So THAT's Why Restaurant Ice Is So Much Better

Clear ice in a glass of waterIf you’ve always wondered how restaurants make such perfect chips, mash, soup, and even poached eggs, we’ve got your back. Chefs have kindly shared their secrets to achieving those pro-level dishes at home. But what about ice? How come that’s so much clearer – and even seems to last longer – than the stuff you make up in an ice tray at home?Well, apparently, the difference isn’t just in your head. Industrial ice really isn’t made in the same way.What makes restaurant ice so much clearer?Ice manufacturing company Memphis Ice said the cloudy, white-ish colour we associate with homemade ice is actually thanks to the air trapped in the frozen water. But specific ice machines, which suppliers to restaurants often use, offer something called “directional” or “top down” freezing, which means air bubbles settle at the bottom of the tray.They also use filtered water, with few impurities (another cause of cloudiness). And because professional ice machines constantly circulate the water they use for ice, there’s less chance for air bubbles to form in the first place. Lastly, the ice company shared, ice machines freeze water at a slower rate than our freezers do.That promotes the growth of big ice crystals, which are smoother and clearer, and prevents temperature fluctuations that could lead to either cracks or the cloudiness that comes with melting and re-forming ice.Not only does this mean the ice is clearer, but it’s also denser thanks to the lack of non-water substances getting in the way – so it looks better and melts more slowly.Is there any way to make clear ice at home?Using filtered or double-boiled water to produce clear ice at home is a myth, cocktail experts at Dramson said (though filtered water will have fewer salts and other impurities, it’ll likely have just as much air).They recommend freezing a small cooler container filled with water; after about 24 hours, they say, the top few centimetres will be frozen while “all the air and impurities will be in the unfrozen water, leaving crystal-clear ice cubes”.Though the method is annoying, as you’ll have to carve ice to get cubes (which are unlikely to be even), it’ll still provide the clarity and longevity of commercial kinds.Otherwise, investing in an ice machine or buying manufactured ice are your only options.Related...So THAT's Why Restaurant Pasta Sauce Is So Much BetterSo THAT's Why Restaurant Soup Is So Much BetterSo THAT's Why Restaurant Sweet Potato Fries Are So Much Better

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