# Why Do Fast Food Restaurants Put So Much Ice In Their Drinks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2006, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361 "2006-02-07T06:20:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/21 "2006-02-07T23:00:25Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It all comes down to regional tastes and expectations, I think. Most travelling Americans biggest complaint, when it came to drinks at restaurants, was that a) they never came with enough ice and b) no free refills. Also c), in some European countries when you order water, sparkling water is assumed by default. Now, I like little ice in my drink, as well as sparkling water, so no complaints from me, but it seems that Americans are peculiar with their love for copious amounts of ice in their drink. You missed that “water” usually means mineral water in Europe. Here, it means tap water. Even Americans who drink bottled water usually aren’t drinking mineral water. It’s a bit of a shock to take a drink, expecting tap water, and get mineral water. I almost spewed out the mineral water the first time it happened to me. I think that all the mineral water I’ve had tastes like really bad tap water- the kind that, if you had it coming out of your taps at home, you’d drink only bottled water. The fact that it doesn’t include ice, and is usually less cold than ice water, makes it worse- you can taste the off tastes better if the water isn’t as cold. There’s also the fact that you pay for mineral water, but at most American restaurants, you get tap water (I think a few very fancy restaurants might ask what kind of water you want), and you don’t expect to pay for it. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/22 "2006-02-07T23:21:00Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > OK, I give up. What are the other two for? Some cups are double duty for things like shakes, floats or slushies. ---
**Author:** ![Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cornelius_Tuggerson)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/23 "2006-02-07T23:48:59Z")
I am not a taste expert but doesn’t warmer(un-ice cold) soda leave you mouth feeling dryer after you drink some because of how much sugar is in there? Maybe its just that people are trying to trick their mouthes into thinking they got rehydrated better then they did? ---
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/24 "2006-02-08T03:19:51Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > Some cups are double duty for things like shakes, floats or slushies. Ok, since I wanted to know what the 2 other lines were for as well, at risk of looking stupid, the other two lines are for how much ice cream to put in? Or slush stuff? ---
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/25 "2006-02-08T03:22:35Z")
Dang, hit submit to soon. Not knowing where the other two lines are located, and take a shake from a McDonalds. Its not real ice cream and milk (I assume), so they fill up the first half of the mix to a line, then the 2nd half, mix it and you have a milkshake? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/26 "2006-02-08T11:31:38Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > The purpose of adding ice is to make the drink “ice cold”. :wally **ouryL**. I’m sure you know the use of the “putz” smiley in General Questions if frowned upon. Thanks. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/27 "2006-02-08T14:47:13Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > Why is it that fast food chains tend to put such absurd quantities of ice in their drinks? For example, a 32-ounce container is typically filled about 3/4 the way full with ice prior to being topped off with a relatively small amount of the beverage of your choice. All of this additional ice has little impact on maintaining the drink’s temperature, but severely limits the amount of beverage that can be held in the container. Why do they give you so much ice? > > It’s tempting to say that the reason for this is to maximize profits because they are basically giving their customers tap water instead of Pepsi, but I seem to recall that the syrup that they use costs on the order of a few cents per drink, which is probably comparable to the cost of manufacturing the vast quantities of ice. > > What is their reason for doing this? Do customers actually want this much ice in their drinks?? > > Thanks. As someone who _loves_ a lot of ice in their drinks (although I don’t drink soda any longer), I could never find a FF establishment who WOULD put a lot of ice in! I would always get a gratuitous sprinkle of cubes, followed by lukewarm fountain soda that proceeded to melt the small bit of ice that was there to being with. VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/28 "2006-02-08T15:38:38Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#): > > You missed that “water” usually means mineral water in Europe. I had actually meant “sparkling mineral water” where I had written “mineral water.” ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/29 "2006-02-08T15:39:35Z")
The middle line is where the ice is _supposed_ to go to for an iced tea (because it’s held at room temp, and so it melts some of it.) Every McD’s that I’ve ever worked at (seven by my count, but some of those were just for a day or 2 while they needed help) fills it all the way up for iced tea. The top line is the fill line for whatever beverage it is. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/30 "2006-02-08T15:39:43Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I had actually meant “sparkling mineral water” where I had written “mineral water.” Let’s try again, shall we? I had actually meant “sparkling mineral water” where I had written “sparkling water.” ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/31 "2006-02-08T21:39:14Z")
In nearly all the fast food places around here, they give you a cup and you fill it with ice & pop _yourself_ at a self-serve drink counter. So you can put as much or as little ice as you want. I can’t remember the last fast food place that actually dispensed the drink for me. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/32 "2006-02-08T22:20:50Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > At $.50 or more per lemon, it’s probably the most expensive part of the drink. > > Stranger Lemons only cost that much at retail grocery stores. I buy mine at a restaurant supplier for $2.50 per 5# bag. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/33 "2006-02-09T01:51:36Z")
> [@Queuing](#): > > Not knowing where the other two lines are located, and take a shake from a McDonalds. Its not real ice cream and milk (I assume), so they fill up the first half of the mix to a line, then the 2nd half, mix it and you have a milkshake? They don’t mix anything, unless they’ve changed the shakes since the last time I ordered one (which is possible; it’s been years). They just fill the cups with premixed shake “stuff” from the shake machine. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/34 "2006-02-09T02:05:11Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > In nearly all the fast food places around here, they give you a cup and you fill it with ice & pop _yourself_ at a self-serve drink counter. So you can put as much or as little ice as you want. It’s the same procedure at my local junk food place. You put in as much ice as you want. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/35 "2006-02-09T04:58:09Z")
Some people like a lot of ice. My mother always insisted on extra ice because she took a long to finish her sodas and wanted the icy freshness as long as possible (at the cost, of course, of watering down.) Incidentally, drinking soda slowly is one of the worst things you can do to your teeth. ---
**Author:** ![SimonMoon5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@SimonMoon5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SimonMoon5)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361/36 "2006-02-09T14:31:22Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > In nearly all the fast food places around here, they give you a cup and you fill it with ice & pop _yourself_ at a self-serve drink counter. So you can put as much or as little ice as you want. > > I can’t remember the last fast food place that actually dispensed the drink for me. Well, most of the fast food places in the malls that I visit tend not to be able to let people serve themselves drinks (because they don’t have space to put out a separate drink counter), so they fill your drinks themselves. And there’s also a Wendy’s that I visit that’s not in a mall where they don’t have a drink counter, so they fill your drink themselves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-fast-food-restaurants-put-so-much-ice-in-their-drinks/343361.md?page=1)