WANTED: metal ice cube trays

[Josephine]

I think the bronze looking ones go with the 'fridge downstairs, as the freezer compartment has that color trim. The others I have to ask the FIL. That man can talk your ear off about nothing, so I have to *really want to talk to him to call him up... lol

 

[KittyT]

I bought one of those several years ago based on looks alone. I eventually threw it out - they're VERY difficult to handle. The metal lever to release the cubes gets frozen, and the ice tends to shatter into shards when forcing the lever up to separate the ice from the metal partitions. It's quaint, but not the most practical way to make ice. Just a warning.

Actually, I've read tips here on the Lounge to prevent both problems. If you fill the trays too high, you risk breaking the handle. To prevent the ice from shattering, it helps to run warm water over the tray for a few seconds before trying to release the cubes!

 

[Stan]

Hi,

Yep! That was the key - turn the tray over, run tap water over it, and the ice would crack up enough to allow easy removal. It doesn't have to really be 'warm' to your feel, either. Just the room temp water in the lines running to the sink would be 'warm' in respect to the 20 deg F ice!

The best part about these trays, is that you'd get both ice cubes (well, more like 'ice cubelets' actually) and crushed ice at the same time. The smaller bits would melt quickly in the drink, cooling it off nicely, yet there'd be large enough chunks to keep it cool without meling so quickly that the drink wound up watered down.

Plus, the refilled trays would freeze up in about an hour, so it was a lot like having an icemaker in a fridge that didn't have one. I always found that the 'critical mass' of trays to make this effect occur was six. By the time I got to the sixth tray, the first was ready to go again.

I thought of something last evening. I bet my mother still has several of these buried in one of her kitchen cabinets. If I ever find that to be the case, the first thing I'll do is post as 'for-sale' here. They appear to be pretty popular with this crowd!

Later!

Stan

 

[BegintheBeguine]

We had these when i was a kid. I remember getting my fingers stuck to them!

I use rubber gloves when cracking open the ice cubes, which also keeps hands dry while running the water over the back of the tray. Or if I don't care if my hands get wet, I find a potholder helps my skin not get stuck to the lever.

 

[Smuterella]

Hi,

Well, as far as whet goes, it means to sharpen.

Ironically, the word appears, to me anyway, to have been adulterated into this spelling 'whet' from 'wet' at some point.

Probably way back when they were sharpening swords on a daily basis!

When using a stone to sharpen steel, you want it to be wet. As in with water or oil, for the finest edge. Dry stones abrade the metal too quickly and tend to make for a ragged edge.

Plus if you're using a powered stone, as in a wheel, you have to deal with the heat of grinding. Water is great for cooling. These days, we use water-soluable oil and get the best of both!

The hand stones used for dressing cutting edges are still called 'whet stones', and they're wetted with oil, but I'll bet real money that they were originally 'wet stones', wetted with water! lol

Anyway, sorry for the fftopic: post, but I couldn't resist!

Later!

Stan

wonderful, wonderful post

 

[Josephine]

Hi,

Well, as far as whet goes, it means to sharpen.

Ironically, the word appears, to me anyway, to have been adulterated into this spelling 'whet' from 'wet' at some point.

Probably way back when they were sharpening swords on a daily basis!

When using a stone to sharpen steel, you want it to be wet. As in with water or oil, for the finest edge. Dry stones abrade the metal too quickly and tend to make for a ragged edge.

Plus if you're using a powered stone, as in a wheel, you have to deal with the heat of grinding. Water is great for cooling. These days, we use water-soluable oil and get the best of both!

The hand stones used for dressing cutting edges are still called 'whet stones', and they're wetted with oil, but I'll bet real money that they were originally 'wet stones', wetted with water! lol

Anyway, sorry for the fftopic: post, but I couldn't resist!

Later!

Stan

It's true that it's better for the stone you sharpen an edge on to be wet, either from water or an oil, but all the etymologies I've looked at for the word "whet" indicate that it comes from the old German waz meaning sharp, and has it's own linage other than the root of "wet".

 

[Bugsy]

!!

And to think I threw mine away in favore of plastic ones. I bow my head in shame.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Vermont Country Store has them.

 

[rgraham]

I bought one of those several years ago based on looks alone. I eventually threw it out - they're VERY difficult to handle. The metal lever to release the cubes gets frozen, and the ice tends to shatter into shards when forcing the lever up to separate the ice from the metal partitions. It's quaint, but not the most practical way to make ice. Just a warning.

There is a reason they don't make them anymore. They kind of suck.

 

[KittyT]

There is a reason they don't make them anymore. They kind of suck.

Actually, they DO still make them and there are a fair number of places online that sell them. If you've read through this thread, and the ice cube thread in the Display Case, you'll find that there are very easy things people do to eliminate many of the problems people have described with them.

Also, there IS concern about chemicals from plastic leeching into your ice cubes.

 

[rgraham]

Actually, they DO still make them and there are a fair number of places online that sell them. If you've read through this thread, and the ice cube thread in the Display Case, you'll find that there are very easy things people do to eliminate many of the problems people have described with them.

Also, there IS concern about chemicals from plastic leeching into your ice cubes.

Well excuuuuuuussssseee me..... they still suck.

I'm old enough to know.

 

[KittyT]

Well excuuuuuuussssseee me..... they still suck.

I'm old enough to know.

Each to their own. Pity your replies contributed nothing constructive to this thread.

Also, your critiques are better placed here, where everyone else seems to think these ice cube trays are great.