You have to appreciate any medium that allows the opportunity to write a mildly comprehensive essay about ice cube trays. Hopefully you enjoy the fact that there is such a place to acquire this information.

There is speculation as to where the ice cube tray started and what the ice was used for, but it is thought that American physician, John Gorrie, may have invented the first in 1844. Though these cubes probably weren’t being used for his after work bourbon on the rocks, the ice was to cool the air for patients with yellow fever. Later, in 1914, Fred W. Wolf Jr. invented a machine called the DOMELRE, or DOMestic ELectric REfrigerator. The DOMELRE wasn’t a major success (I blame the name), but Frigidaire acquired the patent and this machine inspired evolving refrigerators to include an ice tray. The true descendant of what we use today may be the McCord Ice Tray, the first flexible steel tray, an invention of Guy L. Tinkham in 1933. Mr. Tinkham was then vice president of General Utilities Mfg. Co., a household appliance company. The McCord sold for 50 cents.

Truth be told, I hadn’t actually seen a metal ice cube tray before visiting Paris, where I kept telling myself it was something I needed, but still left without. Then, in the mecca of culture and fine taste that is Bed Bath & Beyond, I found a beautifully simple aluminum ice cube tray. It was the last one there, and it came home. I researched metal trays online and found a surprising range of styles, mostly vintage, and stories of love for this device.

I will spare you the details of producing the ice, as it is just that. After the water is frozen, the trays are removed from the freezer and sit at room temperature to loosen the cubes. There is something greatly nostalgic, even though it is beyond my generation, about hearing the ice in the metal tray cracking as dinner finishes. Once the tray has made a little noise, it is time to remove the cubes, which disconnect with the help of a lever. As aluminum isn’t the strongest material, you have to be careful not force or bend the lever and cube mechanism. It is as simple as if the ice cubes aren’t coming off, they aren’t ready - this tray is not for the impatient. Though it’s easy to make a couple batches ahead and place them in a bin. Similarly, the in-freezer ice makers included in some of today’s refrigerators are basically a mechanized version of the all-metal tray. The automated maker is good if you can trust the quality of your local tap water, but if you are going to have a glass of water with ice, just reconsider the situation if you are drinking bottled water over tap cubes.

There isn’t a metallic flavor imparted on the ice as you might expect, and there is less freezer-flavor absorption than with plastic trays (though OXO makes a handy tray with a sliding lid). The metal tray actually looks nice to pull out of the freezer, and I would much rather wait a few minutes for the ice than wrangle a plastic tray over my knee as it cracks at every crevice.

The all-metal, aluminum ice tray with lever sells for $7.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond and is available from several online outlets. You can also find a great selection of vintage trays online.