The History of Ice – from the First Methods of Cold Storage to Modern Technologies

Like anything in this world, ice has its own history. The first mentions of ice harvesting can be found in ancient times. There is no doubt that even then, ice plays a major role in a variety of processes. This is the reason why ancient people sought to invent ice harvesting and to make their life better. So, when was ice first made artificially?

Natural Ice in Ancient Civilizations

Around 1000 B.C. the Chinese cut and stored natural ice from frozen lakes and rivers. It’s worth saying that the fact of ice harvesting is the beginning of the history of ice. Other peoples also used some ice tools and horse-drawn ice cutters to get  natural ice pieces from frozen reservoirs. Also there was a natural ice trade between different nations.

Early Methods of Preserving Food with Ice 

Ancient societies in cold climate conditions used the natural ice for harvest storage. Usually some ice pits or special cellars had a place to be. Later some ice buildings appeared for food preservation. In warmer regions underground areas with ice and snow were used to keep food cold even in hot temperatures. This approach can be  bravely called as the starting point when ice was invented.

The first ice creation process can be attributed to ancient Egypt and India, where people use the natural method of evaporation around 500 B.C. They used shallow clay pots filled with water during the cool nights to get a thin layer of ice. When ice was first made, it fully changed people’s life and food storage processes. 

The First Ice Storage and Ice Houses

When ice was invented, it opened the first refrigeration solutions for ancient people. That’s why one of the main uses of ice was for food and harvest storage. Of course, it had a positive effect, because ice gave a perfect opportunity to form supplies. 

Iran developed a yakh-chal – a contemporary analog of freezers or ice depots. It was an onion-shaped and two-story building with an equal amount of underground space. This area kept both ice and food cool throughout the use of air flow. Centuries later, wealthy Greeks and Romans filled this type of building with ice and snow from the Alps. One more interesting fact is that people used straw and wood to isolate their frozen ‘treasures’. These ice depots fell into disuse when the Roman Empire crumbled.

Nowadays, we can’t imagine a tasty drink without ice cubes, especially during the warm season. But how did humans contrive this form of ice? Let’s talk about when ice cubes were invented and the impact of this on our lives.  

When Were Ice Cubes Invented?

There is no single inverter for ice cubes, but Dr. John Gorrie from the United States was the first person who used an ice block maker machine to provide cool rooms for patients. In the 1840s his refrigeration unit produced ice. The historians suggest he also invented the first ice cube tray to ensure the patients with cold drinks. The concept of ice cubes became popular with the advent of electric refrigeration technologies in the early 20th century. This is where the history of ice cubes began. 

The Impact of Cold Storage on Modern Life

There is no doubt that cold storage has a positive impact on our modern life. Thanks to artificial ice inventors, we have a perfect opportunity to keep food fresh for a long time. People use it both for household use and HoReCa. It’s worth saying that one of the main benefits of cold storage is the cold chain solutions that make it possible to transport (using refrigerator cars), store and merchandise food for customers.

The more people used ice, the more useful and essential it became. This is the reason why simple traditions of harvest storage transformed into industrial business with ice markets and ice ships. There were some ice businessmen, who made profit by selling ice for different purposes. 

A New Era of Ice Production

It’s absolutely impossible not to talk about Frederic Tudor, an American businessman and merchant, who devised a perfect way of insulation during shipping ice with the help of sawdust. He organized a national supply chain and ice transportation to distribute it from New England to the hotter countries of the world. And very soon Frederic Tudor earned the nickname ‘Ice King of the World’, because of his ice wagons invention. This genius man not only introduced the world to cold tasty beverages and ice trade, but also built a great demand for ice in America that never existed before.

This new era opened a variety of business opportunities. Contemporary ice makers (like John Gorrie’s mechanical ice-making machine) made the process of ice production easier and faster. So, entrepreneurs sold  the products with the help of shipping ice.

Talking about ice inventions, we can mention such names as William Cullen, Oliver Evans, Jacob Perkins, Alexander Twining, James Harrison, Andrew Muhl and others. Each of them makes their own contribution in ice usage and production.

Why Industrial Ice Makers Became Essential

Asking a question when did ice become a thing, it’s worth saying that everything started from the simple human needs, but developed to industrial approach with ice makers, ice markets and ice trade. After some time, industrial ice makers and refrigeration cooling systems became an essential part of a variety of businesses. Here are some reasons of it:

• Speed ice production – creating ice blocks with special equipment doesn’t take too much time. 
• Productivity – high-quality ice machines make it possible to get the required amount of ice for business needs or for sale.
• Easy to use – this type of equipment is easy to operate, so ice production isn’t a hard process. 
• Ice quality – transparent ice without a cloudy center or air bubbles is what every business needs to attract customers. 

The modern equipment market is full of different ice maker manufacturers, so you have enough variants to choose the most suitable one. For example, BF Tech is one of the most reliable partners with a wide assortment of ice tools and  ice machines, which include  a variety of different models like P30, P150 and P300.

There is a long path from the moment when ice was made first and to our modernity. Nowadays, ice isn’t about cooling, it’s also an integral part of people’s everyday life, public health authorities (for example storage of drugs) and cold chain solutions. It’s impossible to imagine HoReCa niche without ice today. Catering, restaurants, food markets – absolutely all of them find a great use of ice to improve their activity.