Half Moon Ice Cubes

[michaelman2]

Anyone else dislike the half moon ice cubes produced by many of the ice makers nowadays? The ones that slip down in a round glass and as you try to drink from the glass the half moon cube blocks the beverage from reaching your lips.....hate that design. Oh how I long for cubes, actual cubes...lol.

 

[xraytech]

I unfortunately cant weigh in on ice cube shape, as I looked for a fridge with no ice maker. I have a small bin in my freezer with two ice cube trays from a mid 70s Hotpoint.
I keep ice at home for if I get company or for an occasional protein shake.

If at someones home I never use ice, as I prefer tepid beverages

 

[gansky1]

Frost Crescents

The "Free Crushed Ice" from the KitchenAid side-by-side is definitely better than the crescents but I still like real cubes. I have three ice trays on a rack and a Frigidaire ice storage box on the top shelf under the factory ice maker. It's certainly more trouble, but the cubes last much longer and no beverage damming!

I'm not opposed to ice makers in general, they're great for parties or busy households, but I really wouldn't care if my next refrigerator had one or not.

 

[whirlcool]

We had a GE SxS at our last house that made those half cubes. I hated them for the same reason. They seem to like to stick to the shape of the curve of the glass and it's impossible to take a drink and get a mouthful.

The Whirlpoll and the GE we now have all make cubed ice.

How do you make clear ice cubes at home?

 

[michaelman2]

Hey Allen,

I am glad you understand my "pain"...lol I really hate those half moon / crescent cubes....When I entertained more, the ice maker was handy...typically I do not like ice in sodas and I simply chill them until they are cold enough to drink with no ice.

If I am going to make clear ice for a party, I will either buy it or use my ice trays. I sometimes do a centerpiece that requires "clear" ice and I use distilled water inside a mold.

 

[whirlcool]

Yeah, with those half moon ice cubes you shake the glass to try to get the ice to reorganize away from the curve of the glass, but they seem to be stuck there. Around and around they go, but never away from the wall of the glass. Do any ice machine mfg's that you find in home refrigerators even make half round ice cubes anymore?

Ah, so that's how it's done! Thanks!

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

GE-Hotpoint Oval; Whirlpool-Coldspot Crescent:

Whatever happened to the actual CUBE-SHAPED Ice from Frigidaire?! (Or Montgomery Ward's TRU CUBE?!)

 

Likewise, what shape did Amana use?! Gibson?! Admiral?! Norge?! 

 

 

-- Dave

 

[rp2813]

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">GE ice makers used to turn out half spheres, which I think everyone would prefer over crescents.  Maybe LG will start offering them like it's something new.</span>

 

<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437455996305_2180" style="font-family: Times New Roman;">When we had an '85 WP SxS with crescents-only IM, I bought square shaped glasses for mixed drinks and that helped, but when the time came time to replace it all the dispenser fridges had a crushed ice option.  That's all I ever use now.</span>

 

<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437455996305_2174" style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Another option would be those modern rubbery molds for huge ice cubes (I have one that makes four), the size used for a Vieux Carre or Old Fashioned.  They melt relatively slowly and are truly cube-shaped.</span>

 

[whirlcool]

Were those thru-cube things the completely round ice cubes with a hole in the center? I have seen those in restaurants/bars before.

 

[norgeway]

GE

Had a much better cube years ago, my Aunt Mable had a late 60s fridge that made the best ice, round drum shaped cubes.

 

[brucelucenta]

About two years ago I bought an LG made refrigerator sold by Sears under the Kenmore Elite badge. That refrigerator was supposed to be the biggest one made and it was the biggest I have ever seen. However, last November it quit working and the system had leaked all of the freon out. That refrigerator had squarish ice cubes that were very nice to use. I ended up getting a replacement refrigerator, the newest model of the same size refrigerator. This was the same size and an LG made one too. This new one has the half moon shape ice cubes though. It was a disappointment that the new one did not have the squarish cubes like the old one did. I am thinking that it must me easier and probably more durable to make half moon shaped ones. I do remember that the old GE refrigerator I had that made squarish cube had to be serviced about every year or so because the ice maker would start leaking.

 

[retro-man]

Whirlcool, the round cubes with the hole in the center that you see in restaurants are from a fast making ice maker. I have a countertop ice maker that is this pattern. It will produce a batch of ice every 10-15 minutes. The hole in the center is the freezing post. Water is introduced into the tray where the tubes are located. The water is frozen from the center outwards versus a regular maker that freezes from the outside in. Its a great machine for parties and cookouts. You fill the water reservoir plug it in and off it goes. I will usually start it about an hour before usage and it has filled the bin by then.

Jon

 

[tomturbomatic]

My GE makes the little drum-shaped cubes. I like them.

 

[kevin313]

I have a 15 year old Amana bottom-freezer model that makes the crescent shaped ice. I'm not so bothered by the shape, but I only use that ice for cold packs or to shock vegetables, etc. I don't like to use it for drinking because it's cloudy and always seems to have a bit of an off-taste.

I always have a bag or two of "good" ice on hand for drinks. I like a square cube, and I like my ice to be crystal clear - I think it makes the drinks look and taste better!

Now, who'd like a highball?

 

[twintubdexter]

I think Servel called those early cubes "Ice Circles."  Servel sure wanted people to know those early Servels had an ice maker...there were gold letters on the outside of the freezer door that said AUTOMATIC ICE MAKER, the handle on the food compartment door said Automatic Ice Maker, and then when you opened the freezer door letters at the top of the compartment said AUTOMATIC ICE MAKER. The ice maker itself would be pretty hard to miss since it took up almost half of the freezer.

 

As I recall, most manufacturer's had limited success with their own ice maker designs. Frigidaire's conveyor belt models had many problems. I had one of their models that made small square cubes by turning a tray up side down and twisting it. GE had some weird units that made these little barrel-shaped cubes with a hole in the middle. The old Servel/Whirlpool Ice Magic seems to be the most dependable of them all, but then I haven't been around the service area for decades.

 

I'm like Kevin, I like clear cubes for drinks. I have a Monogram (made by Whirlpool) ice maker in my kitchen island that makes clear cubes but it's an expensive thing to use. Filtered water from a reservoir flows over a refrigerated plate until the desired thickness is achieved. Then the plate heats and the ice sheet slides down to a wire grid. The grid heats and the the cubes fall through to a bin. The process repeats until the bin is full. The bin itself is insulated but not refrigerated so the ice stays separated but is constantly melting. In a bar or restaurant there's usually a floor drain to take care of the melting ice. The unit I have has a small pump and sensor so in addition to a water supply it needs a drain. All in all, it's a pricey way to enjoy clear cubes. I prefer to buy Sparkletts Ice at the market, clear and made from Sparkletts drinking water. It's an inexpensive luxury I enjoy in my twilight years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mixguy]

Ice Maker Designs

The reason most ice makers make crescent or half moon shapes is because it is the most trouble free design! Most ice makers that formed cubes of ice tended to clog, leak, or overflow more than any other design. The frequency of repair caused them to revert back to the "crescent ice maker" Many GE Americana models with the ice and water dispenser in the door flooded kitchens during the night, imagine waking up to that!

 

[michaelman2]

Oh I understand the "why"...I just do not like the result.

 

[tomturbomatic]

If you want clear ice, boil the water before pouring it in the ice cube trays or in the portable ice maker. Boiling drives out the dissolved air so that the cubes freeze clear.

If you want ice without an off flavor, do not store produce in unsealed containers in the refrigerator section of your refrigerator. The odors from uncovered food, mostly produce in the produce bins, circulate through the freezer and flavor the ice. Keep produce in Tupperware-type containers and all other refrigerated foods sealed up. I keep a few spoons of ground coffee in a cheese cloth covered container to absorb odors in the freezer. Shake it occasionally to expose new granules. The surface area of ground coffee is immense and will keep the refrigerator/freezer odor free for a long time.

 

[mrb627]

Experiment Time

Boiling water before making ice.
This might be cool to have too, no pun untended.

Malcolm