Ice

[Alacrity59]

My refrigerator pumps out far more ice than I can use. It tends to sit and be mostly unused as smelly stuff happens on the other side.

What do you guys do about ice? I'm not, in this post, asking about rocks you can use frozen. Just . . . how can you make good ice from water.

 

[ackvil]

We have a reverse osmosis water system. That system is hooked up to the ice maker in our refrigerator. The result is ice that does not age or smell.

 

[bobmsp]

My refrigerator pumps out far more ice than I can use. It tends to sit and be mostly unused as smelly stuff happens on the other side.

What do you guys do about ice? I'm not, in this post, asking about rocks you can use frozen. Just . . . how can you make good ice from water.

Does your refrigerator have a water filter? If so, do you change it regularly? We go through a lot of ice in our family, so I don’t have the same problem as you. But I try to be fairly regular in changing the filter so that the more discerning noses in the house don’t complain.

 

[Legion]

I have a vintage aluminium Frigidaire Quickube ice tray from the 50's. Makes handfuls of ice chunks that melt well, and seem to cool drinks better than regular cubes.

Looks similar to this one...

 

[OldGnome]

We have a whole-house softening and filtration system. We have had our refrigerator for a bit more than seven years and we always hated the ice it made through the automatic ice maker. We finally turned it off and have silicone ice cube trays in two different sizes - the smaller ones for my wife’s water glass and larger ones for on-the-rocks drinks.


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[Bakker1964]

Silicone trays for the win. Never going to buy a fridge with all the fancy bells and whistles. As my Father used to say, it's just more stuff to fix down the road.

My buddy's fridge had the motherboard for the ice-maker go kaputzki . . . it was cheaper for him to buy a new fridge rather than effect repairs.

 

[The Knize]

Plastic and silicone trays of various sizes and shapes, filled with water filtered in a Brita pitcher, and Natural Rocks brand ice from the grocery store store made from Maine spring water.

Our fridge has an ice maker but the water feed plastic tube to it deteriorated and became brittle over time and flooded the kitchen. Apparently that tube runs over something hot on the back of the fridge and this is the inevitable result. I do not think I will bother with an icemaker again. I think good ice is very important in any drink.

If I were not lazy i would make clear ice. I wish the Natural Rocks was clear!

 

[CincyDawg]

I have a vintage aluminium Frigidaire Quickube ice tray from the 50's. Makes handfuls of ice chunks that melt well, and seem to cool drinks better than regular cubes.

Looks similar to this one...

View attachment 933991

A blast from the past. Remember those well.

 

[Doc4]

I like this chap's approach to ice. It's right at the end of the video, so be patient ...

 

[The Knize]

My wife gets upset when I fling whisky with or without ice across the room!

A couple of thoughts. No ice works better for a straight-up Scotch than it does for, say, a Negroni. And I would say that ice is necessary in the manufacture of a martini, a Manhattan, a margarita. I think the quality of ice used affects each of those items.

I am also guessing that back in the day, the inside temperature of my Scottish homes, at least most seasons, was such that whisky was not consumed at anything like as high as modern room temperature.

Also, as picky as he is being, which I applaud, he is diluting it with regular tap water?! I would not do that with the tap water from my area. I do not need my bartender checking the temp of the water with his finger, either.

I love the "French rinse" of the glass for tasting. One could always save that whisky for a regular drink.

"Drank whisky with my water
Sugar with my tea
Now my sails are in rags with the staggers and the jags"

 

[The Knize]

As I think about it, the average interior room temperature in Scotland might still be much lower than in the US or Canada.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

You could try making some with quality water, then put the cubes in a Ziplock bag so that they don't evaporate or take on any strange odors.

 

[Bobbers]

In my house once a week we take the ice cubes out of the freezer and put it in the dogs water bowl. This makes sure that the ice is not over a week old and the dogs enjoy it.

I was a plumbing manager for years and know a little about water filters. I run the water that goes to the freezer thru a very good inline water filter that I change about every 6 months. Filter life varies depends on quality of the water you have. I do not like the water filters that are used in the refrigerator/ freezers, they are overpriced and do not do as good of a job of filtering as on line ones do.

I have had RO(reverse osmosis) water filters in the past because the water quality in those houses was really bad. RO systems do a great job at filtering water the one problem with them is that they change the ph of the water and this can have adverse affects on some faucets, water dispensers and ices makers.

 

[Doc4]

Also, as picky as he is being, which I applaud, he is diluting it with regular tap water?! I would not do that with the tap water from my area. I do not need my bartender checking the temp of the water with his finger, either.

Well, he's a "character". I don't really buy into his way of drinking scotch per se, and if I pass you the water jug it won't taste of my thumb.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Mike:
In our house (we have no internal ice maker),...we took care of any the above issues...buy ice (10lbs).

"Crushed ice can take you to your happy place". Tijuana Flats

 

[Alacrity59]

I like this chap's approach to ice. It's right at the end of the video, so be patient ...

This parrot is dead. . .

I'm Irish. There is no chucking out of whisky ever.

Son comes home to see his father crying on the doorstep . . . broken bottle of whisky. Dad . . . don't cry. It is only a broken bottle.


Dad responds . . . I wouldn't cry . . . it is just the glass shards in my tongue.

My water is very filtered . . . and I usually turn the ice maker off to avoid the stale ice. I think the silicone trays might be a good idea to get some clear ice that is not rushed. Also buying some commercial ice in a bag. I'm old enough to remember buying blocks for the ice box at the cottage. Somehow it was always pretty clear . . . in 5 lb blocks as I recall.

I'm amazed at the advice. Thank you all.

 

[Pepin]

I have a vintage aluminium Frigidaire Quickube ice tray from the 50's. Makes handfuls of ice chunks that melt well, and seem to cool drinks better than regular cubes.

Looks similar to this one...

View attachment 933991

You can still buy these models.

Now in either stainless steel or aluminium.

The ice does tend to last longer.

 

[CurtisB81]

Pure water won’t freeze..Hot water make nice ice..

 

[OldGnome]

Pure water won’t freeze....

I’m not sure the physics behind your statement...um...hold water. Can you clarify?


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[CurtisB81]

What is freezing temperature of distilled water?

What should have said that take a colder temp to freeze..