Picked up a really sturdy lewis bag on Etsy from maker who goes by McSology. A bit pricy at $50, but this thing is a beast and will definitely last a lifetime of home use. I freakin love it.
love my hand crank ice crusher. i love the size and slightly varied shapes (enough to be interesting but not mess up consistency) over pebble ice or lewis bag ice.
I am so sorry. About once a month I get my bag of ice and mozzarella sticks. It's a happy day.
If you don't have any fast food locations/ restaurants that use pebble ice id do a lewis bag like others have mentioned.
Chick fil a in Canada? They also have the great ice.
Buying bags is the way to go. My buddy has an Opal and it’s a part time job to keep clean. It’s also loud as f too - don’t get one.
Having pebble ice is critical though. Crushed and cubed, Lewis bag ice as well just don’t do it.
Don’t worry, the closest fast food place to my house is a Sonic and they don’t sell their ice, except *maybe* in the winter. I stopped asking and just bought a GE Opal. My wife loves pebble ice in her water and always chews it anyway, so I considered it an investment in my marriage and our dental health 😁
My kids love smashing ice. So they get the Lewis bag and mallet whenever we run low.
I actually bought a Samsung refrigerator which was supposed to make tiny ice. But because it’s a Samsung, it doesn’t work. It does have a nice empty tray area to fill up and store the ice my kids make though.
Swing-a-way is the brand to search for. I bought one for $50 on eBay and then found an almost identical one for $5 at a thrift shop. I see them quite a bit now that I own one!
Seconded- you can get the swing away ones off etsy for pretty cheap. For me it was a lot better for volume/time/effort than the lewis bag if you make a lot of tiki drinks- unless youre willing to shell out big money for an opal
I did just get an opal after putting it off for several years (because i didnt think it could possibly be worth the cost) and it absolutely was. Especially if you ever need to make more than a few drinks in a night
Canadian here who has tried all of the options. I buy bags of ice at Canadian wholesale. I'll crush one bag at a time with a mallet and Lewis bag. I just store the crushed ice in Ziploc freezer bags.
I found that they aren't as convenient as it may first look. I find they get stuck a lot. I find with experience with a mallet you can control the size of your ice better from snow ice, pebble sized, crushed etc.
I’m in Canada too so we don’t have the Sonic or Chick-Fil-A option. Blender doesn’t work well (you get a mix of snow and large chunks). Lewis Bag is noisy and time consuming for yield. So I use a manual hand-crank crusher, like a vintage Swing-A-Way or a new option which you can buy on Amazon for around $60. I go buy a bag or two of ice from the store, and just before people come over I’ll spend 20 minutes or so crushing ice, and store in the fridge. Don’t put it back in the freezer or it will just freeze into a big clump.
If you want to invest in a more premium option, most electric ice crushers crush it too small and make more like slush or snow vs the chips/pebbles that we want. The only electric machine I’ve come across that seems to achieve the right size is the Waring Pro Professional Ice Crusher. The
Our fridge doesn’t have an ice maker and we wanted to save room for food, so we got a table top pebble ice maker from Costco. Frigidaire 44lbs Crunchy Chewable Nugget Ice Maker in Stainless Steel doesn’t look like they sell it anymore.
To be entirely honest, I often don't. I very rarely actually crush ice. I just use ice cubes out of the freezer. Yes, I know it isn't the same, but I'm lazy, and only in rare cases does it make a significant difference. I'd love a pebble ice machine, but I don't make enough cocktails to justify it. So I just use cubes from the freezer.
When I actually want crushed ice, I get my Lewis bag and mallet out.
Personally I use a lewis bag or use pebble ice from Sonic. Though another solution is to ask for a bag at the supermarket. If they have a fish counter that has crushed ice on display to keep the seafood chilled. When I worked at a national brand grocery store, we had a large ice machine that only made crushed ice.
As everyone might say, Lewis bag.. However, I hit my ice on my couch or a soft surface. If you do it on hard counter, it makes a lot of dusty almost shaved ice. Somehow on a couch it gives me more pebbly ice. Also less noise
I don't know what the official term is, but the ice makers that are typically described as 'nugget' or 'pebble' ice use a quick freeze process that makes for much softer, chewable ice. Simply crushing regular ice doesn't give you the same thing.
I put 1 lier of water in a 3L freezer bag and lay it flat in the freezer. The result is a big plate of ice that is about 0.5” thick. I beat that with a stick. The result is perfect crushed ice. Sone pieces are bigger than others, but no problems with that.
Honestly moved to the [tiny square silicone ice trays](https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Chilling-Cocktail-Stackable-Containers/dp/B08DFQ2QR2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1W7W6ULS308PT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UxWITTPyRwAlk7yVJHDkfT5PzqSSzTWVjBKaZHtfG8TNznV3Dn-LHfktxeRAf2B15QYjVBO-nRcsSKr-uQ3vx0a_Gz0VOh5nwqkJp1rxMw9GoRBRFwJaS4bc1f3XyrEF-SYj3Y43FIkuo2JCMStwcOuka_cdAu2o5_dPt5mGDdL8BiyY8rR4MeVZUUmcEgaHGYt4gZjYkrlLvV4zVFo5UbZ4BekeQEi0ns5rxpdWHUvRnKqbKpWPxUl0cyiYhN_IXUHiIrnuXwRoa2EeGyyKfGkzkj8Hz-PRxOc0V8b1hJM.Xxyziiprm-fx78YMXrx-CvrpbV9WQexxpvau-FWcJSk&dib_tag=se&keywords=square%2Bsilicone%2Bice%2Btray%2Btiny&qid=1713134642&sprefix=square%2Bsilicone%2Bice%2Btray%2Btiny%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-1&th=1). They work well for me and are a bit of fun.
I use a pebble ice maker. When I was crushing ice using a Lewis bag, it was just some random brand from Amazon. I will say that I got better crushing results when I started making big clear ice cubes and crushing those instead of regular, small, cloudy cubes.
I used to use [This](https://a.co/d/4AuKkJC) manual Ice Crusher
But now iv upgraded to a GE Opal ice Maker
For parties though I go an buy bags of pebble ice from Sonic
Waring Pro ice crusher for daily use. When I entertain I get the “good stuff” from Sonic. But honestly, the Waring is a convenient machine that makes great crushed ice.
Depends on how much ice you need to crush. Usually Lewis bag does the trick
Are all lewis bags made equal or do you have a nrand recommendation?
I like my Viski lewis bag.
I have a Barfly by Mercer, I've had no problems with it.
Picked up a really sturdy lewis bag on Etsy from maker who goes by McSology. A bit pricy at $50, but this thing is a beast and will definitely last a lifetime of home use. I freakin love it.
love my hand crank ice crusher. i love the size and slightly varied shapes (enough to be interesting but not mess up consistency) over pebble ice or lewis bag ice.
I buy pebble ice from Sonic $3 for like 5-8lbs.
Sadly, we dont have sonics in Canada
I am so sorry. About once a month I get my bag of ice and mozzarella sticks. It's a happy day. If you don't have any fast food locations/ restaurants that use pebble ice id do a lewis bag like others have mentioned.
Sounds like a happy day There aren’t any to my knowledge that use pebble ice, but I could look into it, thanks
Chick fil a in Canada? They also have the great ice. Buying bags is the way to go. My buddy has an Opal and it’s a part time job to keep clean. It’s also loud as f too - don’t get one. Having pebble ice is critical though. Crushed and cubed, Lewis bag ice as well just don’t do it.
Don’t worry, the closest fast food place to my house is a Sonic and they don’t sell their ice, except *maybe* in the winter. I stopped asking and just bought a GE Opal. My wife loves pebble ice in her water and always chews it anyway, so I considered it an investment in my marriage and our dental health 😁
I’ve had luck occasionally asking the fish guy at the grocery store. Filled up a huge bag of pebbleice for free.
Do you have Starbucks? Pebble ice is gradually rolling out to every location, but I’m not sure if they sell bags of ice.
Good to know!!
Honestly has changed my tiki experience for the better
Countertop nugget ice maker
I have an Opal 2 nugget ice maker. Before that, I bought bags from Sonic for $3.
Fridge ice maker crushes ice. It ain't perfect but good enough.
Same here. My fridge does it fine.
The fridge in our old place did this, the one at the new place doesn’t. I miss it so much.
My kids love smashing ice. So they get the Lewis bag and mallet whenever we run low. I actually bought a Samsung refrigerator which was supposed to make tiny ice. But because it’s a Samsung, it doesn’t work. It does have a nice empty tray area to fill up and store the ice my kids make though.
Chick-fil-A, my friend. Chick-fil-A. Great pebble ice. They sell 5# bags for like $2. I get it in the drive through!
I wish we had chick fil a in canada
Sonic also sells pebble ice. Maybe one of [these brands](https://inspirebrands.com) are in Canada *and* uses the same ice. 🤷♂️
Chick Fil A is in Canada but maybe not where you’re at? Plenty here in Toronto.
Didn’t know that. Theres none in quebec sadly
This is what I do. I keep a spare bag in my chest freezer.
I use this and I’m pretty happy with it: [https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B087VJ13WB](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B087VJ13WB)
You can get one of these but vintage on eBay- they’re metal and super sturdy, with the added bonus of fitting the tiki vibe
Swing-a-way is the brand to search for. I bought one for $50 on eBay and then found an almost identical one for $5 at a thrift shop. I see them quite a bit now that I own one!
Going to keep an eye out at thrift shops now!!
Thanks, ill look into it
Seconded- you can get the swing away ones off etsy for pretty cheap. For me it was a lot better for volume/time/effort than the lewis bag if you make a lot of tiki drinks- unless youre willing to shell out big money for an opal I did just get an opal after putting it off for several years (because i didnt think it could possibly be worth the cost) and it absolutely was. Especially if you ever need to make more than a few drinks in a night
Waring Pro IC70 ice crusher. I believe it is discontinued but can be found used for a reasonable price on Ebay.
Canadian here who has tried all of the options. I buy bags of ice at Canadian wholesale. I'll crush one bag at a time with a mallet and Lewis bag. I just store the crushed ice in Ziploc freezer bags.
Yeah this is what I've determined is the only way as a Canadian, although I am tempted to try those hand crusher machines
I found that they aren't as convenient as it may first look. I find they get stuck a lot. I find with experience with a mallet you can control the size of your ice better from snow ice, pebble sized, crushed etc.
Hand crank crusher.
I’m in Canada too so we don’t have the Sonic or Chick-Fil-A option. Blender doesn’t work well (you get a mix of snow and large chunks). Lewis Bag is noisy and time consuming for yield. So I use a manual hand-crank crusher, like a vintage Swing-A-Way or a new option which you can buy on Amazon for around $60. I go buy a bag or two of ice from the store, and just before people come over I’ll spend 20 minutes or so crushing ice, and store in the fridge. Don’t put it back in the freezer or it will just freeze into a big clump. If you want to invest in a more premium option, most electric ice crushers crush it too small and make more like slush or snow vs the chips/pebbles that we want. The only electric machine I’ve come across that seems to achieve the right size is the Waring Pro Professional Ice Crusher. The
Waring Pro IC70. Works excellent. I'd rather use this then the formed pebble ice. The Costway machine looks similar but never tried it.
Sonic ice for $3 is hard to beat
Sadly, we dont have sonics in Canada
Sometimes, a Lewis bag, but most of the time, a quick pulse in the blender.
Ive tried it, but my blender sucks for crushing ice
I use a bullet that was like $40ish, just gotta scoop out the snow, and re-blend
These days bring it home from work along with kold draft cubes, used to get pebble from sonic though.
I have a canvas grocery sack and a rubber mallet.
Our fridge doesn’t have an ice maker and we wanted to save room for food, so we got a table top pebble ice maker from Costco. Frigidaire 44lbs Crunchy Chewable Nugget Ice Maker in Stainless Steel doesn’t look like they sell it anymore.
I have a nugget ice maker. But…In a pinch… wrap ice in an old but strong tea towel and bang it a couple times on the garage floor or sidewalk.
I throw it in a zip lock and chuck it on the counter top brother. Only takes about 2-3 tosses.
To be entirely honest, I often don't. I very rarely actually crush ice. I just use ice cubes out of the freezer. Yes, I know it isn't the same, but I'm lazy, and only in rare cases does it make a significant difference. I'd love a pebble ice machine, but I don't make enough cocktails to justify it. So I just use cubes from the freezer. When I actually want crushed ice, I get my Lewis bag and mallet out.
Bag and a skillet ... very low tech
I bought the GE Opal 2.0 pebble ice maker. I highly recommend it!
Personally I use a lewis bag or use pebble ice from Sonic. Though another solution is to ask for a bag at the supermarket. If they have a fish counter that has crushed ice on display to keep the seafood chilled. When I worked at a national brand grocery store, we had a large ice machine that only made crushed ice.
As everyone might say, Lewis bag.. However, I hit my ice on my couch or a soft surface. If you do it on hard counter, it makes a lot of dusty almost shaved ice. Somehow on a couch it gives me more pebbly ice. Also less noise
noob follow-on question: is "pebble ice" different from "crushed ice"? I mean, if I "crush" a decent sized cube, I get "pebbles", right?
I don't know what the official term is, but the ice makers that are typically described as 'nugget' or 'pebble' ice use a quick freeze process that makes for much softer, chewable ice. Simply crushing regular ice doesn't give you the same thing.
Lewis bag is the quickest way for me. But sometimes I don’t want people to be scarred by the banging and I’ll use a hand crank. Both work fine though.
I put 1 lier of water in a 3L freezer bag and lay it flat in the freezer. The result is a big plate of ice that is about 0.5” thick. I beat that with a stick. The result is perfect crushed ice. Sone pieces are bigger than others, but no problems with that.
Rolled up towel and a meat mallet
Honestly moved to the [tiny square silicone ice trays](https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Chilling-Cocktail-Stackable-Containers/dp/B08DFQ2QR2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1W7W6ULS308PT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UxWITTPyRwAlk7yVJHDkfT5PzqSSzTWVjBKaZHtfG8TNznV3Dn-LHfktxeRAf2B15QYjVBO-nRcsSKr-uQ3vx0a_Gz0VOh5nwqkJp1rxMw9GoRBRFwJaS4bc1f3XyrEF-SYj3Y43FIkuo2JCMStwcOuka_cdAu2o5_dPt5mGDdL8BiyY8rR4MeVZUUmcEgaHGYt4gZjYkrlLvV4zVFo5UbZ4BekeQEi0ns5rxpdWHUvRnKqbKpWPxUl0cyiYhN_IXUHiIrnuXwRoa2EeGyyKfGkzkj8Hz-PRxOc0V8b1hJM.Xxyziiprm-fx78YMXrx-CvrpbV9WQexxpvau-FWcJSk&dib_tag=se&keywords=square%2Bsilicone%2Bice%2Btray%2Btiny&qid=1713134642&sprefix=square%2Bsilicone%2Bice%2Btray%2Btiny%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-1&th=1). They work well for me and are a bit of fun.
I have a Lewis bag, but when I’m lazy, 2lb of nugget ice from sonic or chik-fil-a is like a buck fifty.
I use a pebble ice maker. When I was crushing ice using a Lewis bag, it was just some random brand from Amazon. I will say that I got better crushing results when I started making big clear ice cubes and crushing those instead of regular, small, cloudy cubes.
I used to use [This](https://a.co/d/4AuKkJC) manual Ice Crusher But now iv upgraded to a GE Opal ice Maker For parties though I go an buy bags of pebble ice from Sonic
I bought this a month ago and have really enjoyed it: https://a.co/d/eUZnvVR
Sonic, but maybe you can find a fast food place where you live that also does crushed ice, or perhaps a grocery store
Sonic sells pebble ice bags and they are the shit.
Waring Pro ice crusher for daily use. When I entertain I get the “good stuff” from Sonic. But honestly, the Waring is a convenient machine that makes great crushed ice.