Dear Abby,
Across America, ice machines in hotels make very flimsy, lightweight, and small pieces of ice. Why? I prepare more substantial cubes for my end of the day cocktail.
Could it be because the machines need to crank out volumes of ice in short turnaround times? Something else?
– On the Road Again and Confused in Connecticut
They are maintained at just above freezing so they don’t all stick together and form one giant cube. This means that some of the ice melts away and the rest is just about to melt.
Smaller pieces cool the drink faster.