How To Keep Ice Tasting Fresh

Additional tools for the nicest ice

The path to kitchen disasters is often lined with good intentions. Even if your refrigerator is spotless, leftovers from a single pizza night can unleash the scent of anchovies throughout its filters. Covered ice trays are your best line of defense. Unfortunately, to ensure the purity of your ice cubes, you should avoid those appealing, user-friendly silicone molds, as they are more susceptible to absorbing odors.

Instead, opt for a hard plastic option like the OXO Good Grips trays that we currently have chilling in our kitchen. Each tray features a sliding lid that clicks securely into place, protecting its standard-sized ice cubes from unwanted elements (including those pesky anchovy particles). It's also a good idea to give them a thorough cleaning from time to time, and they are dishwasher safe.

Individual ball molds can provide even better protection against impurities, but they require more space and can make it challenging to have enough ready at once. Some people also advocate for using filtered water for their ice cubes, but this may not significantly impact areas with good water quality, like New York City. Regardless of your ice-making method, ensure that it is completely free of frost or remnants from previous batches before refilling, as these can carry unwanted odors.