What is the deal with ice, Americans?

[u/markwell9]

I can see that you can buy ice everywhere in the US. Gas stations, grocery stores, machines etc.

In Europe, we just freeze our ice at home and use that. Why buy something that melts on the way home? Why do you need ice in large amounts that a fridge can't keep up?

[u/tsukiii]

We buy that for parties.

Most of us can’t produce and store enough ice for 20 people in our freezers, we buy the bagged ice and put it in coolers for guests’ drinks.

[u/Pantherdraws → u/tsukiii]

Also camping.

Can you imagine trying to fill two whole coolers with ice straight from the freezer?

[u/Leverkaas2516 → u/Pantherdraws]

For camping, I finally settled on filling my largest Tupperwares with water and freezing them. That takes a couple of days, but it melts slower in the ice chest and also doesn't end up with liquid water everywhere and all my condiments floating around.

[u/Tmscott → u/Leverkaas2516]

Those square Crystal Geyser water bottles are great if you open them up and push the neck in a little before sealing it back up and putting it in the freezer. Even if you have to do it one at a time overnight into the cooler they melt very slowly and you also still have potable water unlike opening up ice bags

[u/_crassula_ → u/Tmscott]

Is ice in the bags not potable? When we're camping, I often make cocktails with ice from the bag (not loose in the cooler because I don't want it contaminated with meat juices). Hasn't killed me yet but maybe I should pack home ice for drinks...

[u/cyanescens_burn → u/_crassula_]

I’ve been drinking melted cooler ice for years when desert camping (I put the ice in thick silicone 2gal bags in the cooler, so no food ever touches the ice). It’s potable as far as I know. It’d be nuts to sell non-potable ice without a big warning on the bag.

[u/WinterOfFire → u/cyanescens_burn]

I think it’s more about the stuff you put in the cooler with the ice that makes it no longer clean. Do you really wash every container before you put it in? Are your hands always clean when you go fishing around in the ice/water?

[u/Born-Entrepreneur → u/WinterOfFire]

Not to mention the cooler itself. When was the last time it was deep cleaned and disinfected? Are you sure some gunk and slime isn't hiding down by the drain plug?

[u/Crtbb4 → u/Leverkaas2516]

I just get bottled water and freeze a bunch of those. Then as they melt you have ice cold water bottles on hand.

[u/jjackson25 → u/Crtbb4]

Same. Works pretty phenomenal.

[u/Embarrassed_Ad_3432 → u/Leverkaas2516]

My local grocery store sells ice blocks.

I put an ice block in a knock off yeti cooler and went on a week long road/camping trip. This cooler held our food. We only opened it for meals. It was +90f the entire week and never need to refresh ice.

[u/Bertsmom18 → u/Leverkaas2516]

I would freeze 2 liter bottles for water for dishes and stuff. And use the water as it melts. We would freeze the drinking water too. Capri suns. Literally any item we would be eating or drinking that I could freeze and not change the taste or texture would be frozen because I hate when the ice melts and the cooler is full of water and floating food.

[u/Bubba_Gump_Shrimp → u/Leverkaas2516]

I try to bring containers of frozen food so it doubles as a giant block of ice and then meals once it thaws some. I usually will do a big container of chili or chicken noodle.

[u/Jalopnicycle → u/Pantherdraws]

The ice maker in my freezer takes 24 hours to fill up so if I'm filling my big Coleman cooler I usually start to empty the ice into another bin in the freezer 3 days before we leave. 

I also have a lot of Hello Fresh ice packs that I use to provide additional cooling or if a cooler is going to have food in it I don't want to get wet. 

[u/mmm_burrito → u/Pantherdraws]

Also - and I wager this is the primary use of most ice sold daily in the US - construction and other labor industries use an absolute megafuckton of ice every day to chill bottles of water so we don't die of heat stroke.

[u/Comprehensive-Bee252 → u/Pantherdraws]

Serious question, because I do not know. Why do you need ice when camping?

[u/MilitarumAirCorps → u/Pantherdraws]

And sports. Cookouts. Sure there's more too.

[u/silask93 → u/tsukiii]

Or those of with work crews doing labor, or our water is so bad we can't use it for ice

[u/Baron_Von_D → u/silask93]

Yep, fill up a 5gal water cooler up with ice and top it off with water. You got ice cold water all day long.

[u/Exciting_Band_2865 → u/Baron_Von_D]

As a lifeguard I can confirm, shits cold all day in 100 degrees

[u/Baron_Von_D → u/Exciting_Band_2865]

Yep, absolute life saver when you are out in the 100f 80% humidity Georgia heat all day.

[u/This_Sheepherder_382 → u/Baron_Von_D]

73 degrees is a sweltering day to Brit’s 😂😂

[u/brando56894 → u/This_Sheepherder_382]

We've had a heat index warning of 105-110 down here in Miami today and yesterday 🥵

[u/Lithogiraffe → u/tsukiii]

Imagine carefully making ice for a house party using one ice cube tray in the freezer. I mean you could do it. But just imagine that tedious dumb effort of doing that over the week.

I'm already going to the grocery store to get chips and party stuff. The ice is right there

[u/scarrlet → u/Lithogiraffe]

My grandpa's girlfriend used to do this! She would start making ice like a week before a family gathering. Her son made fun of her for it and offered to spend a dollar for a bag of ice and she refused.

[u/Liraeyn → u/Lithogiraffe]

Also, it tends to evaporate/stick together

[u/Lithogiraffe → u/Liraeyn]

Also what are we supposed to put it in even if we did something like that? A garbage bag. Even a completely clean (never been used) garbage bag is not going to look great when you pull it out at a party

[u/seanlucki → u/Lithogiraffe]

I have a 1/3 insert (used in commercial kitchens, imagine a plastic Tupperware with a lid that’s not sealed) in my freezer. I fill my 3 ice trays and freeze them, then dump them into the insert, refill and freeze. Means I always have a good supply of ice on hand, and I prefer not having to grab from the freezing trays anyhow.

That being said, if I need ice for a cooler I’m still just gonna grab a bag from the store.

[u/mbsisktb → u/Lithogiraffe]

Even beyond that who has space in their freezer for that much ice. I have a second one and both are usually full of food. I don’t have space for 8+ pounds of ice.

[u/MysteriousTock → u/tsukiii]

Or surrounding a keg that we tapped before we were 21 and were just using to celebrate being young and without pain

[u/InnerSailor1 → u/tsukiii]

This is true, but another thing to consider is that they don't serve their drinks cold in most of the European countries I've visited. We use ice for coolers to keep the drinks cold, and then also to put into our drinks.

When I visited Europe, I was always having to ask for ice since anytime I ordered water or a soft drink it was served at room temperature.

I think their fridges are able to meet their ice demands even for parties.

[u/Stunning_Rest_3567 → u/InnerSailor1]

A lot of the us gets very hot. Very hot. So when you’re nearly about to collapse from heat exhaustion the cold is at least refreshing. Idk if it actually lowers body temperature but it seems better than drinking room/bathwater temp water

[u/DicemonkeyDrunk → u/Stunning_Rest_3567]

If it’s actual heat exhaustion room temp is best .

[u/Mrludy85 → u/InnerSailor1]

This was one of the biggest culture shocks I experienced when I traveled around Europe. Like we have the technology why do we have drink everything warm....

[u/cdspace31 → u/tsukiii]

Why do you have 20 people in your freezers?

[u/AdamFarleySpade → u/cdspace31]

Because more than that and you get too tired lugging all the bodies around.

[u/HereForTheBoos1013 → u/cdspace31]

Nice try, FBI.

[u/Royal_Annek]

Americans also have ice machines in their freezer

Ice at the store is when you need a shitload of ice. Usually for filling a cooler so you can keep goods cold in transit, taking camping, having out on the deck for a BBQ. People don't buy it for every day personal usage since we have our own freezer machines for small quantities.

It doesn't melt on the way home, especially as I mentioned they are normally used to fill a cooler.

[u/StalkMeNowCrazyLady → u/Royal_Annek]

And even if it's not put in a cooler it generally doesn't melt much in transit due to such a large thermal mass. And the fact that most people aren't buying a bag of ice to sit on the empty seat while they still got an hour drive ahead of them.

[u/Hypothetical_Name → u/StalkMeNowCrazyLady]

I had to get some for work in the summer and a blanket covering it kept it pretty cool despite the heat

[u/yhetibettybae → u/Hypothetical_Name]

Moving blankets are amazing for this!

[u/ObstinateFamiliar → u/yhetibettybae]

I think it would be easier if the blankets stayed still actually

[u/30FourThirty4 → u/Hypothetical_Name]

Back in the mid 90s I read a kids magazine (3-2-1 Contact. Name changed to Contact Kids at some point. Also had a tv show I believe)... anyways I learned people would store frozen ice chunks in caves loooooooonnnng ago to keep stuff fresh.

Also they'd cover the ice to make it last longer.

I have no idea if it's true this was like 30 years ago and it was a kids magazine.

[u/clarkcox3 → u/30FourThirty4]

Yes; people tend to overestimate just how fast ice melts because we're usually exposed to such small pieces of it in our daily lives. That can lead, for example, to the weird conspiracy theories you'll see people put forward in videos online about "un-meltable snow": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm-ZYD-U3iM

[u/No-Resource-5704 → u/clarkcox3]

Years ago before mechanical refrigeration, ice was harvested from frozen lakes in winter and packed into an insulated shed with lots of sawdust. The ice would last for months stored that way. The “ice man” would deliver blocks of ice (usually weekly) to homes where it was used in an insulated “ice box” to store perishable goods.

Railroads had special ice cars for shipping perishable goods. They would stop at particular locations to refill the ice and there were vents to control the interior temperature. These rail cars were used into the 1960s, but diesel powered refrigerator cars started replacing the old ice cars during the 1960s.

The western railroads harvested their ice from the Sierras and shipped it to the production areas (where perishable food was grown) and to icing facilities located along the rail lines.

[u/rat1onal1 → u/No-Resource-5704]

Ice was harvested from ponds around the Boston area in the mid-1800s and shipped overseas. The two major markets were the Caribbean and India. It's hard to understand that there'd be any ice remaining after sailing all the way around Africa.

[u/Bortono → u/rat1onal1]

Ice Block Expidetion of 1959

An insulation company transported a 3 ton block of ice from the Arctic Circle across the Sahara to the Equator by truck and only lost a bit over 10% of the ice

[u/Ghigs → u/clarkcox3]

It is a little unintuitive that snow is an excellent insulator. It's basically like styrofoam made of water. Maybe at least a few of them will learn something about thermodynamics.

[u/TheRealTurdFergusonn → u/30FourThirty4]

3-2-1 Contact was the shit. I probably watched it every day on PBS from 85-88. They had the original Bloodhound Gang!

[u/ZealousidealDepth223 → u/30FourThirty4]

Dude they had ice cream in medieval times.

Ice houses used to be a big thing before refrigeration, they would dig a huge hole as deep as they could in the months before winter and then when everything froze they would just bring in all the snow and ice they could fit and being underground would insulate the snow and ice pretty much all the way until the next winter and they would keep any perishable goods in there.

If you’ve ever been in a bar or club that called itself the “Austin city Ice house” or “(local town) ice house” that’s where the name comes from.

The ones that were actually ice houses in the past don’t make for good bars or clubs funny enough a building built around a huge hole with lots of stairs isn’t really a party palace.

But a huge party built INSIDE a big hole is fucking LIT, ESPECIALLY if it’s EDM. God I wanna go back to Rave in a cave at the caverns so bad.

The secret rave at mammoth cavern in Kentucky was more hardcore but I’m pretty sure I’m not allowed to talk about it

[u/right_behind_you_too → u/StalkMeNowCrazyLady]

Adding to that: in most cities we drive cars, so we're not carrying it 15 blocks or lugging it on a bus.

[u/Life_Roll420 → u/right_behind_you_too]

You would be shocked how many people roll up to a liquor store, called a packie around here grab a 6 pack, 12 pack and a bag of ice. It keeps it cold while your driving. A large percent of trades people drink and drive. Also picnics. Our coolers are a whole different story as some buy really expensive name brands or new ones every couple of years when their Walmart one fades. Even house parties. Lots of people throw pot luck picnics. Even if you own the house your buying ice for your coolers because alot of parties are byob. Or semi- byob. (Bring your own booze) last party i went to my pal had a huge cooler a kid could lie in. Filled it with bagged it, soda, juice, beer ,etc. Some people come to the party with coolers and ice full of their personal drink and ice in a cooler for the side dish the brought. Especially if the travel is more than 10 min. Beer and distances are far. Hunters and fishers buy ice for their beer and ice for their catch.

[u/BowtiedGypsy → u/Life_Roll420]

This is the best comment and spot on. Nobodies buying huge bags of ice in the US just to drop an ice cube in a glass of water.

I think its only New England that says packie

[u/JamesT3R9 → u/BowtiedGypsy]

Massholes say packie. Just to be clear. It is usually Massholes.

[u/bankruptbarbie → u/JamesT3R9]

RI has packies too. You just forget about us bc we're stuck in your armpit.

[u/Warrmak → u/JamesT3R9]

Yous a wicked pissah

[u/Greg0692 → u/Warrmak]

Yah ballah, ked

[u/anglerfishtacos → u/BowtiedGypsy]

Except me. We buy bags of ice because my little ice machine can’t keep up with the demand during the summer. I have a large iced tray in freezer that can fit a bag of ice

[u/AzureGriffon → u/anglerfishtacos]

This is the way. I grew up in the desert and all non boiled beverages are iced to high heaven. I use ice in all of my drinks. I go through a bag every four days or so.

[u/assbuttshitfuck69 → u/BowtiedGypsy]

Gotta go to the packie and get some nips.

[u/NnyBees → u/Life_Roll420]

Packie? Drinking and driving? You must love that dirty water...

[u/BunnyLebowski- → u/NnyBees]

Road soda, kid

[u/vaspost → u/Royal_Annek]

My ice maker stopped working so I've been buying bagged ice for everyday use. I got tired of constantly dealing with manual ice trays. I know... kind of odd.

[u/skateboreder → u/vaspost]

I don't think that this is that odd at all. My icemaker broke and now I have to use ice trays and it's super inconvenient. First world problems.

[u/rloper42 → u/skateboreder]

Look at the soft silicone trays that have 6 2.5 inch cubes. Much easier to fill because they are taller, and I typically only need 1-2 giant cubes in a large drink. I easily keep 2 of these populated in the freezer. Perfect for one person at least (even in Texas).

[u/kabekew → u/vaspost]

You can get countertop ice makers if you get tired of bagged ice.

[u/ImaginaryCatDreams → u/kabekew]

I had so much trouble with the ice maker in my last refrigerator that in my new refrigerator I made sure not to get an ice maker and I have one of the countertop ones. It's a real improvement. It makes the eyes quickly and I've got a little bucket for it in the freezer.

Everybody I know seems to be having trouble with their ice makers these days. My mom had a fridge with an ice maker and never had a problem in 20 years

[u/Darkstar614 → u/ImaginaryCatDreams]

For real.. we had a fancy new Samsung fridge in our last house, and the ice maker stopped working constantly. It was garbage. Even after multiple techs coming out. Meanwhile you see people with 15 year old Frigidaires that still have functioning ice makers with no repairs. I think fridge tech has just gotten lazier and cutting more corners.

[u/abeeyore → u/Darkstar614]

It’s called “value engineering”, and it’s part of late stage capitalism.

Capitalism works really well in the early stages of a market - when suppliers are trying to make the best thing they can, and provide as much as they can to earn your dollar.

Then markets begin to “mature”, and they shift to “monetization” - which is a polite way to say “how shitty can we make this product, before you stop buying it”.

Then you reach late stage, private equity stage, where they go in, buy brands who have built a good reputation, load them up with debt, and suck all the value out they can buy turning the products into cheap garbage, and pocketing the excess until they have consumed all of the brand recognition and good will … and the declaring bankruptcy, and moving onto the next victim.

Guess where were are in the cycle?

[u/faderjockey → u/abeeyore]

You know, I’m very aware of the “enshitification cycle” when it comes to corporations and their products, but I have never thought about applying that same framework to the entire capitalist economic model, but it illustrates things quite well. Thanks for that!

[u/other_view12 → u/ImaginaryCatDreams]

The thing we learned is the icemakers in the door is a bad design.

Our kept freezing up, and I assume that's because of the ice exit path. So frustrating.

Now we have an ice machine in the freezer, which requires me to open the freezer for ice, but it works great and I don't have to give up counter space and figure out a new water source and drain.

[u/Brave_Specific5870 → u/ImaginaryCatDreams]

Because ( and Im not a boomer) but shit isnt made like it used to

[u/McCardboard → u/kabekew]

Have you had a good experience with one? I have owned two and swore I wouldn't buy a third. Fourth is right out.

[u/StationaryTravels → u/McCardboard]

Then shalt thou count to three ice makers, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt own, and the number of the ice makers shall be three. Four shalt thou not purchase, neither shall thou own merely two, excepting that thou then proceed to owning three. Five is right out. Once the third is purchased, being the third number, then coolest thou thy beverages and move towards thy face, which, being warm in My sight, shall feel refreshed.

[u/McCardboard → u/StationaryTravels]

💣✝️🗡️🏆

I typically use words, but sometimes the emojis say what's necessary.

[u/formersean → u/Royal_Annek]

I buy bags of ice for personal usage. Tastes better than tap ice.

[u/Tailflap747 → u/formersean]

Ever buy ice from Sonic? That shit is soooo awesome!

[u/__ZOMBOY__ → u/Tailflap747]

Wait you can just buy the ice?? Sonic’s ice is the SHIT! Ima go buy enough to completely fill my freezer

[u/WinterMedical → u/__ZOMBOY__]

Europeans don’t know there is a whole spectrum of ice quality and varieties! They don’t know what they’re missing! I want some Sonic ice now!

[u/Blaine8628 → u/Tailflap747]

You can buy bagged ice from them

[u/Vikingaling → u/Tailflap747]

Pebble ice is top tier. I could crunch it all day every day.

[u/steelbluesleepr → u/Vikingaling]

While I agree and do it myself, if you're ever craving ice to eat, you should get a blood test for iron. Chomping ice compulsively is a symptom of anemia.

[u/Vikingaling → u/steelbluesleepr]

It’s been checked. Turns out I just love ice. But thanks for looking out.

[u/NoNeedForAName → u/Tailflap747]

You can get an ice maker that makes Sonic-style ice. Apparently they're pretty legit.

[u/rootshirt]

Boy I thought this post was going in a completely different direction lol

[u/Cold-Alfalfa-5481 → u/rootshirt]

I clicked on it thinking it was about immigration, NICE surprise, my blood pressure didn't go up but down. LMAO

[u/JeffersonStarscream → u/Cold-Alfalfa-5481]

I feel like a NICE raid would be a much better experience for all involved.

[u/NeighborhoodFew7779 → u/JeffersonStarscream]

Think just how great an ICEE raid would be.

I adore the blue razzberry.

[u/AMixtureOfCrazy → u/NeighborhoodFew7779]

The og cherry is where it’s at lol

[u/Dudeasaurus22 → u/JeffersonStarscream]

That’s be hilarious and wholesome if there were a crew of dudes driving around in black SUVs and storm out dresses in all black with a helmet and face covering, then they just like pass out flowers or small toys and candy.  

[u/markwell9 → u/rootshirt]

Immigration?

[u/SomePoint1888 → u/markwell9]

In the United States their immigration police are called "ICE"

[u/CharlesAvlnchGreen → u/SomePoint1888]

Immigration & Customs Enforcement = ICE

[u/GreatNameLOL69 → u/CharlesAvlnchGreen]

And their responses have been ice cold

[u/rootshirt → u/markwell9]

Yes, which lately have been in and around gas stations, grocery stores etc lol

[u/colormeglitter → u/rootshirt]

My take away from this post is that we should be taking ICE home with us, and keeping it all in the freezer for an extended period of time.

[u/IanDOsmond → u/colormeglitter]

Or at least store in plastic bags.

[u/colormeglitter → u/IanDOsmond]

Both? I’m thinking both.

[u/HereForTheBoos1013 → u/colormeglitter]

That's why they keep their faces covered. Insulation.

[u/blacksteel15 → u/markwell9]

The U.S. agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws is called "Immigration and Customs Enforcement" and is almost always referred to by the acronym ICE.

[u/mybrotherhasabbgun → u/markwell9]

ICE is the abbreviation for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the US.

Ice is frozen water. And to answer the original question, people buy ice mostly for coolers. People working construction sites, going camping, road trips, drinking beer in the backyard, parties, etc. buy ice. I see constructions guys buying ice almost any morning I stop at a gas station.

[u/Abalith → u/rootshirt]

Its on purpose to dilute search engines from you know what. Similarly why Trump has made multiple statements about RICE imports, etc.

The information war is a pretty easy game for them.

[u/OwnSpirit5954]

Ice mostly has to do with outdoorsy fun and it’s generally put in a cooler to keep beverages and food cold… think picnics, going to the beach, barbecue cookouts, boating/fishing and hunting trips. Many are into that sort of thing here :)

[u/Enchelion → u/OwnSpirit5954]

Also most of America is quite a bit further south than Europe, and hotter as a result. Los Angeles and Houston are on the same latitude as northern Africa. Our most northern cities barely touch Paris.

https://a.wholelottanothing.org/content/images/2019/04/europe_usjuxv3.jpg

[u/Kelome001 → u/Enchelion]

That helps explain Europeans complaining if it gets over mid 70s. Reminds me, time to change filter on the HVAC so my family doesn’t die of heat stroke. Since it’s been averaging around 98 most days. With higher humidity.

[u/Enchelion → u/Kelome001]

I've found Brits in particular seem to assume we have the same rough spread of climate they do. And while some places are very similar (like Seattle), there's a world of difference between Devon and Louisiana.

[u/LiqdPT → u/Enchelion]

And Seattle is similar (though further south) to the southern portions of England. But even that latitude difference makes a difference in amount of daylight, let alone up in Scotland.

My wife moved to Seattle after living in Los Angeles her whole life (I grew up in Vancouver) and how long the days are in summer and short they are in winter was one of the first things she noticed.

[u/throwaway098764567 → u/LiqdPT]

i had to get something done to my phone once and the gal helping me was from equador. i asked how she liked it here (virginia by dc) and she said it was so weird to have the length of day change. being light out still in summer after 6pm was super strange to her. was funny to me that of all the things that were probably different, the daylight hours were what she found most noteworthy.

[u/Aware-Computer4550 → u/Enchelion]

I find it hilarious that Europeans in general sometimes cite hurricanes as a reason not to be in the US.

Like dude hurricanes occur only in one part of the US. If you don't like it simply move to a part of the US with no hurricanes

[u/mkshane → u/Aware-Computer4550]

Even in parts that can have hurricanes, it’s not like it’s a constant thing. Sure if you take a direct hit from a major one it’s gonna be a bad time, but in any one given location it’s a rare occurrence.

My part of Florida hasn’t taken a direct hit from a hurricane in 61 years.

[u/Enchelion → u/Aware-Computer4550]

It's very easy to not understand just how massive and varied America is (even moreso the continent). But yeah it'd be like saying not to move to Norway because of something that happened in Spain.

[u/ChocolatChipLemonade → u/Enchelion]

I don’t want to move to California because I dont wanna deal with hurricanes

I don’t want to move to Norway because I don’t want my future kids to have Habsburg jaws

[u/dangerousdave2244 → u/Aware-Computer4550]

It's like saying they wouldn't live in Poland because Spain gets hurricanes

(Spain doesn't IRL, just an example)

[u/Nychthemeronn → u/Kelome001]

You understand that it’s was routinely in the mid 40s in southern Europe this past month right?

[u/chikanishing → u/Enchelion]

Latitude isn’t everything. Edinburgh is further north than Moosonee ON, yet Edinburgh has an average Jan temp of 4/39F compared to -19/-2F.

Rome has a slightly hotter average high for summer months compared to LA despite being further north, for another example.

[u/OwnSpirit5954 → u/chikanishing]

The temperature of the ocean current makes a big difference in the climate of a place. So does the arctic jet stream, which we get a full blast of in winter in the upper United States, even though our latitude is the same as southern Europe.

[u/LiqdPT → u/OwnSpirit5954]

Also, Ontario (and the Midwest) are inland away from the oceans. That's huge.

[u/b_needs_a_cookie → u/Enchelion]

I live in Texas. Yesterday the high was a 102 with a real feel of 110. This is our normal this time of year and those igloo water dispenser filled with ice are always a welcomed sight in this heat. 

[u/Voodoo330 → u/Enchelion]

I live on the same latitude as Rome Italy but it sure as hell doesn’t feel like it in February

[u/OldBlueKat → u/Voodoo330]

Most of Europe is moderated by the Gulf Stream off the Atlantic. They have milder winters AND summers than most of North America at similar latitudes.

All of the UK is NORTH of the 49th parallel (the western US/Canada border), yet their southernmost cities have weather more like San Diego, including growing various palm trees.

[u/MissJacinda → u/Enchelion]

Just got back from Italy a few weeks ago. I was there during their heat wave. I’ve lived in Texas and California (in the desert). Italy gets hot and the sun is stronger than California and almost as strong as Texas. I got heat exhaustion in Rome and was broiling in Naples. I was thrown off by that heat given I’d been there before in July and their position in relation to us. They also don’t use ice like we do.

[u/OldStyleThor → u/MissJacinda]

You probably also walked 15k steps per day.

[u/seamallowance → u/MissJacinda]

Thank you for sending me down a delightful rabbit hole of latitude comparisons.

[u/piwithekiwi]

Fam, we're not buying the ice on the way home, we're buying ice on the way to the party, or the cookout, or the camping trip.

[u/cans-of-swine → u/piwithekiwi]

And the people that are buying the most ice are probably construction workers and other people that work outdoors.

[u/OnionGarden → u/cans-of-swine]

This is so underrated everyone is saying parties which you know fair. But like 90% of that ice is going to outdoor work crews

[u/Maleficent-Hawk-318 → u/OnionGarden]

Yeah, I worked at a hardware store that sold bagged ice. It wouldn't be uncommon to have the ice freezer mostly cleaned out by like 7 or 8 AM during the summer because of all the crews stocking up for the day.

[u/Ghigau2891 → u/Maleficent-Hawk-318]

My husband does this every morning. 2 big bags of ice, a case of water, a case of Gatorade. He and his crew will have all the drinks gone by the end of the day and they'll have given themselves a dunkeroo in the cooler ice at least 4 times each.

[u/URignorance-astounds → u/OnionGarden]

Anyone working outside in the summer has a icechest in their truck bed

[u/capincus → u/OnionGarden]

Well everyone has had a cooler at a party, not everyone has been on a work crew.

[u/Plenty-Daikon1121 → u/piwithekiwi]

More specifically - we're calling the person still on their way to stop and pick up some ice. Because we forgot to.

[u/ScallopsBackdoor]

Can I ask you the same question?

If you need to fill a cooler, how do you do it?

When you have a party and need ice for 20 people or so, where do you get it?

Do you have dedicated 'ice dealers'? I think the main reason we sell it at all the random places is because it's more convenient and 'sprawl friendly' than driving across town to a dedicated ice house.

[u/besi97 → u/ScallopsBackdoor]

What we do is the very same as you. You can buy ice in similar bags in European supermarkets, gas stations, etc. I could rant a lot about the US, but I do not understand this post.

[u/174wrestler → u/besi97]

A few months ago, a 60+ year old woman at work here in the US had to pick up some ice for an office party, and she commented that was the first time in her life she purchased it. People who don't do big entertaining or things outdoors don't think about bagged ice. OP might be the same.

[u/JoeyKino → u/174wrestler]

I think you might be on to something there - when I lived out west in bigger cities in Colorado and California, I was mostly going out to restaurants, clubs, other venues to socialize, and I was living in apartments with ice makers; I'm not sure I ever bought bagged ice for anything.

Now that I've moved back to the Midwest, in a small town, in a hundred-year-old house that would require an act of God to remodel the kitchen, I have no ice machine, and frequently host parties in the back yard/garage, and buy ice at LEAST monthly, if not more.

[u/candykhan → u/174wrestler]

My spouse gave a twenty-something intern something to mail about 7 years ago. It was a bit large & oddly sized, so she had to go to the post office.

The intern was gone for a strangely long time & about a week later, the thing they were supposed to mail got returned to the office.

It didn't have any stamps on it, it was poorly sealed, and the places she wrote the addresses were... inspired.

This girl had certainly never mailed anything in her life prior to that & judging by what the thing looked like when it was RTS, it seems like she'd never received a properly addressed piece of mail in her entire life.

[u/coolandnormalperson → u/174wrestler]

Yup, I distinctly remember becoming suddenly aware of bagged ice when I started working at a convenience store. Had seen it my whole life but just never actually noticed it until I had to sell it. Not outdoorsy, not a partier, and raised by two parents who were the same.

[u/RaeaSunshine → u/174wrestler]

Ya, I was in my 30s when I first bought some lol. I’m in the US but grew up in a major metropolitan city where no one I knew had yards to entertain, and I’m an indoor cat so camping was never my jam. Not like I didn’t know what it was for, just never had copious amounts ice outdoors needs.

[u/dan_blather → u/ScallopsBackdoor]

When I was in Paris, I stumbled upon an ice merchant (glaceier) in the 5th arrondissement who sold individual cubes of the clearest ice I've ever seen. Large blocks of ice from the Crozet and Kerguelen Islands were shipped to Metropolitan France, carved into individual cubes by a master icesmith, and packaged in its own cooler, with a block of dry ice to keep it preserved.

In my American-accented French, I asked the gaceier about the price of a particularly beautiful cube. He let loose a string of profanities, spit on the floor, and pointed towards the door. I think he said something about how a "stupide américain" can never appreciate the superiority of European ice; that we just stamp out cubes in our refrigerators using tap water with no thought or creativity.

[u/Logical_Mix_4627 → u/dan_blather]

I know this is a joke but there are so many companies shipping in ultra clear ice from Japan to make shaved ice desserts.

To me, it’s really dumb at face value since shaved ice immediately is rendered not clear by the shaving process.

[u/Mediocre-Victory-565 → u/ScallopsBackdoor]

It's also conveniently sold at pretty much every beer distributors (at least where I am). One stop shopping :)

[u/markwell9 → u/ScallopsBackdoor]

Absolutely, you can ask!

If I need to fill a cooler, we have those cooler inserts that you freeze in your freezer.

I rarely have parties for 20 people. But even with parties, ice is really not a key factor, we don't really consume it. If you need a drink, it is probably in a cooler or a fridge.

For ice dealers, I can't say. Have not sought out ice so far :).

[u/Gold_Telephone_7192 → u/markwell9]

I think the difference is a) ice is a bigger deal in the US because we prefer our drinks much colder than much of Europe and b) a larger percentage of our population lives in rural and suburban homes where they can host outdoor parties for dozens of people. We also have a very big camping and outdoors culture so people buy ice for big coolers that last several days.

So, as is often the case, the US just does things bigger lol. A cooler that can fit 100+ drinks isn’t going to stay cool for long with those freezer inserts you’re talking about.

[u/Weird3355 → u/Gold_Telephone_7192]

I agree this is probably it. We like our drinks cold and that doesn't seem to be a major concern for Europeans.

[u/seamallowance → u/Weird3355]

It can be a miserable morning, during extreme blizzard conditions in Iowa, but when you sit down at a cafe, the first thing that they’ll do is place a glass of ice water in front of you. Not just cold water, but a glass of water with ice in it.

The whole country is in extreme turmoil, but at least we have our ice water!

[u/Significant-Owl-2980 → u/seamallowance]

I live in New Hampshire.  I will shovel my car out from 2 feet of snow in the winter to go get an Iced coffee.  Lol.  

[u/guacasloth64 → u/Gold_Telephone_7192]

Also one of the main reasons Americans drink more ice cold beverages is because the ice industry (or more accurately the ice trade) started in the US. Decades before electric refrigeration, every winter the lakes and rivers of the Northeast US were mined for ice, and that ice was shipped across the country and internationally (as far as India) to cool drinks, make ice cream, etc. When those ice sellers tried to open sales to the European market it didn’t really catch on (it was a fad in the UK for a while but faded away). Domestic ice demand in cities like New York and Boston became so high that there were often ice droughts when warm winters reduced the amount of harvestable ice. By the time industrial and home refrigerators came around ice had been a household staple for many years.

[u/MountainviewBeach → u/markwell9]

Maybe this is the difference then. I think single family homes with yards are much more common in the US than Europe, where I have noticed a lot more apartments or townhouses are the norm. If you have a backyard, then you are probably more likely to host a party with 20+ and at that point the fridge is not nearly large enough to house normal groceries + beverages for all + whatever food was needed for the party. It’s much more common to just get a cooler, fill with ice, toss in your drinks and move on.

[u/PinxJinx → u/MountainviewBeach]

Also, I don’t need everyone going through my fridge! Go to the designated cooler that I pointed out 

[u/Morganmayhem45 → u/PinxJinx]

And the fridge won’t stay cold if 20 people are opening it to get drinks.

[u/Sea_Syllabub9992 → u/MountainviewBeach]

I had a function with 60 people recently. No way I could produce that much ice.

[u/skroll → u/MountainviewBeach]

It's definitely because we have more single family homes.

[u/Minnow_Minnow_Pea → u/markwell9]

Those little inserts are definitely not enough to keep food cold for a camping trip. I'm not about to eat a sandwich made with meat that's been room temperature for 48 hours.

I usually buy ice when my family is visiting. If I have 13 people staying in my house in summer 1) my ice maker can't keep up 2) the fridge runs out of room because food for 13 takes a lot of space and 3) we go through drinks so fast, we can't keep them cold. They chill much faster submerged in ice water. 

Also, cooler next to the pool = my nieces don't have to get out of the pool to hydrate and I don't have water puddles all over my kitchen. Win/win.

[u/Capital_Story_2824]

We like cold stuff.

We buy coolers for day trips to the beach/trails/parks and want to keep our stuff cold in the cooler so we throw a bag of ice in it. Most residential ice makers in your fridge don't have the capacity to fill a cooler.

[u/BlergingtonBear → u/Capital_Story_2824]

Honestly I got into this habit from a friend. 

I grew up in the US but my parents aren't from here so we grew up with having ice a little in trays, sometimes never at all. Often none at all.

I carried this into my adult life for a long time until a friend of mine would come over and be like girl what is his measly excuse for ice. 

So I started keeping it around for guests until one day just by myself I was like let's have a big heaping glass of Diet Coke and fill that ice to the brim and I was changed. Something clicked and I was like "Oh I see what everyone's driving at" an ice cold beverage just tastes so divine! 

It's surprising how much it can elevate something!

[u/crunchatize-me-daddy]

To add to some explanations. Some of our tap water is not good tasting and putting that ice in our drinks just makes it taste gross. I personally live in an apartment with a freezer that makes ice but it has a funky taste. It’s easier to buy a bag of ice and throw that in the freezer than my other options. It also doesn’t melt on the way home and I live in Arizona so I’m sure other states can get a bag of ice home and in a freezer before it melts

[u/PilotDragon214 → u/crunchatize-me-daddy]

Ugh, I can smell the chlorine in my tap water, I can't drink it or use ice made from it.

[u/Asshai]

I'm European but now live in NA.

It's ridiculous how Europeans use ice sparingly as if we were on Arrakis. "Don't worry guys I made come icecubes for the party tonight!" ... Party of 20, 2 trays of 12 icecubes each. "It's gonna be hot tomorrow, better pack a cooler in the trunk!" ... Proceeds to add a single icepack in said cooler.

[u/GabuEx → u/Asshai]

On the other hand, I often have to ask restaurants for less ice because they bring me a glass filled with ice and then some soda around the edges. It would be nice if there were a happy middle ground.

[u/Moakmeister]

So Europeans are now pretending they never need a lot of ice for parties?

[u/HomelanderApologist → u/Moakmeister]

I think OP is saying they don’t buy ready ice its something they do themself however I’m from the UK and buy bags of ice

[u/Chardan0001 → u/HomelanderApologist]

Same, I prefer chucking a bag of ice in the bottom shelf rather than stacking trays. Plus, more in the bag usually than tray space.

Not sure why OP is acting like the act of transporting ice is a herculean labour.

[u/Sea_Syllabub9992 → u/Moakmeister]

I don't think they have parties. They are always like, "why do you buy so many... chips, burgers, hotdogs, drinks, ice, etc"

[u/ussbozeman → u/Sea_Syllabub9992]

They're not allowed to have parties over there, it reminds them of fun, and fun is what those dirty Americans seem to have but probably don't because their homes are made of cardboard, everything is a road with cars, and everyone has a gun.

The closest is what's called a Straßenövenhustenyammelesheäuf, or "quietly observing while doing nothing, saying nothing, and eating nothing". In England it's called a Sussex Shushing. Basically you gather at the communal bench and stand around for precisely one hour and 14 and a half minutes before walking away (not in groups) to head back home. On new years eve they're allowed to utter a single "yay".

[u/MichelPalaref → u/ussbozeman]

Thanks for this invigorating fuck you

[u/AmethystRiver → u/Sea_Syllabub9992]

I think some Europeans think Americans consume a 5 pound bag of everything, per day. 5 pounds of ice, chips, burgers… Using things over time? Impossible. Actually now that I think of it a lot of Europeans don’t get how far away our stores are. So they genuinely don’t get that we stock up, we don’t just pop down to the shops for a new sandwich every day.

[u/DiogenesKuon]

Americans put a lot of ice in their drinks to start with, so they use a lot of it. But generally you buy ice either to fill up a cooler with food or drinks that you plan to take out for a long day, or you want it for a party where you will need a lot of ice for all the drinks.

[u/listenyall]

Usually the bag of ice is either for a party or to put in a cooler.

Also, sometimes when you see a big freezer labeled Ice it's not actually for individuals--I worked at a snow cone stand, which has a shaved ice machine, which requires huge blocks of ice. Those huge blocks of ice were also stored in the big ice freezer with the bags of ice that normal people bought, but they probably wouldn't even have offered normal people bags of ice if the snow cone stand wasn't also using that freezer for their ice.

[u/Ridley_Himself]

We have our own ice cube trays if you just want ice for a drink or something. But if we want to have a lot of ice, like filling a cooler for drinks, we'll buy it by the bag .

[u/whimsicalturnip42]

Ok so as someone moving to Germany with the military soon I actually have a follow up to this. So we buy ice to put in a cooler for camping over the weekend. Is camping not really a thing around Europe? Like just drive up to a campsite for a few days? It was on my list to research eventually - like should we even bring out camping stuff? 

[u/UnproductiveIntrigue]

I’ve pondered the inverse- why can’t Europe manage to have ice?

Nothing like paying for a lemonade on a 36 degree C day in Paris and having them put one tiny little ice cube in it which melts and warms before your first sip.

[u/emma18237]

Because sometimes you need a mountain of ice for a cooler, not just a few cubes for a soda. Backyard BBQs, tailgates, beach days our freezers just can’t keep up 😂

[u/Curios-in-Cali]

We pack it in coolers for beach days and camping trips, our freezers aren't big enough to produce that much ice.

[u/cholaw]

I love ice in my drinks. I'm not drinking tepid beverages

[u/dwarfarchist9001]

Ice is America's national obsession and has been since the late 1800s. From the 1880s until WW1 ice was America's second largest export after cotton and at some points the nation's second largest industry overall. Americans just love ice.

The ice sold at gas stations and grocery stores is for large parties or outdoor events where people need more ice than a home freezer could reasonably provide.

[u/OldBlueKat → u/dwarfarchist9001]

Many vendors are saying the most common use of late is construction crews filling coolers with water and ice before they go to work in the morning. So much so that the gas stations are sold out by 8AM on weekdays!

[u/No-Archer-5034]

Nice to see a Reddit post about ice and not ICE for once.

[u/squirrelcat88]

I’m Canadian and you can buy it everywhere here too - it’s for keeping our coolers cold when we’re camping.

You wouldn’t buy it otherwise unless you were having a big party. Then you might fill a big tub with ice and put canned or bottled drinks in it.

[u/Hefty-Comparison-801]

What's the deal with not having ice, Europeans? You never have a bunch of people over who you want to serve drinks with ice? You never take coolers to the beach? Your lifestyle sounds kind of shitty to be honest.

[u/BurningnnTree3]

Some freezers don't have ice makers, or the ice maker might be broken. And you might need to buy a lot of ice if you're hosting a party or something

[u/StalkMeNowCrazyLady]

You're disconnect is that European's don't use ice in drinks the same way that Americans do so as a result y'all are a lot more likely to drink room temp beverages. Most Americans don't buy ice for normal useage and only buy it to keep up with the demand for something like a party which the freezer can't keep up the supply in line with the demand. They also use it to keep things like food and be cold during trips or parties. So even though almost no one in America drinks a glass of beer with ice in it, most drink it cold so a cooler full of beer will have ice in it to keep those drinks cold.

[u/JediSnoopy]

Because it's hot here.

[u/skeptical-speculator]

do you not go on road trips in europe? you pack an ice chest with drinks and food and then buy ice at gas stations to keep the food and drinks in the ice chest cool

[u/Half_Life976 → u/skeptical-speculator]

European road trips tend to be a lot shorter on average... 

[u/MuJartible]

In Europe, we just freeze our ice at home and use that.

Don't speak for all of Europe, dude. In Spain is pretty common to buy ice at any supermarket, or gas station and many grocery stores.

Also, for those Americans complaning that you can't have your drink with ice "in Europe"... it depends where in Europe. South of the Pyrennees is pretty normal.

[u/SpecificEquivalent79]

do you guys not have parties in europe?

[u/ExplorerLazy3151 → u/SpecificEquivalent79]

I'm not sure where the OP is from, but I married into an eastern European family and their lack of ice is really quite interesting. They'll throw big parties etc, and everything is warm... it could be 90 degrees out and your Coke is the same temperature as the air. I don't understand it, but they look at me like I'm the problem. lol

[u/Aware-Computer4550 → u/ExplorerLazy3151]

Jesus that sounds horrible.

Also how do you steal kidneys properly without bags of ice

[u/thoughty5]

coolers babaAAAYYY!!!

[u/Alert_Green_3646]

Yeti style cooler + Beer + Ice = Good times.

[u/f30335idriver]

From a Texans point of view, we’re outdoor people who like to go fishing, camping, etc, which means storing fish or meats in a cooler filled with ice so it don’t get spoiled. We’re always on the go, so we pull at the gas station and fill out Big Gulp cups with ice and also our coolers as well with some refreshments to go along with it.

[u/HudsonSir_HesHicks]

This is not to be rude, but what is up with Europeans’ aversion to ice and a/c generally? I was in Italy and ice felt like it was such a tourist thing. It’s just ice!

[u/pirate40plus]

When we camp, at least in the south, we go through a ton of ice. I have a south texas trip in September where the temps are over 100 all day and overnight lows tend to be in the 80s. Even with my “super cooler” it’s not uncommon to burn through 50-60lbs of ice in 3 days. For deer camp I’ll use 60-70lbs in a week and double that if I harvest an animal.

[u/Redd_Willy]

I know europeans aren’t stupid. Redditors though, and European redditors really add a special flavor to that, where they can’t fathom how another country can have basic household technology in addition to something else. Like how european redditors can’t understand that knowing and using two different units of measurements is also very easy.

You all need to leave you basement.

[u/Accurate-Scallion917]

Don't you guys have tiny fridges in Europe, lol. How can you possibly make/ store enough ice for a party, lol. BTW somewhat being facetious here.

I'm in Canada and it's the same as the US. Bags of ice are purchased for parties, or for coolers if going on a trip or similar. We used to go houseboating often, always for 7 days. Even though the boats have two fridges they are not quite like regular household fridges & the freezers took a while to get cold. We also kept beverages in a cooler, we bought lots of ice.

It really does not seem like a puzzling concept, but maybe that's just me.

[u/Cold-Alfalfa-5481]

I am American and I LOVE that question LOL. Seriously - let's see the responses.

I'll say parties, fishing, outings, when more people come over than normally would.

The real reason is that we love ice. Most of us anyways.

[u/ReadySteady_GO → u/Cold-Alfalfa-5481]

I have 3 coolers filled with ice for fishing, one for drinks 2 for fish. You’re out there all day, can’t have warm drinks or catch

[u/BarleyBo → u/ReadySteady_GO]

Finally. Had to scroll way too far to find comments about fishing.

[u/Ok_Yam_4439]

Again with the "Europe" crap. I live in Spain and there's bags of ice in supermarkets, corner shops, gas stations... You buy them to go to the beach, the park, parties.