Crushed Ice Delivery or Pickup

Sometimes, crushed ice may not be available at your local supermarket. If you're unable to get ice that's already crushed, a food processor works well to create ice that is the perfect size for your needs. Keep the ice in a cooler near the food processor, and crush it as needed for freshly made drinks.

Letting your crushed ice melt isn't recommended, as once ice melts, it won't re-freeze the same. However, you can always put the melted crushed ice in the food processor, re-crush it, or simply grab a hammer and smash it up. We recommend purchasing as much crushed ice as you think you'll need ahead of time to ensure you have enough to last. Make sure you consider the temperature, so you'll have enough even if some melts.

Crushed ice can be used for keeping lots of things cold. If you're serving Bloody Marys, raw oysters, cocktail shrimp, or even fresh fruits and vegetables, a bed of crushed ice will not only up improve the ambiance at your gathering, but it will also keep everything cold and crisp. If it's a holiday party you're hosting, crushed ice provides the essence of snow while ensuring your hors d'oeuvres maintain the proper temperature for food safety.

For drinks, using crushed ice instead of cubed will cool them down more quickly, and it can help the flavors of different mixers blend smoothly and evenly. You can also fill a bucket with crushed ice and put soda cans, beer bottles, fruit juices, and spritzers in it for your guests and attendees to grab from for a quick refreshment. This creates a sense of community while also keeping everything cool for much longer than a typical cooler would.

You may find that your store of choice doesn't have crushed ice available. Unfortunately, not all stores carry crushed ice for a variety of reasons. Crushed ice is made of smaller pieces, which means it melts quickly if not kept at the right temperature. This results in some stores preferring to have only block and cubed ice on hand. Additionally, it's easy to make your own crushed ice using a blender, food processor, ice mallet, or hammer, so many stores feel that having this extra variety of ice isn't necessary.

Try searching the Instacart app at smaller stores or those that specialize in beverages, such as liquor stores or convenience stores. Since these types of locations cater to those wanting cold drinks, you're more likely to find a better selection of ice products as well.