Rodarte Ice Company

Interestingly, ice expands as it freezes, retaining the same mass while taking up around 9 percent more space. This means that ice is quite a bit less dense than water (meaning its molecules are spaced farther apart), which is why ice cubes float.

If you need your ice to melt more slowly, then you would choose half cube ice over shaved or nugget ice. This type of ice is able to keep a drink cold for a long period of time without watering it down.

When packing your cooler, you want to make sure you don’t skimp on the ice. By leaving air pockets in the cooler, you allow air to circulate more freely in your cooler. More air circulation means your ice melting faster and your food and drinks dropping in temperature.

Did you know that commercial ice harvesting was a huge business in the days before home refrigeration? Moving the ice was a very physically demanding task without access to modern day tools, and there was the the added challenge of keeping it cold while it was being transported.