Ice is naturally antimicrobial because North Face doesn't make any coats small enough for bacteria and whatever so they get too cold and drive their little RVs down to Little Florida

Metal ones seem nice. I agree with the plastic ones being shitty though. It just seems like more waste and microplastics being added to my brain fork.

I got tired of wondering what the random particles were that ended up in my ice, plus that smell and taste, so I tried getting a metal ice cube tray and now my ice is just ice. Dunno what but something was leeching from the plastic tray into the ice. It was old, so maybe that had something to do with it.

But yeah, I agree that there's not much difference from drinking from a plastic cup, which is why most of my cups are glass and my water bottles are metal. I still have a few plastic cooking utensils but have been transitioning to wooden and metal. I stopped using non stick pans, too. Dunno how much of a difference it's making in my life but I make an effort to minimize all plastic use.

The steel cubes have liquid inside too? I figured that solid steel would have enough mass and thermal... dynamics? to act as an ice cube, but maybe water is still better. Actually, do they sink or float?

Why? Just clean them after every use. How is a plastic cube different than drinking from a plastic cup?

the plastic cup is made to be thrown away, otherwise you'd be drinking out of a nice glass/ceramic cup if you were gonna wash it anyways

the plastic cubes would shred more and more microplastics as you wash them-and inevitably scuff the surface even more

You're assuming that all the contamination is on the surface, but there is hair, lint, and other particles under your fridge that will stick into the ice.

Also, your example of motor oil was a poor choice. Oil is probably not going to stick to your ice, unless it is in contact long enough to freeze, or get viscous enough to cling to it, and oil will not rinse away cleanly.

Also, how bad to you need to save one ice cube?

Yeah, it's probably fine... but still, it's just an ice cube. Maybe if it's like... the last one or something.

My ice cubes are small enough that rinsing them would waste more water than just tossing the very few that fall. I toss em in the sink.

maybe some antibacterial agent but they can't straight up put car coolant or it would kill people if accidentally ingested

Don't put ice in your whisky. It's supposed to be enjoyed at room temperature optionally with a splash of water. If you chill it the aromatic flavours are muted and it tastes bland.