Ice

Ice is frozen water formed into cubes, spheres, or shards. It appears clear or cloudy depending on purity and freezing rate, and feels hard and brittle, melting to chill drinks and ingredients. Cooks use it for ice baths, to keep seafood cold, and to manage dough temperature; it is sold bagged as cubes, crushed, or pellets.\n\nPeople once harvested lake and river ice in winter, and industrial ice-making spread in the 19th century with mechanical refrigeration. Today, producers freeze filtered water in molds or create flakes and pellets for food service and retail worldwide.