I grew up without an ice-maker. That is, I was the ice-maker, the "fresh-maker" if you will (oh, the abuse!). Our refrigerator was, what I referred to as, a bi-level, with a rectangle of a freezer on top, and a fridge with a separate handle below. Some of my neighbors had bi-level babies where the freezer was on the bottom. This made more sense to me, given that those frozen meats and things were indeed heavy, so the freezer belonged at the bottom. Except my neighbor Janene had a freezer at the bottom, and she dipped her pretzels in apple juice, which made her weird, and by extension, her freezer weird.
Ice in our house consisted of two stackable trays that, once cracked, would be refilled with water. Balance and a steady hand, then back into the freezer. Then, you wait. You know how it goes.
Some of my friends had those black fancy fridges that split vertically, and opened like walk-in closets. "Side by sides" people call them. And one of the doors had an area that LIT UP and would hold your glass, filling it with your choice of water or ice! I believe they’re called "dispensers." It seemed too good to be true. Certainly the ice had to taste like a yellow grandmother or like licking a dishwasher or a Ziplock bag.
Now fast forward to today, where I can say with some clarity: we’re idiots. Idiots with a Viking Professional refrigerator that suddenly started making ice yesterday.
When we moved into this house, we thought it was strange that our freezer didn’t make ice. "It’s not strange at all," I said. "Its a professional refrigerator/freezer number, which means that professionals would have a separate ice machine beside their deep freezer." Strange or not, it was annoying. Here we have this stainless steel "professional" freezer that fits nothing in it, and add insult to injury, when mama wants a little clink-clink in her glass, she’s not gonna get it unless she lugs a ten pound bag of ice home with her. But hey, I’m a big person. I’d make due.
There even came a point where, while at Spec’s, loading up on our adult beverages of choice, namely our Clairette de Die, I purchased an ice pick. And then when things got damn hot in Texas, we decided to invest in a compact little number: an ice machine that produces pellets of ice. Of course, this whole time, we’ve had to make room in our vertical freezer for the ten pound bag of ice or the mini ziplocks full of pellets. UNTIL… last night, when I realized, holy crap, a drawer in our freezer, when not filled with frozen mini pork buns, actually makes ice. A manual would be nice right about now.
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Steph-Go to Viking's website-I'm sure that it would include
a copy of the manual that you can download. I have a feeling
your clink-clink is about to go thru the roof!
Hahaha..I am notorious in our family for taking the ice drawer out of the freezer, putting ice into the water pitcher and into everyone's glasses, and then leaving the drawer on the kitchen sink, where all the cubes melt together in a huge icy mass and need to be smashed apart. So hang onto that ice pick, you might need it after all.
Also–frozen mini pork buns?? Tell me more! Where are these from and where can I find them??
That is awesome! I can totally relate. I remember going to my uncle's home when I was younger and being amazed that he had a refrigerator that had an ice/water dispenser. I always said that my "dream home" would have that. When my (now ex) fiance bought a house, with all appliances, he went out and bought a freezer with an ice/water dispenser so that I would have my dream house. Too bad he was an abusive cheating a**hole… I do miss that ice maker though… sigh.
sadly we still have the antique fridge system you described having as a kid:( renting sucks!!
Ha! I had the opposite problem when purchasing and installing a new refrigerator in our newly remodeled home. We bought the fridge with an ice maker only to have it delivered and put into place with no water line available to hook to it!! Who knew we'd have to run a water line BEFORE the new drywall, something neither my husband nor I thought of when we ordered it. Oops. We've been using our fridge for 3 years now, and I still occasionally get pissed at the wasted space in the freezer from the icemaker. One day maybe we'll use it.
I lived in my apartment for three years before I realized that the mirror over my bathroom sink did, in fact, open into a medicine cabinet. I must not have pulled hard enough the first time.
haha. that's so funny. my mom has the same fridge/freezer. i can see how you can get confused..i mean..a "drawer" is for mini pork buns..right? not ice!
wow that was wordy
When I moved into my house the plumber (crack and all) cut the water line to the fridge. So no more ice. :( Then the fridge broke, when I bought a new one the guy at the store laughed at me when I told him I didn't need the ice maker. I so wish I had an ice maker.
When I was a kid I thought if you had an ice dispenser you were rich.
I also thought rich people lived in apartments because they had a pool.
While I often find myself thinking "WTF" when I read your blog, you have absolutely redeemed yourself for any perceived transgressions in my eyes by showcasing your box of Target white sangria in your fridge as I am enjoying a glass of the same myself right now. ; )
(J/k on the WTF part. Go to town, it's your blog.)
So in America when you buy a house, it comes with the old owner's fridge?
Down under in Australia, we take all our furniture and appliances, including fridges etc with us when we move – the concept of the fridge already being there is so strange to me!
That is hilarious. So, which drawer makes the ice? Looking at the picture, I can't tell.
FROM SK: Left side, there are only three drawers. It's the third drawer from the bottom (aka the top drawer). You'll notice a bag of ice right above the actual drawer.
Man, that's bad. We call these groundhog moments. I was 37 yrs. old before I finally realized that it didn't matter whether the critter saw his shadow or not. Other things to think about besides Groundhog day I guess…or where the ice comes from.
I used to dip my pretzels in apple juice too. Now it's ketchup.
I'm still weird ;)
Happy ice making!
The BEST invention of the 20th Century is the integral ice-maker. It's the one thing I COULD NOT live without. I could live without a dishwasher, washer-dryer, microwave (in that order if I had to) in a heartbeat before giving up on an ice-maker. It is my FAVORITE appliance.
HA! God, that brings back memories… when *I* was little, we had an average sized fridge, with one of those small top freezer portions.
The REAL freezer was this massive, horizontal thing that we kept in the basement. No kidding, at least 2 kids, maybe 3, could have sat comfortably in that thing. Not that we ever did. Or could. It was always stuffed to the gills with… well, frozen stuff. In particular, my maternal grandmother was the type to grow, freeze, and can things. Frozen corn, frozen peaches, frozen peas… all in there.
My parents also kept the ice cream in there, and every night (we ate sundaes every single night, it seems) it was a battle between my Dad & I to go downstairs and bring the ice cream up. I don't know why it was such a big deal, it was only a few steps down. I, however, was terrified of basements in general and absolutely HATED going down there. Even for the ice cream.
Hey there, of course you know it's SPECS (not Specks :')) – a wonderful Texas institution (or does it go beyond Texas and I've just become one of those Texans who doesn't see beyond our border? :'))………signed, originally from IOWA!
Gotta have crushed ice dispenser for the Christian Brothers "Nog" (egg nog)a holiday treat. Only sold during holidays.
I have to comment about the Target boxed wine too! Must have been a year or so Stephanie wrote about it, so I thought, "Hmmmm, maybe I'll give it a try." So, hubs and I bought a small box of the Shiraz.
I drank ONE glass of that hot mess of a wine and instantly got an alternate universe, brain splitting, shoot-me-now migraine!
So now, hubs and I now jokingly refer to the Target boxed Shiraz as "JFK Cellars: Hole-in-the-Head Red" whenever we see it at the store. I know…twisted humor, but it makes us laugh.
reminds me of the time my 3 kidlets and i went to visit a friend in the summer. her fridge had no ice maker…my kids thought she was poor!
Too funny!! And I bring you good tidings of great joy–Viking's website offers free downloads of product manuals (vikingrange.com).
1) years of only eating half of the Thai Pompano fish at my favorite restaurant before realizing I could flip it over and double my enjoyment.
2) complaining that my microwave / range hood was broken because this piece kept popping out, until husband pointed out that's how it's supposed to work and it only pops out when the vent is on. (and then closes! by itself!)
so, yeah.
When I was little my mom was so grateful for the old lady who lived alone across the street from us who would bring over zip log bags of her excess ice cubes. I wonder if she knew you could turn off the ice maker or just enjoyed sharing her wealth?
When we bought our house this past summer, we inherited a fairly old fridge with the ice/water dispenser. I drink practically gallons of water every day, and it's nice to have cold water without a pitcher taking up half the fridge space. However, the ice is nasty. Smells bad and has a funny taste. I don't use it.
And yes, Nadia, in the US (at least in NY), we don't usually bring our appliances with us when we move. I'm told that in California, the custom is to take your refrigerator(s) with you, when you move. Jeez, with all the sheeit I had to move into the new house, the last thing I needed was to take a refrigerator with me!
Hey Stephanie,
Just read the article on Gigi Levangie Grazer in the newest issue of Elle Magazine…and you were quoted!! Great exposure!!
best,
Jocelyn
That's awesome that you would show that picture of your fridge. I would have spent 30 minutes taking a bunch of shit out before taking the pictre, then shoved it all back in afterwards. You're my hero.
Ice makers are the best invention of the 20th century. Can't live without one.
Can you tell me why my messages never show up???
Am I blocked?
Can I just say that discoveries like this? Happen to me ALL THE TIME. I am beginning to think that I go through each day with half my brain shut off.
You'd make do, right? Not "due." Unless you're going for some sort of double meaning that I'm not getting. :)
Um, we just freeze water over here (Europe). In trays. This works fine, and I got cute Ikea trays so I have star-shaped icecubes. Lately the huge 'American' fridges have been entering the stores, they often have an ice dispenser but I don't know any people who have those.
your ENTIRE EXISTENCE revolves around food! no wonder you have weight problems.
OMG, "ice machine that produces pellets of ice"! Just yesterday I told my kids that as soon as one of them becomes rich and famous, the first thing they are to buy me is a pellet ice machine. I love a drink filled with perfect ice – especially the small pellet ice from Zaxby's or Sonic. Keep the drawer filled with pork buns – pellet ice is superior to anything a freezer can make.
I love your writing!