While making ice cubes is generally something you can do for free (or free-ish, since even tap water comes at a price when the water bill arrives), there are times when you might need to shell out for a big bag of the stuff if you're going camping or having a party or . The annoying thing about bagged ice, though, is that in just the time that it takes to drive home from the store, it can get melty enough that all the cubes will stick together once the bag's refrozen. How do you get them to separate again? You might be tempted to take the bag and whang it on the kitchen counter a few times, but there are better options.
Yes, brute force is actually a good way to pry those ice cubes apart, but your countertops are more easily damaged than another, sturdier flat surface that's also close at hand: the floor. What's even better is that all you need to do is drop that ice bag on the ground and let gravity apply all the necessary force. If you're not a devotee of the 10-second rule and the thought of floor germs, even ones confined to the outside of the bag, gives you the ick, you can always put a towel down before you let go of the ice.
It's hammer time If you'd like to take a more precise and targeted approach to ice smashing, you can always reach for your handy hammer or rubber mallet. (Totally unsolicited plug: The Ikea 15-piece comes with a hammer and a rubber cap to transform it into a mallet, and it's small enough to slide into a kitchen drawer and be ready whenever clumpy i.