i am a total water snob. i simply cannot drink tap water. i think that in many cases the water is perfectly safe to drink but i dont like the taste of it. every time i go out to eat i am presented with a large bottle or pitcher of "the tap." It takes up way too much space on the table and its crappy.
i send it back. i order sparkling water. they bring me a glass filled with ice and a lemon or lime stuck to the rim. anyone see whats wrong with this picture? why would i order a 2 or 4 dollar bottle of water if i was just going to drop tap water ice cubes into the mix?
ice cubes are a whole different animal to tangle with. how do you feel about cloudy ice cubes? do they seem dirty? i suppose they are not much different from the glass of tap water that might seem cloudy at first glance, but is simply laden with air bubbles(or gases?). i hear hot water has less air in it but this may be due to how its stored in your water heater, as opposed to cold water which is directed straight from the source (ideally). distilled water makes much clearer ice cubes than straight tap water. if you're too cheap to get a gallon of distilled, you're gonna have to boil cold tap water, cool it, and reboil before freezing in an ice tray.
here is an instructional video i came across:
Make Crystal Clear Ice ! - video powered by MetacafeAlso, there is a machine called a Clinebell ice maker, which is popular amongst ice sculptors. I've read that it has pumps that continually keep the water moving. The block freezes from the bottom up, and all the impurities stay at the top because of the moving water. It takes three days to make a 300 lb, 2' x 4' x 1' crystal clear block of ice. This block would retail for about 60 bucks.
i went to a nice italian place that served me a bottle of sparkling water with two empty glasses and an additional champagne glass which was empty but had a lime stuck to the rim. at first i was confused, but then realized the genius. i always take the lemon or lime off the rim and ultimately have to taste it when i forget which side it was stuck on and take a sip from the glass.
i could go on... and i will... but not right now. :)
