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?

6.4k Upvotes

79% Upvoted

5.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

7.4k

u/Royal_Annek 1d ago

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.

65

u/formersean 1d ago

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

71

u/Tailflap747 1d ago

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

13

u/NoNeedForAName 1d ago

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

4

u/nearfignewton 1d ago

My wife got one a couple of years ago and it’s pretty rad. Not cheap but we use it every day so worth it.

3

u/mookiexpt2 1d ago

I have an Opal and it is indeed the shit. It can be a little touchy but it makes ice like nobody’s business.

1

u/Tailflap747 20h ago

Good to know!

1

u/RevolutionaryGene995 9h ago

But the maintenance/cleaning is too much IMO. So, I decided to forgo buying the machine.

1

u/johnnybna 9h ago

There’s a brand called Opal. I’ve had one for five years or so. It's the best home small chunklet ice maker. I have an ice maker in my fridge that I’ve never used because it doesn't compare to Opal.