"Ice is Civilization"

[E. Tage Larsen]

"Ice is Civilization" - my favorite line, spoken by Harrison Ford, from the movie The Mosquito Coast.

I write here because I know not where else amongst the Lounge sections to ask about cocktail concerns. This being the "Champagne Bar" seemed the best fit. My question is put thusly: I'm unhappy with my ice. Does anyone else have advice?

Ice is major component to a good drink. Rotating my cube trays frequently still finds my cubes boring and flat. Is it my New York water? The plastic trays--which i think are vile but ubiquitous? The temperature of my freezer? Do any other Lounge members share in my concern?

[iammatt]

I bet that your problem is that the cubes are taking on the smells from the freezer. Ice won't take on much odor, but the water will as it is turning into ice. You end up with some stale tasting ice. I would suggest trying to make some ice from bottled water, and if it is no better, the problem lies in the freezer.

[iammatt]

Just to follow up (I couldn't find the edit button), if the smell is coming from inside the freezer, you should put the trays, with their water, in ziplock bags before you put them in the freezer. This should get rid of odor contamination.

The final possibility is that the plastic on the trays is giving the cubes a funny odor. You may need to look at different options if this is the case.

[whittaker]

My question is put thusly: I'm unhappy with my ice. Does anyone else have advice?

Perfection in an ice cube has been an intermittent fixation of mine. I aim for a solid cube, slightly larger than average, that will outlast the cocktail.

My conclusion is that faultless ice cubes are only obtained from a decent ice making machine. However improvements are possible without going quite that far.

In preparation for an evening when I plan to serve cocktails, I will use an aluminum ice tray with boiled Evian water. Boiling the water is critical as, strangely enough, it will freeze faster than cold or luke warm water. This faster freezing mimics the action of a professional ice make and ensures clear cubes that don't have time to take on any corrupted flavours.

[E. Tage Larsen]

Gentlemen:

Brilliant start. Thank you both for the advice. I've four trays at home, so i'll try some variants on your suggestions and respond when the experiment is over. Off to find metal trays.

most sincerely,

Eric