Compare
Large Cube vs Small Cubes
What ice size really changes: how fast a drink chills and dilutes, not how much in the end.
Which should you use?
Size controls the rate, not the destination. Small cubes have more surface, so they chill and dilute a drink faster, which is what you want in a shaker or a mixing glass. A single large cube in the serving glass melts more slowly, so a drink already stirred cold changes less while you sip it. That is the case for the large cube in an Old Fashioned or a Negroni on the rocks. It will not chill a warm drink quickly; mix first, then pour over it.
| Dimension | One large cube | Standard cubes |
|---|---|---|
| Surface for its volume | Low | High |
| Chilling speed | Slow | Fast |
| Dilution while you drink | Slow; the drink holds its strength longer | Faster, especially if the glass is half full of ice |
| For mixing | Poor: too slow | Right |
| For serving a short, strong drink | Right | Fine if the glass is full of ice |
Using one in place of the other
A glass packed full of cold, dry standard cubes behaves much better than a few loose ones; that is the fair alternative to a large cube. A few cubes floating in a short drink is the worst of both.
In the recipes on this site
Short drinks served on the rocks — Old Fashioned, Negroni, Black Russian — are the ones a large cube improves. Long drinks want a full glass of standard cubes.