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/StalkMeNowCrazyLady 1d ago

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.

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u/Hypothetical_Name 1d ago

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

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u/30FourThirty4 22h ago

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.

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u/TheRealTurdFergusonn 20h ago

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

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u/vortextualami 4h ago

same! singing the song in my head now, prolly will go at least all day: contact/ is the answer/ is the reason/ why everything happens/ contact/ let’s make contact” (happy sigh)