Does your drink cool faster if you pour the drink over the ice?

Question

Does your drink cool faster by pouring the drink over the ice cubes already in the glass, or by adding the ice cubes after the drink is poured? Or does it make any difference.

I always put the ice in first, since I theorize that the WHOLE drink will cool, as opposed to just the top where the ice is, but is that true?

Answer 1

Theoretically, pouring the drink over the ice is better becuase as the liquid passes through the ice, the liquid's temperature will lower, thus making it a more uniform cooling procedure. Doing it the other way, The heat transfer (or cooling transfer if you prefer) will take longer since it will have to go through conduction (touching cooling) and that will take longer. In reality, I believe it'll make no difference, as both measures will not make an impact. I think if you were to do this experiment, you would even be able to detect the difference in time with a regular thermometer.

Answer 2

Well, it's hard to say, but I'd put a vote in the 'Yes' camp. My rationalization would go as follows (subject to experimental verification or falsification, the answer might change):

By putting the ice in first, and slowly pouring the liquid over the ice (this is usuaslly how I pour a drink), the liquid will flow over the ice in small rivulets (small streams), and it will be in fairly direct contact with the ice initially, and would conduct away heat into the receptive ice as it passes over, thus lowering the initial temperature of a good portion of the water. If it's poured too quickly you won't see much effect, I think, since the glass will fill quickly.

Another bonus is being able to FILL the glass with ice rather then only float a few ice cubes on top. So you'll have a larger ice-to-liquid ratio. Now if you had a really large container that wouldn't overflow and you measured the number of ice cubes before hand (say 5-6 for each glass), you might have slightly different results.

Whereas if you pour the drink first, it will all be at room temperature, and when you put the ice in, it'll float at the top, so the stuff on the bottom will still be room temperature for a while. Of course you'll get convection, but you'll start at a higher temperature overall, so I'd guess it might take longer to cool? Also, you might not be able to get as much ice into the glass if it's already full, so you'll have a lower ice-to-liquid ratio (unless, as I said above you made sure you could have equal ice)...

It would also dependon how you set up your experiment, whether you werel ooking to only lower the liquid a degree or two to a specific point, or if you were looking to lower it sharply to a much lower point. I'd guess the one with ice cubes in first would have a jump start over the ice cubes added later.

But, like I said, it'd be ain interesting experiment. And we'd love to see the results. :)

Answer 3

I think I may try that for a little science experiment, get a thermometer and try both ways, but from my first analyzation I would have to say no, because the ice cubes will float and the cold drops from the ice cubes, very analytical question. There is a variable to examine, having the liquid exposed to the ice for longer would maybe cool it down in fractions of a degree, but not a very substantial amount. I hope that I was able to help, and again, great question.

Answer 4

Yes, it is true that pouring the drink over the ice will cool it faster, depending on the speed of the pour. However, since cold air (or liquids) are denser than hot air the cold liquid will eventually circulate thru the entire glass.

Answer 5

in most cases, it won't make enough difference to tell

it sometimes seems like the ice first method gets the drink cooler quicker because we tend to use more ice when we do the ice first method

if you put the same amount of ice in either way, then after pouring, the same amount of ice will have floated (or sunk in the case of ice after) so that the liquid ice configuration will be identical (when pouring is complete)

what makes the most difference is how much ice you use

second most important factor is how slowly you poor in the drink (or how much you agitate it after pouring) slow pouring and agitation cause the ice to come in better contact with all the liquid

Answer 6

Yes pouring the drink over ice cools it early as lowering of temperature is more.

Answer 7

yes i think ice should go first cuz as your pouring the drink gets all on the ice causing it to be cool as soon as it goes into the glass!

Answer 8

YES

1) Better convective heat transfer coefficient as compared to ice in drink

2) Larger heat transfer area when pouring, since more of the hot liquid gets in contact with the ice surface

Answer 9

i'm a barista and our employer sells chilly brew seasonally, interior the summer season. we those days were given a take homestead recipe to attempt! grind a million/2 pound of your fashionable espresso bean for a french press, it truly is more effective coarse. double or perhaps triple wrap it in cheesecloth and tie it with a rubberband. position it in a one gallon pitcher and pour chilly water over it. enable it take a seat on the counter for 12-15 hours and then refridgerate or only pour it over an entire glass of ice.

Answer 10

Yes