Why Does Some Ice Taste Bad?
What's more satisfying than quenching your thirst with a tall, cool drink poured over ice? Well, depending on what you're storing in your freezer, the bar can be set pretty low. Ever had freezer-burned, garlicky, stale or just off-tasting ice? Of course you have. We all have. Let's solve that problem once and for all.
First off: what is your ice-making situation? If you have an automatic ice dispenser in your fridge, well aren't you fancy? Empty out the ice and give the dispenser bin a good scrub in the sink. Partially melted ice from the auto-defrost function most modern fridges are equipped with mixed with food particles can get moldy and give your ice that unpleasant flavor, as can old filters.
If you're using ice cube trays and have funny-tasting ice, search out the stench, because it's not the ice machine's fault. Locate the source of the funk — it might have even traveled up through the fridge in the form of food vapors (which is one of the reasons why you shouldn't put hot or warm food in the fridge). Also, think for a moment: when was the last time, realistically, that you washed the trays with soap? That which never gets cleaned...
Finally, consider how often you're using ice. If the cubes sit in the tray for more than two weeks, they'll probably get a little freezer burned and smell-tainted and should be thrown away.
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