SIMPLE TIP: Keep Water Cold Without The Hassle of Ice Cubes

Well, summer has finally arrived. We had temperatures in the low 90's this week and I can feel it... I'm still used to cool spring weather and haven't acclimatized, yet.

When I work in the yard, or on a car, etc., there's nothing better than a drink of ice cold water. 

Problem is, our icemaker doesn't work, and we don't like the hassle of the ice cube tray... you have to dedicate a spot in the freezer for it, and it's easy to spill water. You also need several trays for really hot days, and, if you leave ice open in the freezer for any length of time, it'll start to taste like, well, like the inside of the fridge.

I bought a couple of 2 quart coolers with a slip up spout so you can drink right out of it.  My wife thought of washing out a couple of the 12 or 16 oz (half liter) water bottles, filling them with water and freezing them for a reusable "ice cube". 

It works great for the cooler--I just slip it in and run water over it to fill it up (running water over it also helps to chill the water quicker as well).  Make sure you only fill the bottle to about 1/2 inch below where the neck narrows--water expands when it freezes and this leaves room for expansion without bursting the bottle.




If you drink up all the water in the cooler and can't get any right away, just take the bottle out of the cooler and use it--you get the same amount of water either way.

You can also freeze several bottles  for your picnic cooler..put some on the bottom and some on top... keeps things cold without having to contend with melted ice sloshing around in the bottom.\\

Hope this helps,

Smitty