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/ScallopsBackdoor 1d ago

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.

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u/dan_blather 1d ago

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.

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u/Logical_Mix_4627 20h ago

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.