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Have you ever gone to take a refreshing gulp of ice-cold water and stopped right before it hit your mouth because…“Ew! Why does my ice smell?”
Unless your tap water has a lot of sulfur or a similarly stinky issue, the not-so-nice smell is probably coming from inside the house. More specifically, from inside your freezer. That’s because ice absorbs odors—and sometimes tastes—from its surroundings, according to Camper English, a cocktail and spirits expert and author of The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill Cocktail Crafts.
The main culprit, English says, is unsealed food.
Though your fridge and freezer seem like they should be two very separate compartments, most share the same recirculated air. So if you pop loosely wrapped leftovers into either, the smells are likely to make their way into your ice supply.
And when you’re trying to manage the flow of odors, anything that’s not airtight is considered unsealed. That means stuffing a box of half-eaten pizza in the fridge after dinner could result in ice cubes with subtle notes of tomato and basil by breakfast (possibly passable in a Bloody Mary, or even a pizza cocktail, but not ideal for most beverage applications). And if you’re a big fan of stinky cheese, there’s a very good chance you also have stinky ice—whether you know it or not.
Luckily, there are a few easy, inexpensive fixes that can get your ice back to its neutral state in no time.
Start fresh
There isn’t much you can do to salvage already-stinky ice, so you should definitely dump whatever’s been sitting in your freezer for a while. If you have a built-in ice maker, wash the receptacle with warm soapy water, toss any food you don’t remember freezing, and then use a microfiber cloth to wipe down the walls and shelves with a mixture of hot water and vinegar. The hot water will keep your wet towel from freezing onto the surfaces, and the vinegar will neutralize odors.
Seal your food in airtight containers
English says that the most effective way to keep your ice from absorbing smells is to stop letting those smells waft around your fridge and freezer in the first place. So before you put any fragrant food in there—whether it’s leftover fish, that half-eaten take-out pizza, or fancy cheese—be sure to transfer it to an airtight container first. The container can be as aesthetic or utilitarian as you’d like as long as smells can’t escape it.
And your ice
“Either store your food in sealed containers or your ice,” English told me. “Or better yet, both.”
If you make ice the old-fashioned way (er, with trays), he suggests transferring fully frozen cubes into a well-sealed bag or bin. You can also get ice cube trays with lids, but if the molds happen to be silicone, transfer the ice to a bag or container as soon as possible because silicone absorbs smells too.
Don’t forget the magic of baking soda
Even if you manage to keep your food and/or your ice properly sealed, like anything else, ice will get stale after a while. Ideally, you’d go through your ice stash or start a fresh batch on a weekly basis, but either way, keep a box of baking soda in both the fridge and the freezer to keep everything smelling as fresh as possible for as long as possible.
Get a countertop ice machine
Of course, there’s an easier solution, and that’s getting a countertop ice maker—a self-contained small appliance that has just one job. And zero unpleasant smells. As long as you keep it full of fresh water, it will provide you with a constant supply of fresh ice. Even better than the fact that you will never again ponder the great existential question “why does my ice smell?” the best countertop ice maker will give you a nonstop supply of fresh Sonic-style ice.
