# How do they make that grainy ice used in slushy drinks?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-make-that-grainy-ice-used-in-slushy-drinks/106766>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 2, 2002, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-make-that-grainy-ice-used-in-slushy-drinks/106766 "2002-05-02T01:08:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Elenfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cc9497/32.png) [@Elenfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elenfair)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-make-that-grainy-ice-used-in-slushy-drinks/106766/1 "2002-05-02T01:08:07Z")

</div>

As I was sipping my iced-coffee today, I asked myself…

How do they get the “ice” to be uniformly grainy? What do they put in it to make it so? Is it really ice? It’s not shaved ice, or chunky like in slush puppies. No. This stuff is like small grains. Looks like caviar.

So, oh wise and brilliant co-posters, how’d they do that?!

Elly

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-make-that-grainy-ice-used-in-slushy-drinks/106766/2 "2002-05-02T04:19:46Z")

</div>

I believe it’s a special icemaking machine, called a “slush ice” machine.  
[http://www.icemachineworld.com/](http://www.icemachineworld.com/)

> [@](#):
>
> We Sell ice machines, ice bins, hoshizaki, ice-o-matic, restaurant equipment, flaker, ice flaker, crushed ice, ice cubes, pop ice, tube ice, compact cuber, modular ice maker, remote ice machines, **slush ice,** new restaurant equipment, restaurant equipment supplies.

[Countertop slush machine](http://www.zama-enterprise.com/search_results.asp?txtsearchParamTxt=&txtsearchParamType=ALL&txtsearchParamCat=84&txtsearchParamMan=ALL&txtsearchParamVen=ALL&txtDateAddedStart=&txtDateAddedEnd=&txtPriceStart=&txtPriceEnd=&txtFromSearch=fromSearch&iLevel=1&btnSearch.x=33&btnSearch.y=11), only $4,620.

No clue how it works, other than “it’s a machine”. 😃