Refrigerator Ice Types

Ice Makers

• If your refrigerator has an automatic ice maker, water flows into the ice molds and, once the forms are frozen, the ice is dropped into a bin. Many also feature blades that can crush the ice as an option. All have an on and off switch so that you can manually stop the ice maker if the bin of ice is full or you can't stand the noise. Ice makers are somewhat noisy. They swish as they fill with water, hum as they make the ice, and click as the dispenser shuts off. All of these noises are normal and are not a cause for alarm.

Cubed Ice

• Cubed ice is the most commonly seen type of ice in refrigerators. This type of ice is shaped as small cubes. In some refrigerators, they are perfect squares. In others, the pieces of ice may be quite large and rounded on one side, forming more of a half moon shape. These larger cubes may splash the liquid a bit if you try to add the ice after you have already filled your glass, so it's best to fill the glass with ice first and then add the liquid.

Crushed Ice

• Crushed ice is the second type of ice offered by many refrigerators. It can take a little longer for crushed ice to be dispensed, as it has to be ground before making its way down and out of the unit. Some dispensers are rather noisy when grinding up the ice, but crushed ice is useful when you want to make a slushy or other frozen treat that features crushed ice as the main ingredient.

Other Types of Ice

• Other types of ice produced by some ice makers include nuggets, which are in-between cubes and crushed ice in size; flakes, which are finer than crushed ice; and tubes, which are cubes with a hollowed-out center.

Smelly Ice

• Although it's nice to have options when it comes to ice, one type of ice that no one wants is ice that smells or tastes bad. Unfortunately, smelly or even bad-tasting ice is not uncommon. Ice absorbs food odors, so ice may absorb the odor of open containers left in the fridge or freezer. Ice can also get stale if it is left for a long period of time in the bin. Again, the "stale" taste and odor is usually due to the fact that the ice has been left in the bin long enough to absorb other odors. Bad water can also cause foul-tasting ice, so check your water supply if your ice tastes funny. Along those same lines, a bad water filter will also taint your ice.