. I've tested this a million times and trust me, you need cold water for this to work.

Now put the ice cube trays in the freezer in a SINGLE LAYER. Do NOT stack them and don't put anything directly over them without at least a 3 to 5 inch gap. This is extremely important. If you stack the trays the top one will be good but the bottom one won't.

There, I just saved you from a lifetime of ice cube agony. You're welcome.
I'm glad you published this now instead of later. You could die later, and taken the recipe to to the grave.
Yeah I figured it would be a good idea to post it ASAP. I hope that you are able to put this valuable information to good use.

[N0KLT]

Quote[/b] (W2ILP @ May 21 2007,20:34)]Who cares what John Wayne drank?
John Wayne cared for one person http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[ka5piu]

Hello.

Good ice makers have a trick or two.
First off, the water gets filtered, that helps quite a bit.
Next, a touch of vacuum and a spray of water.
The vacuum helps remove what gas and impurity may be there and the spray allows the ice to form in thin sheets.
By the use of all of the tricks of the trade one can have crystal clear ice.

[K9STH]

GUH:

I haven't been around an ice house since like 1964. However, the large plants that actually made the 400 pound blocks of ice induced air into the block as it was freezing. The result was that the very center of the blocks usually were cloudy but like 99 percent of the ice was perfectly clear.

Once in a while we would get a block that was perfectly clear. However, most of them had a small area in the middle that was cloudy due to very small air bubbles.

Glen, K9STH

[N4AUD]

Quote[/b] (W2ILP @ May 21 2007,22:34)]Who cares what John Wayne drank?

Charlie Chaplin ate a boot.

w2ilp (It Looked Possible)...but it was only possible in the movies.
It was just a bit of trivia. Way more people care what John Wayne drank than care what you drink...

[kf6rdn]

Quote[/b] (n2ize @ May 21 2007,10:51)]Take a large block of ice. Place in a large open area clear from any obstacles and out of the way or persons or property. Take your favorite rifle, stand a few yards away, take aim and shoot. That will give you all the chopped ice you need.
Favorite high velocity round makes this extra amusing. Useless as ice though.

[W2LYS]

Glad to see this post... I lost the recipe...

[KC0VWU]

Quote[/b] (W2LYS @ May 20 2007,23:30)]Glad to see this post... I lost the recipe...
You might want to bookmark this thread.

[WF7A]

My family was very poor when I was growing up, so we couldn't afford anything close to a 'fridge with an ice maker, let alone make ice: all we had were monoxides.

It may surprise some of you but ice making has been around for centuries, even in the deserts: people would dampen a cloth then let it evaporate overnight; it would be covered with sheet ice in the morning. The folk would then break the ice into pieces and store them in clay pots underground. The ancients may have lacked technology, but hey weren't dopes...but somehow, it's hard to imagine Montezuma himself downing a glass of Lipton ice tea...though that'd be one helluva an endorsement.

[ka3trx]

Mythbusters tried the beer/sand/gasoline thing. It didn't work for them.

[k9kjm]

Yep, "Mythbusters" TV show had a whole segment on cooling beer........ #The gasoline trick did not work at all.
It takes about 40 minutes in a standard refrigerator to cool your beer down..... #The QUICKEST way to cool your beer is with the CO2 fire extinguisher....... # #(Or dry Ice) That really cools in a hurry!

A friend of mine was on a mission to get "clear" ice cubes and did some real research on how to do it.
Some of the previous replies are correct. Filtered water is needed to get the really clear ice. #
He wound up getting a reverse osmosis water filter for his sink/ ice making! # #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[N3ATS]

Quote[/b] (K9STH @ May 21 2007,13:37)]Or, do as I do: Use an ice maker in the freezing compartment!

Glen, K9STH
Appliance operator.

[VE1IDX]

I believe it is necessary to keep the water moving while it is allowed to freeze from the bottom up in order to make clear ice.Kinda makes it hard to do in the ice cube trays.

Linky (http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF8/864.html)

[K8ERV]

Quote[/b] (KC0VWU @ May 21 2007,11:31)]Fill with COLD water. #I've tested this a million times and trust me, you need cold water for this to work.
My, you must be knee deep in ice cubes. Should help to combat the global warming.

Tom K8ERV Montrose Co.

[K8ERV]

Quote[/b] (K9STH @ May 21 2007,11:37)]#Use an ice maker in the freezing compartment!
I do that too, but have to let her out near mealtime--

Tom K8ERV Montrose Co.

[KB0LPI]

Quote[/b] (W1GUH @ May 21 2007,21:14)]One thing that always eluded me about ice cubes...how to make them clear. #I once read about boiling out all the air, but that didn't work. #A friend used to freeze gallon jugs of water, then chip away at that until he got perfectly clear ice.

How do professional ice makers do it?
When I used to do the ice thing we made 300lb blocks for carving, so being being clear was crucial. The secret was circulation. We used a small aquarium type pump to keep the water moving. The freezing was done by metal plates on the sides and bottom, so the block froze gradually from the bottom up. When the block froze high enough that the intake to the pump froze and no water was moving, then the very top would start to go cloudy.Then we chopped off the cloudy top part with an electric chainsaw.

Edit: Whoops, IDX beat me to it.

[W4HAY]

The perfect Martini: keep the Gin (or Vodka) and a small heavy glass in the freezer and the Vermouth in the 'fridge. Put three parts liquor to one part wine into the glass. Don't stir, don't shake (sorry, 007!) -- just enjoy.

[ki4ned]

Quote[/b] ]I drink my home made sake at room temperature.


how do you make sake? i love that stuff

[w4rot]

"Then you kick the bear in the icehole."
Oops sorry....wrong thread.
Ilovethatjoke,NC
rot

[N7RJD]

Quote[/b] (K8ERV @ May 23 2007,02:56)]Quote[/b] (K9STH @ May 21 2007,11:37)] Use an ice maker in the freezing compartment!
I do that too, but have to let her out near mealtime--
Of course. Don't want to have to make your own meals.

[kb2vxa]

No problem for me, my friend in South Australia sends his dog to Antarctica where he trades his biscuits for ice with the penguins. Then he brings it back on the sled and I get all the ice cubes I can use as e-mail attachments.

For the flavored kind I use mom's recipe.

"I remember when I used to make those little Popsicles out of root beer or something like that by doing that."

Allow me to elaborate. Fill the tray with root beer, Coke, Dr. Pepper, Kool Aid or whatever, cover with Saran Wrap and poke toothpicks into the wells.

It's better if you have an old fashioned freezer, those frost free ones ablate the ice and in a few days you have flat ice pops several times more concentrated than you'd like. That's why they're FROST FREE dummy!

I almost forgot the dog! He's negotiating with the penguins to grow lettuce on their icebergs, I hope he finishes soon and gets back to hauling ice cubes before the hot weather sets in here. What, you never heard of iceberg lettuce?