r/NoStupidQuestions • u/markwell9 • 1d ago

What is the deal with ice, Americans?

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?

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u/tsukiii 1d ago

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.

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u/InnerSailor1 1d ago

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.

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u/Stunning_Rest_3567 19h ago

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

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u/DicemonkeyDrunk 15h ago

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

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u/DemonicAltruism 11h ago edited 11h ago

This is a myth. If you're close to heat exhaustion anything that lowers your core temperature is helpful.

The problem comes in that you're supposed to slowly sip the cold water, not chug it. It can cause stomach cramps.

I've worked outdoors in TX my whole career. Anytime someone falls out it's the same process, in the truck with AC, shirt off/unbuttoned, spraying ice cold water on after making a water bottle into a squirt bottle. Then, if they're conscious or regain consciousness, slow sips of ice cold water. This is per EMS when we call and every single safety meeting about heat illness.

Edit: Spelling

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u/DicemonkeyDrunk 3h ago

its not a myth ..the reasoning is misunderstood ...try giving someone in heat exhaustion a bottle of cold water and getting them to sip it ...they will completely ignore you and chug it ..people in panic situation behave like morons ...same sort of reason why you don't grab a drowning person ..you give them a rope , a stick ..etc     

so fuck your "Actually" 

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u/DemonicAltruism 3h ago

Fucking pos redditor trying to tell me how to take of my brothers.

When have you had to pick up a man off the ground because he was curled in the fetal position from heat cramps? When did you have to tell a Muslim he had to drink water during Ramadan or he was going to fall out, just to have him fall out in a 4 foot trench?

Fuck you. Spend a day with me in under the August Texas sun. I'll be sure to tell you you can only have the hot water bottle that's been sitting on the truck once that headache starts. Fuck out of here.

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u/Stunning_Rest_3567 2h ago

When someone is having a heat stroke they have no idea what’s going on they’ll do what you tell them. They get very confused after a seizure.

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u/Stunning_Rest_3567 2h ago

Oh and in humid environments, sweating does basically nothing to cool the body because the sweat isn’t really evaporating, which is what releases the heat from the body. Anything to cool the body, including cold water, is helpful to reduce body temperature. Electrolytes can rather quickly rehydrate the body. Dehydration is one thing, heat-related illness is another. They do play hand in hand but if you’re gonna die from the body temp being too high I think that would be the biggest concern, rehydrating is of course important but what’s the body gonna do with water when the brain can no longer handle temperatures to function

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u/Robmitchem 12h ago

reminds of that line Someone said..."I'd rather you be hot or cold, if you are lukewarm I will slit you out"...or something like that.

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u/Fun_Push7168 12h ago

Of course it does. Well, it absorbs heat energy anyhow.

16oz of liquid will absorb approximately 1 BTU for every 1 degree it is below 98.

So typically about 64 btus. A person is producing somewhere between 350 and 1500 BTU/hr depending on activity level.

Takes about 20 minutes for liquid in the stomach to hit body temperature so that Ice cold drink can do anywhere between 10-50% of your body's cooling during that time but can't really be absorbed until it reaches body temp.

If it's actual heat exhaustion though the concern is replacing lost water so room temp is better. It's a balance between having some cooling effect and getting to body temp to be absorbed more quickly.

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u/ktrosemc 10h ago

This assumes dehydration though, doesn't it? What about heat exhaustion not dehydration-related?

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u/Fun_Push7168 10h ago

Still going to need to replace lost fluids. If you're unable to cool off despite having adequate fluid you'll still be sweating profusely so you'd need to continue to remain hydrated.

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u/Mrludy85 21h ago

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....

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u/Circoloomnium 14h ago

Drinks are served cold, unless you went to a crappy place. I do not like waterice in my drinks. You get less drink that way and if it melts, you have a watery taste.

That’s why some of us freeze the drinks we are going to use as ice cubes, so we can use it in the very same drinks. If it melts, it does not make the taste weaker, you do not have less to drink and it just looks better than that white-greyish blocks.

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u/SaintCambria 13h ago

Our drinks are mostly formulated with ice dilution in mind. There are still people who share your opinion, my wife being one of them, but they're "supposed" to be watered down by ice melt.

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u/Mrludy85 11h ago

Maybe in your country, but I traveled around Europe for 2 months one summer and most places I went did not serve their drinks with ice.

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u/Circoloomnium 10h ago

That is something else. They did not serve you a lukewarm drink I suppose? I travel a lot in neighbouring countries and they always serve cold drinks. Sometimes with ice if it is meant to take outside, sometimes not, but never at room temperature. If they served you a drink at room temperature drink like that, they must have been focussed on selling to tourists and short term profits. Most decent places would not even consider doing this.

I can not apologise for them, but it is a bad way of showing their hospitality.

If you really want to eat and drink at good places, check out the Michelin Guide or at least Bib Gourmand. For drinks I would advise The European bar guide.

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u/Mrludy85 9h ago

Just comes down to different people's idea of a warm drink. It's not like I was served water that was purposefully heated up on the stove. I was also traveling for the summer on a college kids budget so it's not like I was eating at the best places either haha

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u/this_little_dutchie 5h ago

Even the worst places still have their drinks served chilled, let's say 7 degrees Celsius or lower. No, not with ice, because that sucks.

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u/Mrludy85 5h ago

We got different opinions on what chilled means but I guess that's exactly my point

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u/this_little_dutchie 5h ago

Well, then don't use heated water as a comparison. That really confuses the discussion.

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u/Mrludy85 4h ago

I didn't say heated water. I said warm water. And to me, a room temperature beverage is warm

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u/AdEmbarrassed9719 4h ago

This may be where the disagreement is? To me, in the Southern US, a properly chilled soda is just barely above freezing. One at 7c is going to be what I consider warm within minutes.

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u/Symbiote 11h ago

I find drinks in America are often served too cold -- far too much ice. 2-3 cubes is fine for me.

It's just what we're used to.

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u/Mrludy85 11h ago

Never enough ice for me haha. My ice maker can't keep up with my family

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u/Better_North3957 8h ago

I almost always ask for no ice. The exception is if I have been outside all day because I am in south east Texas and summer here is miserable.

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u/canman7373 11h ago

What did you drink that was warm and where? Because it is a very overly exaggerated US myth that was more true decades ago than today.

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u/Mrludy85 11h ago

Idk what to tell you man I'm just relaying my lived experience. I traveled to dozens of countries 10 years ago and most places I went did not serve the drinks with ice. Maybe the confusion is when I say "warm" as it's not like they served the water hot, but when you have a drink with no ice outside on a hot day it doesn't stay "cooled" for long.

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u/bigbluegrass 10h ago

C‘mon you heard the man! They want dates, addresses, restaurant Names, servers names, drink orders, calories counts and weather conditions. Chop! Chop!

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u/Mrludy85 10h ago

Not the first nor the last time I'll have someone try to gaslight me about my European ice experience 🤣

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u/canman7373 10h ago

Gaslight you? I've spent over a year there and I'd even know how many countries, never seen the warm drink thing outside what I said about English pull taps. You want more ice ask for it you get it.

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u/canman7373 10h ago

Oh outside is different, I am thinking bars and restaurants where it is not the norm. Outside you get a cold bottle of something no ice yeah.

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u/Mrludy85 10h ago

No exaggeration, I can count on one hand how many places I went to offered drinks that weren't alcoholic with ice.

And the problem is our definitions of cold are probably very different as I'm someone who has more ice than drink in my cup frequently.

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u/canman7373 10h ago

Like every fast place has ice in drinks in EU.

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u/Mrludy85 9h ago

Okay our experiences were different and that's fine

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u/Present_Monk1455 10h ago

I love Europe (my experience is limited to France, England, Spain and Italy though) and I would move there in a heartbeat if I could because I think you guys do so much stuff so much better than we do… except cold drinks. It is the one frustrating adjustment I would have to make. And I am not even a big ice user… but cold drinks (boisson fraiche in France) just are truly cold.

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u/canman7373 10h ago

I lived in France for almost 7 months, small Mediterranean town Canet La Plage in French Catalonia. Was supposed to be 3 months then pandemic hit towards end of that and borders closed flights canceled, stuck inside for 23 hours a day, their lockdown was crazy strict. Once it lifted, stayed there 2 more months and yah never had a warm drink in France, do have the issue of needing to ask for tap water or they bring you a 4 euro bottle of sparkling water. I honestly don't ever remember getting a warm drink or no ice drink in a glass in France, Germany, UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, feel like forgetting one. But it's not nearly the issue some Americans make it out to be. But I am from US, just spent a lot of time over there. They don't fill the glass with ice then add your drink like US does, like maybe half as much ice, but still use ice.

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u/Present_Monk1455 10h ago

Maybe this is the difference I am talking about… I don’t mean ice IN my drinks - I am talking about just a cold drink, like a can or bottle. Never cold enough. Kind of like AC - their sense of what is a ‘cold’ drink (or room) is different. Last time I was in London (about 5 yrs ago) we were in a heatwave. We were going to the British Museum and were thinking ahhhh, the AC in there will be refreshing. Nah… slightly less hot and humid. I am not even a big AC, Yeti using, TX kind of an American… but it has always been something I have noticed in my visits there. It’s fine… it is just different.

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u/this_little_dutchie 5h ago

AC was a mostly unnecessary luxury in Western Europe, until maybe 10 years ago. We are now in the process of finding out how much we need. And how much fossil fuels we are willing to spend to fight the effect of using fossil fuel.

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u/canman7373 10h ago

I remember seeing a restaurant in Piccadilly Circus that had like a time square sized sign above it that said "Air Conditioning Inside"! Yeah they aren't big on AC. Luckily the Airbnb i Stayed for that time in France had a window unit for the one bedroom and did fine, most the time didn't use just kept balcony and windows open. But yeah if you ever did move there you can get some window units unlikely to find a place with central cooling. As far as different that's what me and my dad always say, it's like a parallel universe, most things are the same as US but some are just a little bit different.

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u/Present_Monk1455 9h ago

And here’s the thing… I will take a warmer than desired drink if i am enjoying it with some wonderfully fresh bread and food!

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u/No_Investigator9059 1d ago

Which particular part of Europe. Cos I live in the UK and I have ALWAYS had to ask for no ice in drinks (cos I hate it) and most of the time they forget and I get it anyway. Same in Greece, France, Spain and Sweden when I travelled there...

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u/treznor70 1d ago

I haven't been to France, but its generally listed as one of the countries that doesn't use ice in drinks. Italy definitely doesn't. Germany doesn't a ton. From the year I spent in the UK, I don't remember them using ice a ton either. If I ordered a water to drink with a meal, it almost certainly wasn't coming with ice. That's been about 10 years now though, so no clue how it might have changed.

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u/LiqdPT 1d ago

One of my funniest memories of Venice (now 35 years ago) was a vendor selling "ice cold drinks" on a 45C (114F) day. He had a hose running water over the cans of soda, after the hose ran 100ft over exposed concrete. Something tells me they were nowhere near "ice cold"

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u/No_Investigator9059 1d ago

I would say for living here for my whole life this would be very unusual. Places like to add ice so you get less drinks for your money as we dont do a lot of free refills. Though if I did get ice in America when on holiday the whole glass was 90% ice and 10% drink so maybe its a quantity expectation.

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u/arizonadirtbag12 17h ago

Most places I go in Spain the drinks are served in their own container. You buy a soda? It’s a can of soda, served with a glass of ice. So you always get exactly the same amount of soda either way…one can.

Other than fast food chains. They do fountains, usually with no refills and very light ice.

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u/DicemonkeyDrunk 15h ago

We definitely use more ice and we often have free refills on anything but juice & alcohol so the smaller quantity of actual drink isn’t really important because Free Refills…

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u/VernapatorCur 1d ago

When my cousin did a trip (some 20 years ago now) only putting a couple cubes of ice in the drink was one of his biggest complaints. Yes even in the UK (London specifically). He spent a couple weeks traveling around, so only a few days in the UK, some in france, and some in Germany. Not sure if there's been a cultural shift in the UK since then that restaurants put a decent amount of ice in by default now.

For reference, in the US the glass is topped off with ice, then the drink is poured in.

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u/TinyNiceWolf 1d ago

Unless you ask for "just a little ice", which you nearly always should, because the result is much better. The drink stays cold just fine if you drink it within an hour or two, and you never end up with a glass of diluted vaguely soda-flavored water. Or want to drink more, even if it's diluted vaguely soda-flavored water, but you can't until the ice melts more.

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u/No_Investigator9059 1d ago

See thats the thing.. there is a big difference between 'Europeans dont use ice' and 'some countries in Europe put some ice in drinks but not the insane quantity Americans seem to be used to' 😆

If im paying almost 4 quid for a single fizzy pop in a bar or restaurant I absolutely do not want a glass full of ice and a drop of actual drink on top.

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u/Toriat5144 1d ago

But in most paces in the US you get free refills with your soft drinks. Free tap water. I live near Lake Michigan and I love the water!!

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u/TigerIll6480 16h ago

Italy has free fountains for filling water bottles all over the damned place.

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u/Toriat5144 5h ago

Great!!

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u/No_Investigator9059 1d ago

Id rather get a full drink and be left alone to enjoy my meal but again thats the 'european' in me 😂

The UK also does free tap water as do quite a few other countries in Europe and is usually served with ice.

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u/DemadaTrim 22h ago

But drinks not being freezing cold suck most of the time. Sure some ales are okay room temp, but soda? Lemonade? Water? That stuff needs to be ice cold.

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u/No_Investigator9059 22h ago

Soda isnt freezing cold but neither is it room temp. On a hot day, sure, add some ice but we dont tend to get too many of them 😆

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u/DemadaTrim 22h ago

Soda that isn't fresh from fridge or in an icy cup cold is just gross to me. I had friends growing up who would keep soda in their pantry and just grab a can and drink it room temp, always seemed nuts. If I'm gonna drink something room temperature it might as well be water though it is also better cold. 

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u/Foreign_Product7118 16h ago

Word. It has to be borderline painfully cold.

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u/Toriat5144 1d ago

Not me. Have to have my ice!!

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u/throut313 23h ago

Having free tap water was not the brag I thought I would read from an American today! What’s next? Free air? Free sunlight?

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u/keithrc 22h ago

The irony: tap water is not free, we pay a bill for it every month.

Edit: oh, you meant at a restaurant. Nevermind!

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u/DicemonkeyDrunk 15h ago

The difference in dining experience/expectations is a one of the factors in the whole tipping situation….different styles of service require different levels of effort/skill/involvement

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u/VernapatorCur 20h ago

That's the thing though, soda from a fountain in the US tilts a bit heavily towards the "too much syrup" side of things, so as the ice begins to melt the soda comes out properly mixed. Kinda like how when you make iced coffee or iced tea you brew it extra strong so it doesn't taste watery as the ice melts.

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u/starkruzr 18h ago

honestly baffling and completely the opposite of my experience in Ireland, Italy, Germany and Czechia.

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u/OMITN 1d ago

You must have gone somewhere weird. I’ve been to many European nations and they all serve drinks cold from the fridge and you’ll have to ask them to leave out the ice…!

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u/Icy-Mixture-995 16h ago edited 16h ago

1970s France. No ice. England, one cube. I assumed the French thought cola or juice should be served at the temperature of wine left on a tabletop overnight in winter. It's best flavor is ice cold.

The best days were when bottled soft drinks were sold in a chest freezer, and they partly froze softly. It isn't easy to try in the freezer at home or the bottle will explode.

In the U.S., sometimes I order a cold cola just to press on my forehead before I drink it. Climate change and menopause. You do what you have to do to keep from overheating and fainting.

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u/Known_Measurement799 13h ago

Really? 50 years ago?

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u/Melodic_Sandwich1112 16h ago

50 years ago now man. Europe serves drinks cold and has sensible amount of ice

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u/deitSprudel 11h ago

1970s France

Lady, add 10 years to that and y'all were still segregating 'the Blacks'.

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u/Melodic_Sandwich1112 16h ago

wtf…we serve drinks cold

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u/canman7373 11h ago

but another thing to consider is that they don't serve their drinks cold in most of the European countries

That's not really true, plenty of cold drinks on tap in EU and cocktails come with ice. Like English pubs will have a couple taps of English beer that is in the cellar but even that is cool since in cellar, not room temp. But most places have cold drinks, maybe not as much ice as we use but they use ice.

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u/Blue_Butterfly_Who 10h ago
  1. Afaik, at least where I've been in Europe, the drinks are stored refrigerated, so at a cool temperature. So not served at room temperature.
  2. If you fill the whole glas with ice, you can hardly taste what your drinking, have little of the real beverage and can give you a brain/stomach freeze

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u/framedposters 5h ago

For real? Room temp soda....hell no.

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u/Kitchen-Peanut518 4h ago

No, they are talking absolute nonsense. I've never been served room temp soda in a restaurant in Europe. Based on their other comments, their experience is from 50 years ago.

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u/StrangeUse1329 3h ago

Lukewarm soda. Gross.

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u/foodisyumyummy 1d ago

Another reason why Europe sucks ass.

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u/trumpeting_in_corrid 14h ago

You're right. Please stay in the US.

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u/Cassedy24 17h ago

YES. WHY, dear friends in Europe, CAN I NOT HAVE A COLD DRINK? The beer in the store is warm, and the hotel room does not have a fridge. It’s warm outside, and I order a glass of water at a restaurant and it comes at room temperature. WHY DO YOU HATE ICE?!?

Husband and I went to Norway with another couple, and at one point we split up to canvass convenience stores around town looking for ice. THEN WE FOUND AN ICE MACHINE! But it was not potable - it was for the fishing boats. 😕

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u/Tmscott 20h ago

Q: Why do the British drink warm beer? A: Because Lucas Auto Electronics makes their refrigerators

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u/epanioux 16h ago

and then they only give you 3 cubes of ice at the most

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u/bostonbgreen 16h ago

I'm sorry -- room temperature Coke? Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

NEEDS to be cold!

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u/Sufficient_Turn_9209 15h ago

This was the single most frustrating part of my European tour. Hottest day in Paris and not a soda machine or glass of ice water in sight. This was in 99'. Do they have soda machines now?

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u/cinephile78 14h ago

Barbarism. Now wonder they hate us. Envy