The History of Ice Cube Trays

In the early days of refrigeration, Americans fueled their ice boxes with blocks of ice that would be cut from frozen lakes and ponds, stored in ice houses, and then delivered to their homes. If ice was needed for any purpose other than keeping perishables cold, people could simply chisel a little bit of ice off the block. In the 1920s, electric refrigerators became more common in American homes, and as they became increasingly more affordable, ice boxes were slowly phased out. This posed a new issue, however, since Americans were accustomed to having ice readily available. In the early 1930s, Guy L. Tinkham created an aluminum tray that allowed Americans to create ice at home; it functioned similarly to today’s plastic ice trays. Then in the 1950s, Edward H. Roberts invented a lever-operated aluminum ice cube tray that made popping the cubes out of the tray a breeze. His design remained popular for several decades. Eventually, plastic ice cube trays replaced metal models. In recent years, inventors have begun creating ice cube trays out of silicone. Additionally, many modern refrigerators are now equipped with ice makers. Despite this, many people still use ice cube trays today.