How to Make Ice Cubes with an Ice Tray

Most refrigerators in the US come with an automatic ice cube maker. Many of the younger generation have never seen or heard of making ice cubes any other way. If by chance they happen to rent an apartment or a house that comes with an older refrigerator or visit Europe any time soon, then they may need this information.





Steps

• Remove empty or half-empty ice tray from freezer. Ice cube trays generally contain 10-12 compartments (16 are pictured). The ice cubes are formed inside these compartments.
• Fill a clean tray with cold water such that the water level is even with or slightly above the top of the compartments, but lower than the outer lip of the tray. If you fill the tray too high, the water may spill as you move the tray. Also, keep in mind that water expands when it freezes, so the ice cubes will be slightly larger than the original volume of liquid water placed in the tray.
• Open the refrigerator door wide enough so that it will remain open and slowly place the tray inside the freezer and leave it there.
• Fully close the freezer door.
• Allow the water to completely freeze before removing the ice cubes. The time it takes to freeze will vary depending on the amount of ice being made, as well as the make, model and age of the freezer.
• Once frozen, remove the tray from the freezer and twist the tray gently in order to loosen the cubes from their compartments. And remember: with great power comes great responsibility.

Tips

• Substitute other liquids such as juice or soda instead of water to make flavorful ice cubes.
• Make an ice pop by filling the ice cube tray with any flavor juice and then inserting a pop stick into the center.
• Boil water first, let it cool, then make the cubes. They will come out clear.
• Want cool ice cubes? in neat shapes? Purchase a novelty ice tray! These come with formed compartments like stars, circles, and diamonds. You can find them at Ikea among other places.
• If you find your ice cubes often shatter when you are trying to get them out of the tray, try using warm water instead!
• If you have trouble getting the cubes out of the tray, then flush the ice subes with warm water, which will make it easier to pick them out.

Warnings

• Make sure to leave some extra space at the top of the compartments in the ice tray when filling it with water. Ice takes up more room than liquid water, and may overflow the compartment walls as it freezes, should there not be enough room at the top. This will cause an ice-sheet to form over the individual cubes, and will make it difficult to separate the cubes when removing the ice from the tray.

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