You Can Buy Bags Of The Beloved Nugget Ice At This Fast Food Chain

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

We all know a drink becomes tastier when served with ice, but did you know that the shape of ice can affect the flavor? Nugget ice (also known as pebble ice) is insanely popular because its smaller surface area allows for it to absorb flavors and cool drinks a lot quicker. It can also help with drinks that are too sweet and could benefit from a little dilution. Sure, you can make crushed ice at home, but it isn't quite the same. Fortunately, you can still get nugget ice at home by purchasing a 10-pound bag of Sonic's popular nugget ice for $3.   

Sonic restaurants have been using nugget ice since the mid-1980s, from a special machine designed by Scottsman. The ice maker uses a specialized process that compresses ice flakes to form a cylinder. The Sonic ice machine is popular with the restaurant because it uses less water and energy, and is popular with fans because the air pockets in each ice pellet let flavor seep in, so once your drink is gone, you can still taste it in the leftover ice. Except for slushes, every drink at Sonic is automatically served with nugget ice. Nugget ice allows Sonic to experiment with bold and very sweet drinks, like Blueberry Lavender Lemonade and the Strawberry Cheesecake Cream Cooler.

Having on-demand nugget ice is a great way to level up your entertainment game. It can complement and elevate sugary drinks you might want to give your guests, like trendy dirty sodas. Because of its small size, nugget ice can be easy to melt, so avoid serving it with a cocktail or anything that might have a more subtle flavor.

That said, the small size of nugget ice makes it ideal for blending frozen cocktails like piña coladas or margaritas. Another way to use nugget ice pellets is to roughly chop them in a food processor and top with flavored syrup for a shaved ice-inspired dessert. Nugget ice is also great with iced coffee drinks. Mix some sweetened condensed milk with hot coffee before serving it over ice for a Spanish-style Café BomBon. 

Instead of going to Sonic, you could purchase one of the many countertop nugget ice makers for sale on Amazon, with prices ranging from just over $100, like the Nugget Ice Makers Countertop, or a premium maker for just under $500, like the Aeitto Nugget Ice Maker. If you aren't ready for such a big commitment, you can always just buy a bag of ice from Sonic and call it a day. If you don't have a Sonic nearby, Chick-fil-A also sells bags of ice for around the same price.