My store also have Unfrozen Ice Cubes
The end of civilization costs $5
Submitted 3 weeks ago by FenrirIII@lemmy.world to [deleted]
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/08689daa-f9f4-4eb7-b921-6f6335648d5f.jpeg
Comments
CallMeAl@piefed.world 3 weeks ago
GregorGizeh@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
Americans buy water in plastic jugs??
crunchy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
Not always. Sometimes we buy them in little plastic bottles in packs of 24-48!
ExtraPartsLeft@piefed.zip 3 weeks ago
Some towns still get water to their houses through leaded pipes. This is the most economical way for those people to get water. Others don’t trust their water even if it technically meets EPA standards. And some places just have water that tastes really bad.
Most of America gets water from a tap and maybe filters it.
AmyAye@nord.pub 3 weeks ago
What, you Europers just drink it from the ground? Where the dirt is? Like savages?
LogicalDrivel@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
Only artisanal wooden buckets for you then?
Pat_Riot@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
Mine comes from 347 feet below my yard.
smh@slrpnk.net 2 weeks ago
I keep a couple jugs around for in case we lose power. We’re on well water and without power we don’t have tap water.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
we also import the ones that sells it in fancy glass bottles that are usually more elaborate.
slaacaa@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Drinakble tapwater must be socialism
Ariselas@piefed.ca 2 weeks ago
Sometimes it’s safer that way https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint_water_crisis
dingus@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Have you never heard of such a concept? Some people do it because they are going camping or in case the water goes out in a storm or rarely if the water from the tap is of dubious quality.
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I happen to live where the tap water is excellent. It’s from ancient, underground aquifers. The only issue is a little bit high arsenic, which I filter out, but that’s not really necessary, I’ve been told.
It’s not sustainable, eventually the water will run out, but for now, it’s pretty good.
So, no, this American doesn’t buy water in plastic jugs.
exasperation@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
I need to get a bunch of “fresh, never frozen” stickers to put on bagged ice.
Sunshine@reddthat.com 2 weeks ago
“Vegan” stickers on a bag of ice would be silly
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
which is basically tapwater that is either reverse osmosis, or distilled.
Bluewing@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Putting aside for now, the fact that making crystal clear ice requires specially filtered water that is very carefully and slowly frozen with fancy equipment.
The real question is why does anyone think this is what they need in life. They only people I have seen that insist on such things are whisk(e)y snobs that drink their whisk(e)y on the rocks. They claim that cloudy ice has impurities in it that affects the flavor of the drink.
While technically they are maybe correct, my reply is-- “Shut up and drink your whisk(e)y neat like God and the Irish meant it to be consumed. The water is already in it.”
jj4211@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Noe that the water can just be tap, and the equipment isn’t super fancy. If the water looks clear, you can make clear ice from it.
It’s called directional freezing, you stick water in freezer insulated on all sides so that it freezes from the top down instead of outside in.
If you have larger ice, you’ll see the white stuff is in the middle, the last area to freeze. Directional freezing causes that to be at an end instead of in the center, and you either pull out the ice before the end freezes, ideally, or cut off the end.
I have an ice mold that doess this and it provides break off points to break the clear ice off the unclear ice.
It does take a while though and the bulky insulation takes a lot of room in the freezer.
Bluewing@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
You need proper water to start. The high iron and calcium laden water that comes out of my well won’t ever make clear ice without some serious filtration. And the proper freezing it is a slow process that takes extra time and effort.
Personally, I can’t be bothered. My cloudy ice cools my iced tea just fine without any extra effort.
Knightfox@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I love this comment. On one hand I don’t hate the idea that this exists and it’s an obscure aesthetic thing. If someone wants to make super fancy cocktails then fine, whatever. On the other hand,
“Shut up and drink your whisk(e)y neat like God and the Irish meant it to be consumed. The water is already in it.”
Love it
Bluewing@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I was being a bit tongue in cheek there. After all, it’s your whisk(e)y and not mine. So have it as you want it. But just don’t be a snob about it. It’s just the Water of Life.
FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I don’t know, I’ve also heard that a few drops of water “opens up” the whiskey. My dad was an alcoholic who loved whiskey. He would order it with a few drops of water. Ice would do the same thing.
Whelks_chance@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I was recently in a pub which had water bottles from the different regions of Scotland, so you could add drops of the same water it was made from.
Also, a pipette to exactly measure the amount of water added. It was excellent.
Bluewing@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Yes, a few drops, and I mean drops, of water can change the flavors of the whisk(e)y. It really doesn’t matter to me. Depending on the water you might use can matter also. “Branch water” is historically the water used by bourbon drinkers. Branch water refers to using the same water that was used to make the bourbon to add to your glass. I have no idea if it matters or not. But that’s folktale.
Adding ice can do the same thing along with dulling flavors due to the chilling of the bourbon, except melting ice is not under control. It goes from perfect to just a bad glass of water as it melts over time.
RBWells@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Not such fancy equipment. I used to make it in a lunchbox cooler with our very hard tap water; that eventually cracked but I have been rocking one of these for a decade now.
All you need is directional freezing. My ice comes out crystal clear in big ol’ blocks like that.
To be fair - I would charge $5 a tray too. It takes a day & a half and space in my freezer. But it is an easy, cheap, and fun hobby
HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
They only people I have seen that insist on such things are whisk(e)y snobs that drink their whisk(e)y on the rocks.
But then these cooled-down granite cubes are better because they don’t dilute the liquor.
BTW why drink Americans their Whisky with ice? I’ve never seen that in Scotland.
Bluewing@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I would agree about those cubes. The problem with them is you often only get 2 in a set. Making it hard to share with friends.
Bourbon is a different drinking experience than Scotch. Bourbon is generally bottled between 2 and 6 years giving it more ‘bite’. This is due to the new oak barrels that must be used and the warmer climate. Scotch is barely getting started by that point. Since they mostly use used bourbon barrels that coupled with a cooler overall climate, imparts a ‘smoother’ flavor.
Using ice dulls some of the flavors and as it melts dilutes the whisk(e)y to take the edges off the bourbon. A decent scotch or Irish doesn’t need ice.
RBWells@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
CaptPretentious@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
You don’t need specialized equipment. It’s easy enough to be done at home.
kevin2107@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
definitely just for astethic reasons
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
The real question is why does anyone think this is what they need in life.
Sometimes you want to entertain and square ice cubes are a nice touch
Dearth@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
You just need tap water, a plastic insulated lunchbox and a timer.
DeadDigger@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Well it looks nice too so if you host a party I get it
kgbbot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Right‽
BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
That’s interesting. I popped into this thread to help figure out why some of my ice was extra clear.
I think this batch froze slowly. Thanks
lugal@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
Why would I buy frozen ice cubes? I have no time to microwave, I’d rather buy fresh ones
postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
You need to try the grass fed free range ice cubes.
ivanafterall@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I have fresh ice cubes every day, so I literally had a tap of the stuff installed in my kitchen.
AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I get mine freeze dried, it’s so convenient.
rmean@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
“Enlarged to show detail”?? Wow
OldChicoAle@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Title of your sex tape
Slovene85@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Why don’t they just put these things into the ocean and solve global warming?
thebustinater@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
ONCE AND FOR ALL!!
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
SimpsonsFuturama did it
Siegfried@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Ultra pure slow melting… ok… it melts just like regular water
Tronn4@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Extra micro plastics infused for the smooth slower melt
yermaw@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
He shops at Aldi
He buys $5 ice.
Who is this person? Is he the same guy spending thousands on a free game?
modus@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Ha. It says “keep frozen.”
orenj@leminal.space 2 weeks ago
if i saw these i’d leave them in the bread section
ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
What the fuck… My co worker put a video of this… On snap like 11 hours ago from Aldi’s. Like, this could be a screen grab of it.
They’re 4 square cubes of clear ice and Aldi wants like $5 for them.
OS2Warp@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
PP_BOY_@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Lol I saw these at my Aldi too. It’s pretty dumb at first but I have seen ice cubes for sale at liquor stores for making mixed drinks.
Regular tap water usually doesn’t make perfectly clear ice and most trays are a lot smaller than 1.8" cubes. I wonder if the tray is reusable? If you were planning on a cocktail night and knew what you were looking for, this might not be as dumb of a buy as you think, especially if it was a one-time need.
It just looks especially silly at Aldi, a grocery store that prides itself on affordable products and doesn’t sell liquor lol
Kanda@reddthat.com 2 weeks ago
Ah, yes frozen ice
bklyn@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
You people are idiots
Thor_Whale@lemmus.org 2 weeks ago
Guess you’ve never bought a bag of ice before 🫠😵💩👎
WhoIzDisIz@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
$5 for four cubes?!? Maybe if they were as big as my cooler.
treesapx@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
People here acting like they’ve never bought something stupid and useless.
MissingGhost@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
Sometime ago I went to a friend’s house and they had that exact product, but it was a pre-melted version. Saves a lot of time. We used it to make all kinds of drinks.
AmyAye@nord.pub 3 weeks ago
Some filks apparently don’t know you can buy a 20lb bag of ice for like, a dollar, outside of every gas station.
ArmchairAce1944@discuss.online 2 weeks ago
For that price I can get a giant bag at the supermarket… And with just a little patience I can freeze my own.
SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 weeks ago
Tell me more about how freezing water is the end of civilization.
Just because people are paying a premium for it doesn’t make it any worse than the bags of ice at the grocery store.
Ice was one of the first things humans used to keep things cold, and was super important on the path to refrigeration and freezing.
While I know a lot of technologies are overused, and capitalism twists them to disgusting ends, but refrigeration is a massive boon for making food last longer. Most American families just have ones far larger than they need and as such they end up wasting food instead of getting fresh food regularly and using it all up before it goes bad in the fridge. I personally enjoy a small fridge.
Also, freezers and refrigeration are an integral part of the medical sciences.
Anyway, personal opinion, this is pretty innocuous compared to like, jet travel between Seattle and Portland.
homes@piefed.world 3 weeks ago
2-pack of 6-cube silicon large ice-cube trays::
$9.99 on Amazon
Luisp@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Wait until the find out about refrigerators
skisnow@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
“The end of civilization”
: shows image of the peak of civilization
Bruhh@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I thought these were reusable freeze packs made to look like ice cubes. It’s actual ice…
BlackLaZoR@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Imagine all the AI prompts you could buy for $5!
Grass@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
We need to kill the billionaires and their politicians sooner than immediately right now
sinematic@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
I must be stupid or something but if they were ice cubes wouldn’t they melt before you get home
CannedYeet@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
If the packaging is a reusable mold then this makes sense.
e8d79@discuss.tchncs.de 3 weeks ago
If you are into fancy looking cocktails this product makes sense. Making clear ice cubes at home is not easy.
terranoid@lemmy.cafe 3 weeks ago
If you are into making fancy cocktails then you can get into making fancy ice
chazwhiz@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
You can make these arguments about literally any prepackaged product. I’m not defending this ice, but come on. You can make anything yourself, so long as you have the equipment, time, and money. Paying for someone else to have done it for you is about convenience, and is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.
mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
If you’re into making fancy ice, then you can get into making your own purified water using complete combustion. If you’re into making purified water with complete combustion then can get into making your own hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. If you’re into making your own hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen then you can get into making your own universe.
BarrelAgedBoredom@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
I have a very well stocked home bar and enjoy making fancy cocktails. My tiny ass freezer barely has room for the 5lb bag of ice I keep in there, let alone space for a fuckin mini cooler to make clear ice in. I also lack prep space to carve ice in my kitchen. You can make fancy drinks without fancy ice. It’ll still taste the sam, it just won’t look as pretty in the glass
SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
One step at a time
Kolanaki@pawb.social 2 weeks ago
You just need to keep the water agitated and they sell machines specifically for this that would pay for themselves in no time over buying pre-made fancy ice cubes.
lime@feddit.nu 2 weeks ago
you can also freeze the ice in an insulated container with no lid. that makes air bubbles and impurities collect at the bottom, after which you can cut that part off.
dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
No this is bunk.
The answer is directional freezing. Put the mold for the thing you want to be clear in a small cooler (or buy an insulated mold thing), be sure there is a hole in the bottom, fill it with water and put it in your deep freezer. Voilà clear ice for whatever purpose.
You don’t need to agitate it or boil it or use special water, just use physics and you’re all set.
Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Isn’t this the reason for using hot water to make ice?
LillyPip@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Sounds like work. People buy this ice likely either don’t care or don’t want to spend the time.
I’d never buy this, because I don’t even use ice, and if I did, I wouldn’t care about its shape. Seems silly to me.
But I can’t disparage anyone who sees that market, and that means it’s worth doing as a business, to some degree, probably.
PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
A bartender I worked with made his in a little igloo cooler, of course then you one big block that you have to cut into functionally-sized cubes. But he would also do cool shit like suspend pine needles into it the block so each cube had a little sprig coming out of it after they were frozen and cut.
skulblaka@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Isn’t it as simple as just boiling the water and then freezing it?
blackbelt352@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
No. You need to freeze in in an insulated container with only one side exposed so it all freezes in 1 direction. Impurities get pushed to the opposite side and you are left with clear ice.
ddplf@szmer.info 3 weeks ago
You don’t need a separate production chain made specifically for your homemade drink to look fancy on your auntie’s photo!
exasperation@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Believe it or not some of us like pretty things to enjoy for ourselves, not to put on social media.
And big clear ice melts more consistently in a way that better maintains coldness longer while maintaining a slower pace of dilution. It does make a difference to flavor.
chaogomu@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I’d view it as handy thermal mass, useful when shipping other frozen items.
That box is a bit easier to stack than a bag of ice like most other grocery stores have.
And much more expensive.
LillyPip@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Packaging makes sense, too. We’ve been buying bagged ice forever. In this case, your ice has stricter quality control.
I have no need for this, but there’s clearly a market for it. I can’t disparage anyone for finding a market.
Mwa@thelemmy.club 2 weeks ago
why is it hard to make?
dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
To get clear ice you have to freeze it slowly, basically just at the freezing mark (32°C/0°F) which is a warmer temperature than most people have their freezer set to. It’s not difficult in an objective sense, it just requires rubbing a couple of brain cells together and a tiny morsel of effort which is apparently more than a lot of people can muster.
Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
It emphatically is easy… But a clear ice mold for the less than 5 dollars and make unlimited cubes.
falcunculus@jlai.lu 2 weeks ago
You obviously haven’t actually tried it, else you wouldn’t write this, so why talk?
lightnsfw@reddthat.com 2 weeks ago
I’d drink pisswater ice before I’d pay 5$ for 4 fucking ice cubes.