Ice cube
An ice cube is a small piece of
Origin of production
American physician and inventor
Production
Trays and bags
Ice cube trays are designed to be filled with
While the usual shape of the ice cube is roughly cubical, some ice trays form hemispherical or cylindrical shapes; others produce blocks of ice in seasonal, festive or other shapes. Occasionally, edible items are frozen inside the ice cubes, both at home and in commercial production.[1]
Lloyd Groff Copeman invented a rubber ice tray, after noticing that slush and ice flaked off his rubber boots rather than adhering to them while walking through some woods collecting sap for maple syrup. Recalling this 1928 incident over lunch with his patent attorney, he conducted experiments using rubber cups, which led to practical designs and patents for different types of tray; these included a metal tray with rubber separators, a metal tray with individual rubber cups which was invented in 1933, and a tray made completely of rubber.[4] Guy L. Tinkham, a household product executive, invented the first flexible, stainless steel, all-metal ice cube tray in 1933. The tray bent sideways to remove the ice cubes.[2] Commercial pre-filled disposable ice trays for home freezing are designed to provide better taste and reduced risk of contamination.[5]
Danish inventor Erling Vangedal-Nielsen patented the single-use ice cube bag in 1978.[6] He was inspired to do so after spending a night with friends where their need for ice was in excess of that which could be provided by ice cube trays; he therefore filled standard plastic bags with water and froze them, the ice to subsequently be retrieved with a hammer.[7] The design was subsequently revised to feature individual compartments for each ice cube, with a seal at the bag's entry point. The ice cube bag has subsequently been marketed and adopted worldwide.[8]
Mechanical
Dedicated ice-maker machines can be used to produce ice cubes for laboratories, home, and academic use. Ice cubes are also produced commercially and sold in bulk.[9]
Range of characteristics
Clear and cloudy
Commercially made ice cubes may be clear, compared to domestically made ice cubes. Cloudy ice cubes occur when water is frozen quickly, or when the water is high in dissolved solids. When water is cooled to its
Crushed ice
Crushed ice is the term for ice cubes that are crushed or sheared into irregularly-shaped flakes to provide an aesthetic effect to some cocktails. Crushed ice is also used when faster cooling is desired, since the rate of cooling is governed by the number and average radius of the ice particles. Ice is often also crushed to form slushies, which can be both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Crushed ice melts more quickly than solid ice: it has a greater surface area, so heat transfer is faster compared to solid ice.[11]
Alternatives
An alternative to ice cubes for
See also
- Ice chips
- Ice pack
- Mpemba effect
- Pagophagia
- On the rocks
- Whiskey stone
References
- ^ ISBN 9781629697710. Archivedfrom the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- ^ ISBN 9781421424590. Archivedfrom the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- ^ Powell, Evan (June 1971). "How ice makers work...What to do when they don't". Popular Science. Bonnier Corporation: 87–9. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- ^ Cabadas, Joseph (July 2006). "DAC member remains forgotten Michigan inventor" (PDF). DAC NEWS. pp. 26–33. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 17, 2017. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
- ^ Bounds, Gwendolyn (July 25, 2006). "After Bottled Water? Purified Ice Cubes". WSJ. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
- ^ US patent 4181285, Erling Vangedal-Nielsen, "Freezing mould bag", published 01/24/1978, issued 01/01/1980
- ^ "Danish Inventions | Costa Tropical Gazette News". April 5, 2012. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
- ^ "The Icecube Bag". www.buddeschou.dk. Archived from the original on July 28, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
- ISBN 978-1-9757-4603-2. Archivedfrom the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ISBN 9781337514699. Archivedfrom the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- MR 0427863.
- ^ "Whiskey Stones (All Styles and Materials)". November 15, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2024.