Prompted by the Perceptions about USA from non-Americans that Americans might be surprised to learn thread and Arch Trout’s following comment:
And also prompted by an exchange with my sister just last night in which she asked me if we had any ice cube trays. I replied that we did, somewhere. I explained that when we first moved in, I made ice but it wasn’t getting used fast enough and, in what seemed like no time, the cubes had sublimated to about half their size. ("Sublimated, said she, “That’s a good word.”) I had made more and the same thing happened, so I thereby relegated the ice cube trays to some dark corner of the kitchen.
As we searched, I asked her if she had brought home some wine coolers and she said, “Close. It’s agave wine.” She went on to explain that the makers of said wine had started out using tequila but were forced by law to pay certain liquor taxes, so they started calling it agave wine instead and were, somehow, able to circumvent the law or laws. Anyhow, she wanted ice cubes to try it with.
The trays were found in surprisingly short order and even as I type, the resulting cubes are chilling in the freezer, awaiting her return from work tonight.
So, back to the question I posed in the title. Do you or don’t you? Obviously, we don’t but I know other folks who wouldn’t be caught dead without a tray or two at all times. Or maybe you have one of those fancy-schmancy refrigerators that makes ice 'round the clock. Do you really use much of it or do you have to regularly clean out the bin they conveniently drop into?
We have an ice maker in our freezer. I never had one before, and boy do I LOVE it.
I’m big on ice. When I go to a restaurant, any drink I order I ask for heavy ice. Drive through fast food - heavy ice (and I’ll park and go inside if they screw it up - this is why I tend not to utilize a drive through. I’m too picky and the staff at the restaurant shouldn’t have to treat me like I special snowflake.) Bar - heavy ice - if it’s a cocktail. - beer and wine are no ice deals.
At home, I fill up whatever glass I’m using with ice cubes until it’s packed. The only beverages I don’t put ice in at home are beer and wine, milk, and SOMETIMES fruit juices. Depends on the kind of juice - OJ usually no ice. Grapefruit juice - ice. V8 - ice. As I’m drinking and as the ice melts, I am always up to get more to keep the glass packed.
I’ve been known to bring a packed glass of ice only with me upstairs/outside/on a drive to just chomp on throughout the day depending on what I’m doing.
Husband, on the other hand, is a freak. He prefers one or two, MAYBE three ice cubes in his sodas/water/tea, and that’s about it. Sometimes I just don’t understand him.
When we move, if our new place doesn’t have an icemaker, I’ll be bummed. I’ve always (except for living here) had ice cube trays (or a big bag of ice that I’ve purchased - sometimes the convenience is just plain worth it considering how cheap it is) in the freezer and since I use the most ice, I was the one always making the ice. By the way, the made ice is taken out of the trays once frozen and put in a different holder. There are always filled ice cube trays in the process of freezing standing by. Except for when I had the bag thingy going - then I just hacked at the bag with a hammer until I got appropriate sized chunks. I’m kinda fancy that way.
American, and I love ice. I have an ice machine in my fridge that I use regularly. I also reuse water bottles by filling them half full of water and freezing them so I’ll have a big chunk of ice that lasts most of the day. Pretty much the only liquids I drink are ice water, iced tea, and cocktails with ice.
Our ice maker died about a month ago, and since we’re planning a remodel, we don’t want to get it fixed seeing as we’ll be replacing the whole thing within 6-8 months.
It’s been horrrriiiibbblle. I’m trying to make ice every day, but it’s seriously hard to keep up. If I only make 2 trays a day, inevitably it’s out just when cocktail hour comes around.
I never understand people who don’t have ice around. It seems like a very basic kitchen item to me; ice water, ice tea, cocktails. I use it to quickly cool down soup or stock as well. Would never go long-term without an ice maker in the fridge.
I don’t usually use ice at home for myself. My dog however has a drinking problem. If given regular water he will drink it all and relocate a slimy puddle of water elsewhere. So instead of water he gets ice, which slows his drinking.
I use 3 trays of ice on a typical day. I’ve considered getting an ice maker so I don’t have to deal with trays. If my fridge ever dies I’ll get one with an ice maker, I can’t justify getting a new fridge when I have a working one just because sir pukes a lot.
Yep, ice-loving American here. When I traveled to London and Amsterdam I figured out that to get my preferred drink/ice ratio, I had to order both the drink and then a separate glass full of just ice, then pour the drink into the ice-glass. If you just asked for a Coke with ice, you’d get at the most one or two cubes. “Lots of ice” got me like, maybe five cubes. That’s okay…cultural differences and everything, but I like ice. So I figured out a work-around. Hope my servers didn’t find me too obnoxious.
I have one ice cube tray in the freezer, but it gets used maybe once every 3 months or something. When I remember I always ask for no ice in my drinks when I go out - I want soda, not watered down soda. I have a refridgerator and a water cooler. My stuff is already cold, I don’t need it colder.
I just want my drinks cold. Ice is not required to make my drinks cold so long as they have already been refrigerated immediately prior. So, all that leaves normally is tap water and I regularly put ice in my tap water so that it becomes cold. There’s not multiple shelves in my freezer so it’s a real pain to keep a constant area clear just to set an ice cube tray on the bottom of the freezer and not have anything fall on top.
Non refrigerated drinks will need to have ice added, naturally.
Canadian here. I go through plenty of ice in the summer. My water comes from a well. In the winter it’s bloody cold enough to drink from the tap, but not so in the summer. Water is my preferred thirst-quenching drink throughout the day. At night I might switch to beer. I almost never drink pop (soda).
That’s me. I like ice, but it’s not a requirement. Our icemaker went out, but not sure if we want to fix it or get a new fridge. I’m not that bothered, we have 6 silicone ice cube trays.
Husband, OTOH, is an ice freak, and has been buying a bag of ice every other day, because he will use up the trays in the evening before they get a chance to refreeze. :rolleyes:
American. I have an ice maker, so I have a ready supply of ice at all times. I generally use it only in ice water, though. Occasionally, I use ice in a cocktail or in some types of juice. I don’t like ice in soda or tea.
It’s nice to have some handy when you want to ice a burn.
It’s just not ice, it’s ice on demand. I grew up with a make you own ice cubes in your own tray household. Never used much ice - not worth the effort, moved out and got a fridge that made it for me, found more and more uses for it. Now after 4 fridges all with ice makers I would not consider a fridge without it. If I had to have a fridge without it for a short time I would use those trays for that time.
Wow! I didn’t expect so many replies so fast! Thanks everyone! Looks like the ice lovers have the rest of us outnumbered.
My drink of choice is diet cola. It doesn’t matter if it’s Coke or Pepsi or even certain off brands on occasion. When I’m out, I do like ice in my drinks, and if I’m getting the drink myself, I fill the cup about two thirds full with ice.
My drink of choice is diet cola. Doesn’t matter if it’s Coke or Pepsi or certain off-brands on occasion. And I’m just as content with it at room temperature as I am with it just out of the fridge. As long as the flavor and the bite of the carbonation are there, I’m happy.
Yes, I love ice. My freezer not only has an icemaker, it dispenses crushed ice through the door. When I go out to eat, I love drinks with ice. I couldn’t imagine living in a time when there was no home refrigeration and no way to at least freeze water during the summer. I’d hope to live near Doc Brown in Back to the Future III.
