Ice Cube Tray Dilemma:

1. 85

   DzyMsLizzyposted 6 years ago

   Ice Cube Tray Dilemma:
   
   I have those flexible ice cube trays, designed to be stackable, where with a quick twist and slight bend, the cubes just pop right out.  They don't (aren't supposed to) stick in the tray sections.
   
   HOWever, if the trays are stacked to save freezer space, they WILL stick in the sections; but not if they are set into the freezer in a single layer.
   
   As Spock would say, "Highly illogical."
   What's going on here?  any science or physics geeks???

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2. 87

   MizBejabbersposted 6 years ago

   Spock was a wise man. I think he would say that unless you are using very cheap trays, you may be overfilling them. Try using a little less water because the water does swell when it freezes. Completely illogical, I know, because we tend to shrink when we get cold. Ask any man.
   Anyway you might put a little vegetable oil on the bottom of the trays as you stack them, but then you would have to melt the ice down under running water a little bit to get rid of the oil. Believe me, oil and iced tea don't mix. I know because I poured what I thought was simple syrup from an unmarked coke bottle into my tea recently, and it was actually olive oil, spit, splutter splutter. I've now learned the hard way to mark any bottles with the name of the liquid I put into them.
   I've had that same problem with plastic ice trays. I wish they would again make the old metal ones with the pull up levers on them. Good luck.

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   1. 85

      DzyMsLizzyposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I try not to overfill; they aren't sticking to the tray above, only within their own tray.  And no, I don't want oil in my iced tea, nor do I want to have to rinse cubes--that would make them stick together in the ice bin!
      (LOL @ the man reference!)

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   2. 87

      MizBejabbersposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Sorry, misunderstood your question. I've had trouble having to peel ice cubes off the tray above. When mine stick like yours, I run warm water over the bottom of the tray. The sticky little devils turn loose without much fuss.

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   3. 85

      DzyMsLizzyposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      BTW--I found 3 lever-action trays at a local store. They weren't the real old ones, as the levers were flimsy, & broke! They LOOKED the same, but they were not!  :-(
      Yes; warm water works, but WHY stick when stacked only, and not when not?? ;-)

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   4. 87

      MizBejabbersposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Curiouser and curiouser. I hadn't noticed a difference. We have an icemaker but if we are going on a trip, we use trays for extra ice. I'd heard the metal trays broke, but all mine were old.

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   5. 85

      DzyMsLizzyposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Ironically, we have a built-in icemaker, but it broke down, and no longer works, can't afford repair, so the water supply is shut off. For a while, we bought bagged ice, it got pricey, so we bought the ice trays. **sigh**

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