# How do YOU crush ice?



## taxlady

I tried using my Magic Bullet. That didn't really work. So, I put ice cubes in a plastic bag and whacked them with my meat tenderizer. That made lovely crushed ice, but it was noisy and destroyed the bag.

My dad had one of these:







What method do you use for crushing ice?


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## LPBeier

My fridge does it for me - I get semi-circle "cubes", crushed ice or cold water!


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## taxlady

LPBeier said:


> My fridge does it for me - I get semi-circle "cubes", crushed ice or cold water!


And I thought $50 for an electric ice crusher was more than crushed ice is worth to me.

Wait a minute. We have been discussing getting a new fridge. We have two, but they are both over 20 years old. Hydro Quebec will even pick them up and give me $60 for each of them. Hmmm, maybe I should look at a model that comes with a built in ice crusher.


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## CWS4322

taxlady said:


> And I thought $50 for an electric ice crusher was more than crushed ice is worth to me.
> 
> Wait a minute. We have been discussing getting a new fridge. We have two, but they are both over 20 years old. Hydro Quebec will even pick them up and give me $60 for each of them. Hmmm, maybe I should look at a model that comes with a built in ice crusher.


Gosh--Ontario Hydro will pick up the old fridge (provided it is outside, has been plugged in for 24 hours, and still working). But OH won't pay for it. This is why we see so many "free to good home" fridges and freezers on Kijiji. We have several dead appliances (fridges/freezers) that are either not old enough or don't work. We use the freezers to store chicken feed...keeps the critters out.

My parents have one of the ice crushers pictured! I use the plastic bag - hammer technique. I cover the plastic bag with a terry cloth towel.


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## no mayonnaise

Behind my knee like a real man.


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## Steve Kroll

LPBeier said:


> My fridge does it for me - I get semi-circle "cubes", crushed ice or cold water!


Ditto.


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## Hoot

hammer, plastic bag, towel à la CWS


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## Steve Kroll

Hoot said:


> hammer, plastic bag, towel à la CWS


My dad always had a BFH (if you don't know, don't ask) he used for the job.


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## Hoot

Steve Kroll said:


> My dad always had a BFH (if you don't know, don't ask) he used for the job.



Yep.....We got one here....keep it in the bottom cupboard with the rest of the secret weapons....


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## TATTRAT

old school:






Hold ice in a towel, in your hand, and give a few whacks.

Also, still have a press crush:






Fortunately, I am in the "my fridge does it for me" camp now.


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## Luca Lazzari

taxlady said:


> ...
> My dad had one of these:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> What method do you use for crushing ice?



Same method as your Dad! I had a plastic red and white "tritaghiaccio", ice grinder, and I used it almost every day during the summer, to prepare granita.
Then I gave up, because those wonderful mint, orgeat and tamarind syrups are authentic sugar bombs, no good for me anymore


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

I take the ice, and place it carefully on a train track.  After the train passes, I have crushed ice.  This method also works great for pulverizing chunks of sugar or salt that clump together.I  imagine it would be a great way to tenderize a tough cut of beef, too.

Just kidding.  Bag and hammer guy here, though sometimes I just place a chunk of ice in the crook of my arm and flex the old biceps.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## taxlady

Steve Kroll said:


> My dad always had a BFH (if you don't know, don't ask) he used for the job.


Had to look up BFH. I think I will start using that term.


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## Luca Lazzari

taxlady said:


> Had to look up BFH. I think I will start using that term.



BFH???

Ballet Folklorico Huehuecoyotl?
Brothers from Hell?
Bus Fare Home?
Bundesfinanzhof?
Big Freaking Hammer?


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## chopper

I, too use a meat tenderizer and put the ice in a plastic bag. Would love to find the crusher like the one pictured in the original post. Two people have said that their dads have that one. I wonder why my dad doesn't have it...I could probably get him to give it to me. No matter, I will be looking at garage sales and thrift stores for one. I bet it does better than anything new I could find.


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## taxlady

CWS4322 said:


> Gosh--Ontario Hydro will pick up the old fridge (provided it is outside, has been plugged in for 24 hours, and still working). But OH won't pay for it. This is why we see so many "free to good home" fridges and freezers on Kijiji. We have several dead appliances (fridges/freezers) that are either not old enough or don't work. We use the freezers to store chicken feed...keeps the critters out.
> 
> My parents have one of the ice crushers pictured! I use the plastic bag - hammer technique. I cover the plastic bag with a terry cloth towel.


The terry towel sounds like it should do the trick. I hate the idea of throwing out a plastic bag every time I want a drink that calls for crushed ice. They recycle plastic bags in my municipality, but I would rather do the first R of "reduce, reuse, recycle".

I just checked the Hydro Québec website and it's $30 for a fridge at least 10 years old and still working. I think it was $60 before.


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## Margi Cintrano

*Refrigerator Does A Great & Neat Job*

Interesting Post.

Also, prior to icemaking refrigerators, I would " hammer " the ice as a old friend who was a Bartender did ! 

If I had a hammer, 

Kind regards,
Margi.


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## MostlyWater

This was a hot topic in our house recently as we got a much bigger separate fridge & freezer instead of the side by side with the icemaker.

We really only use crushed ice in drinks so we got a Ninja blender.  If you want crushed iced for other things, you could either buy an ice cube tray with really really small holes or you could get an ice crusher.

I don't think the Magic Bullet can handle ice.  Our Ninja has a tower of blades and 1000 wats of power.  The MB is mostly for smoothies and herbs.


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## taxlady

I don't use a lot of crushed ice, so I am unwilling to spend very much for an ice crusher. Now, if I see a vintage one at a garage sale...


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## CWS4322

chopper said:


> I, too use a meat tenderizer and put the ice in a plastic bag. Would love to find the crusher like the one pictured in the original post. Two people have said that their dads have that one. I wonder why my dad doesn't have it...I could probably get him to give it to me. No matter, I will be looking at garage sales and thrift stores for one. I bet it does better than anything new I could find.


When I go to MN later this month/next month, I'm hunting for that and for the ancient Chef's Choice knife sharpener--MINE. Hunting meaning they have SOOOOO much stuff, it is hard to find things that they haven't used in years, but both are most likely still there--they never part with anything unless forced!


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## Aunt Bea

I use the flour sack dish towel for crushed ice. 

I also put the drink and the ice in the blender together and make a slushy.

The slushy method makes great whiskey sours, a can of lemonade concentrate, a can of whiskey and ice cubes buzzed in the blender, topped with a maraschino cherry or two!


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## taxlady

CWS4322 said:


> When I go to MN later this month/next month, I'm hunting for that and for the ancient Chef's Choice knife sharpener--MINE. Hunting meaning they have SOOOOO much stuff, it is hard to find things that they haven't used in years, but both are most likely still there--they never part with anything unless forced!


Both of my parents passed away. I wonder if my sister has it.


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## Cerise

Crushed ice.making - YouTube


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## Addie

I squeeze the ice in just one hand. It doesn't dare not to crush.


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## Hoot

Addie said:


> I squeeze the ice in just one hand. It doesn't dare not to crush.


Addie...Are you related to Chuck Norris?


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Hoot said:


> Addie...Are you related to Chuck Norris?


She's Arnold's twin sister!

Seeeeeya; chief Longwind of the North


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## Addie

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> She's Arnold's twin sister!
> 
> Seeeeeya; chief Longwind of the North


 
I wish. I have lost the use of my index finger and thumb on my left hand. And the right hand is not that great either. 

I can't bend my left index finger at all. And a doctor stuck an IV needle in my thumb and hit the nerve. It killed the thumb. And on the right hand, due to arthritis, I have nodules on every joint on every finger. So is life.


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## justplainbill

In our Oster blender with the ice crusher blade.


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## FrankZ

I have a ice blade thing for my FP.

I haven't tried that one yet.


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## taxlady

FrankZ said:


> I have a ice blade thing for my FP.
> 
> I haven't tried that one yet.


Oh, that sounds perfect. I will soon be looking for a new FP and I'll be looking for that crushed ice blade. Hmm, I wonder if Stirling's old Braun FP has one. I'll Google to see what they look like.


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## taxlady

Aunt Bea said:


> I use the flour sack dish towel for crushed ice.
> 
> I also put the drink and the ice in the blender together and make a slushy.
> 
> The slushy method makes great whiskey sours, a can of lemonade concentrate, a can of whiskey and ice cubes buzzed in the blender, topped with a maraschino cherry or two!


I've used the "slushy" method for frozen daiquiris. I don't think it's what I want for a mint julep.


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## Oldvine

I put the glass in the little niche in the refrigerator door and push it to the back.   Crushed ice happens.


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## LindaZ

I push the button on the fridge door, easy peasy!


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## PrincessFiona60

Umm...I go to work and get a clean trash bag full of crushed ice.  I can also get ice cubes...


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## Addie

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Umm...I go to work and get a clean trash bag full of crushed ice. I can also get ice cubes...


Any time I am in hospital (as our UK friends like to say) I always ask for a pitcher of crushed ice, no water. I love to eat crushed ice.


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## taxlady

Addie said:


> Any time I am in hospital (as our UK friends like to say) I always ask for a pitcher of crushed ice, no water. I love to eat crushed ice.


We tend to say it that way here in Canada too.


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## chopper

Old vine and Linda,  you don't have to rub it in!  No, I don't have that nifty little hole in the door of the fridge. . LOL


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## Addie

taxlady said:


> We tend to say it that way here in Canada too.


 
I love that expression. Another one I heard was in relation to what the Queen owns. The swans belong to Queen. My first husband came from the Lakes District in Cockermouth. Marrying him and I had to learn a whole new language. When I would get a baffled lok on my face, he would get so exasperated with me. He hadn't been in this country too long, so it was a learning lesson for him also. 

I once read a book written my a former American soldier stationed in England during The War. It was hilarious. All about the differences in our language in common. Or not so common. He had desk duty and one lovely young lady asked him if he had a 'rubber.' He had to ask a male in the office why would she ask him that? He was in a state of shock. His first thought was that maybe it was her way of telling him he might get lucky that night. I was on the floor reading that book.


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## gadzooks

VitaMix 5200 works. Pulse a few times. Or, stick the pelican on the N50 with the ice crushing disk in it.That ice crushing disk also pulps tomatoes like nobody's business.


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## Addie

gadzooks said:


> VitaMix 5200 works. Pulse a few times. Or, stick the pelican on the N50 with the ice crushing disk in it.That ice crushing disk also pulps tomatoes like nobody's business.


 
A funny bird, the Pelican. His beak can hold more than his belly can.


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## purple.alien.giraffe

Bag, hammer, towel. I find it cathartic.


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## Kylie1969

In a food processor


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## taxlady

Last night, I learned that the towel should go around the bag, not just on top of it.


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## taxlady

Addie said:


> I love that expression. Another one I heard was in relation to what the Queen owns. The swans belong to Queen. My first husband came from the Lakes District in Cockermouth. Marrying him and I had to learn a whole new language. When I would get a baffled lok on my face, he would get so exasperated with me. He hadn't been in this country too long, so it was a learning lesson for him also.
> 
> I once read a book written my a former American soldier stationed in England during The War. It was hilarious. All about the differences in our language in common. Or not so common. He had desk duty and one lovely young lady asked him if he had a 'rubber.' He had to ask a male in the office why would she ask him that? He was in a state of shock. His first thought was that maybe it was her way of telling him he might get lucky that night. I was on the floor reading that book.


I learned some Brit expressions from a South African boy friend (like rubber - eraser) and whole lot from my ex who was from just outside Edinburgh, Scotland.


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## CharlieD

LPBeier said:


> My fridge does it for me - I get semi-circle "cubes", crushed ice or cold water!


 
+1. Same here.


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