Any one here beside me still use ice cube trays, my ice maker is not that great anymore.

[texanwitch]

I have plenty of trays because some people can't fill the damn thing up after using them.

[hlthe2b]

1. Yes.. because my icemaker works once after I take it a part and shuts off, rinse & repeat.

It just doesn't seem worth it to have it repaired or replaced, so i have five icetrays (the newer kind that has a fitted top, which I like).

But, damn, it is hard to keep up. I must go through three or four trays a day--just for me! I'm thinking about putting a large cooler in the much cooler basement, fill the bottom with a layer of dry ice and fill to the top with bag ice. That should last a week that way--even if inconvenient.

[texanwitch]

4. The same thing with my ice maker, it won't stay fix right.

It will work if it wants to, the only thing I can figure out.

I keep the trays in the chest freezer, lots of space.

We have had kids visiting who didn't know what a ice tray was.

Never seen one.

It blew their little minds that ice wasn't automatic, you had to work for it.

[kcass1954]

44. Ice maker repairs are outrageous, too.

We bought our house, and the ice maker was working when the inspections were done. Three weeks later, we didn't bother to check the freezer when we did the walk-through. We moved in, and no ice. We figured, how bad could it be??? Two hundred dollars later...

[HereSince1628]

2. We almost never use ice. We buy a bag when we need it.

at least for us, keeping frozen water in a frost free freezer (i.e. one that eats ice in trays) was not cost effective.

[fizzgig]

3. we do

i haven't had an ice maker since i moved out of my dad's house. my husband is the one who uses ice but never refills the tray, so we usually don't have any. there is a half bag in the back we got when i fractured my elbow, but i think it's just going to sit there until we move.

[texanwitch]

6. I don't know why it is so hard to fill up a tray if you use it.

I do sometimes empty alll the trays and keep the ice in big ziplock bags.

We can use ice.

[kentauros]

23. You do that with the ziplock, too?

I'm about out, partly because as much as I love these new trays I bought, getting the ice out is a bit difficult. Still, it's worth it as they are durable and make a shape I like: cubed

[texanwitch]

24. I try to keep ahead in the ice cube department.

If the ice machine works I take the ice and put it in ziplock bags.

The ice machine is real funny, never know when it will work.

I have several bags of ice cubes in the chest freezer, we drink ice tea alot.

I would still have to fill up the trays anyway.

I am talking about 2 gallons size bags.

[kentauros]

32. Well, you also have a chest freezer

which I don't have

Plus, I have ziplock bags of frozen bananas and pineapple for making smoothies, and bags of flour due to not using it fast enough (it would go bad on the shelf, otherwise.) An ice machine would just take up too much space, whether it worked consistently or not. Trays aren't such a bad thing or much "work".

You might also freeze your brewed tea and use those in your iced tea glasses. That way, they melt into more tea

[texanwitch]

33. The tea and ice never last very long.

How do make your smoothies.

I keep flour in freeze also.

[kentauros]

40. I have a Vitamix blender (and I love it!)

I often make some almond milk, too, using about a cup of raw almonds to at least six cups of water. I use more than is often called for because I don't strain the almond mash out of it anymore. You can sweeten the almond milk, too, though I don't always do that if I'm only using it for smoothies. I sweeten those instead.

So, I slice up one frozen banana and toss it into the Vitamix, add another handful of frozen pineapple (or any other frozen fruits and/or berries), put in some honey like about two tablespoons, and enough water or almond milk to almost make the frozen stuff float. It's much like Vitamix's method for "crushing" ice, to fill it with liquid until things float. Then turn it on and use the pusher if it's a little thick. It makes a perfect frozen smoothie, though it's really more like a milkshake.

I learned the technique from a vegetarian book I have, The American Vegetarian Cookbook from the Fit for Life Kitchen by Marilyn Diamond.

[texanwitch]

41. Looks like what they have at the smoothie places.

What a machine.

[kentauros]

45. I think that IS what smoothie places use

because it's a workhorse of a machine. Bars like them, too.

Here's a thread in C&B on them, and I know there were threads on it at DU2's C&B group

[riderinthestorm]

5. Yes. I've never hooked up the ice maker for this fridge

It got shoved into place 5 years ago and I just haven't gotten around to doing it. I've never had a fridge with an icemaker before this one so I'm used to the trays.

I've got a family reunion we're hosting in a few weeks with close to 100 people and I've honestly got it on my list to get the icemaker going before that. I hope it works!

[texanwitch]

9. Good luck.

Watch for any water leaks.

Maybe floor damage can happen.

[MiddleFingerMom]

7. I have 3 housemates. 1 doesn't use ice and the other 2 buy bagged ice.

.
.
.
I use ice trays (and go through a LOT of ice during the Tucson summer). I have 3 ice trays and an ice bin
that holds about 3-4 ice trays' worth of cubes. It's not difficult to keep a supply of ice cubes ready.
.
They're plastic... and I'm starting to believe that they "roughen up" with extended use -- I have to hit the
bottoms with hot water to cleanly release the ice cubes now.
.
It may be time for new ones.
.
.
.
(We have 2 full-sized refrigerators and neither has an icemaker.)
.
.
.

[texanwitch]

10. I bought out the dollar store.

The store had really nice strong ice trays.

The stack on each other really nice.

[Curmudgeoness]

17. My trays are at least 30 years old, and work fine.

But I have figured out that if I stack trays of water, the only one that releases cubes without a problem is the top one. Don't ask me why, just know that this is true for me. So I only make ice in one at a time and set it on the top of the already frozen one till it is also frozen.

[texanwitch]

19. I have old metal ones that still work.

Just pull the handle.

I have a double tray, that one really old.

I don't let anyone use them but me.

It is best to not over fill the trays.

[Curmudgeoness]

26. Oh my! I still have metal trays too, but

I don't use them. They are much more work!

And you can get your tongue stuck to them.

[trof]

34. I was just gonna ask you about that.

I remember the metal ones with the lever.
jeez
I'm OLD.

[texanwitch]

35. The trays belonged to my Father.

I am quessing they are at least 50 years old.

[trof]

37. I remember them from at least that long ago.

1940s and 50s.
We had the same problem back then.
Empty trays on the sink drainboard.
OK! WHO USED UP ALL THE ICE AND DIDN'T FILL THE TRAY?!?
Nobody ever fessed up.

[Chan790]

29. They make silicone ones now that are basically indestructable.

The cubes never stick, they slide right out, the ice doesn't crack, the cubes are bigger so your drink gets less watery (It's ironic but bigger cubes make colder beverage which results in less melting.)

They're a bit more expensive but they'll outlast you.

[kentauros]

46. I've had my silicone trays for a few weeks

and they're great! I may look on Amazon (where I ordered these) and see what else they have as far as sizes and shapes.

Last year I had bought a couple of silicone trays for my water bottles. They make long and skinny "cubes" so they'll fit inside of water bottles like my Kleen Kanteens

[Viva_La_Revolution]

8. We do

the icemaker quit, and I'm not about to pay to get it fixed. We still use the 'bin' for the cubes made in plastic trays. During the summer I usually dump the cubes and refill the trays every morning. the rule is if there are 2 cube or less, fill it. same goes for the water pitcher in the fridge, no leaving it almost empty.

[texanwitch]

12. Good rule.

I live in ice cube tray hell.

[Denninmi]

11. I bought an ice maker because someone in my household can't be bothered to take 2 seconds ...

... to refill a freakin' ice cube tray.

Really, how hard is that, take out some ice, replace it with some water.

[bluedigger]

13. Could you come fill my trays for me?

I forget how.

[texanwitch]

14. You must be living in my house.

[bluedigger]

15. Don't answer the phone.

[Curmudgeoness]

16. I do. Didn't get an ice maker.

I had one for years taking up space and never working properly, so I don't even want one. Then again, I live alone and don't have to worry about everyone else leaving trays unfilled. It isn't too hard to fill them.

[HopeHoops]

18. Our icemaker just can't keep up with the demand. We use trays and bagged ice.

The trays are great for freezing fruit juice too. If you're drinking something with fruit juice in it, or something compatible, they make a nice addition. We keep the bagged ice in the garage fridge (which we bought in '87). I got a camping tent-stake hammer and wrote "ICE" on it with a Sharpie. It's great for busting up the bagged ice.

[Major Nikon]

20. The refrigerator in my break room at work has no icemaker

I keep telling my coworkers that if I ever leave, I'm going to take the recipe for ice cubes with me and they will all be fucked.

[texanwitch]

21. You are right.

[kentauros]

22. I've never had an ice maker in this apartment

and I'm glad I don't. They take up too much room, they break down, and they leak.

Recently, I bought some new trays to make actual cubes and made of silicon. The smallest size makes a tiny cube no more than a centimeter on a side, two one-inch cube trays, and one tray that makes cubes about two inches on a side! One cube is big enough for a glass, and fills some of my smaller ones almost completely

[Behind the Aegis]

25. I only have a "joke" ice cube tray.

Hopefully, I won't have to use it, unless for a theme party.

[femmocrat]

27. I use ice trays.

We had a refrigerator with an ice maker once, but it never worked right. We have bought "plain" refrigerators since.

I make 4 trays a day. That is enough for me and the dogs!

[Honeycombe8]

28. I do. But shhhhh, don't tell anyone. They'll think I'm weird.

I had the water to the fridge disconnected for a house repair, and just never got around to having it connected again. The icemaker was noisy. So I got some trays and a tall round container (to save space), to put the ice in.

I guess I could put the ice in the icemaker drawer dispenser. But I never thought about that until now.

[Chan790]

30. Random cool ice tips I learned as a barista, bartender and prep-chef.

• I wouldn't do this every day because it's a pain in the ass but if you're ever throwing a party or for some reason want super premium fancy ice. (I dunno. Impressing a date?) Boil your ice-cube-making water twice letting it return to room temperature between and after, before you pour it into your ice molds. The ice that comes out of the freezer will be perfectly-crystalline with no bubbles, whitening or imperfections. That's how they make the flawless blocks of glasslike ice they use for ice sculptures.
• Use filtered water to make sure your ice doesn't taste like the pipes.
• Ice will also pick up the flavors of stinky things in the same freezer like fish and some cheeses. this is why we keep the ice and long-term food storage in separate freezers.

[Lisa0825]

31. I buy a bag of ice each week.

My ice maker got stuck once about 5 years ago, and I came home to water flowing from the front of my house across my porch and an inch deep in my kitchen/dining room. I don't trust ice machines anymore.

I tried using ice cube trays, but the ice cubes taste salty, even more than the tap water does, and I think that the salt ends up concentrated on the margins of the cube or something. When I noticed that my drink tasted funny, I took an ice cube out of the tray and put it in my mouth and it tasted saltier than taking a sip of tap water. YUCK!

I have some small cups, like little plastic dixie cups, and when I am short on bagged ice and don't plan to go to the store that day, I will fill 4 of those from the 5 gallon jug of drinking water I keep and put them in the freezer. One big ice cube like that will last me a while.

[mykpart]

36. I buy bagged ice.

The water here is questionable and tastes funny, so I drink bottled water, and buy ice. I have some trays with lids that I use when I'm low on bagged ice. I'm a widow and would dearly love to fill ice cube trays after my husband.

[quakerboy]

38. Ice?

you mean that stuff that comes in foufy restaurant bought beverages? I don't hold with that kinda frippery.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

39. Yes, I use ice trays.

I was too cheap to buy a refrigerator with an ice maker. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find those good old-fashioned aluminum ice trays with the handle thingy you pull up to dislodge the ice cubes. Had those when I was a kid, can't find them now. So I have the cheapie plastic kind that crack and leak.

Oh, wait, I found them! I love the Google! http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/store/jump/productDetail/For_The_Home/For_The_Home/Aluminum_Ice_Trays_%28Set_of_2_Trays%29/H2041

[Zavulon]

42. I've never used anything but.

I've never owned a fridge with an ice maker.

[raccoon]

43. Yes, I use plastic ones, have for years. Never had an ice maker.

Plastic ice trays sure are easier to handle than those metal ones we
used to have. You had to fight those metal ones!