Depending on whom you ask, either ice-fiends are suckers who pay for frozen water or ice-avoiders are cheapskates with a perverse attachment to warm fountain syrup. To settle this once and for all, we went to a local cineplex and bought three Cokes with varying amounts of cubes at 4 smackaroos each. Then we broke out our thermometers and measuring cups. The cold, hard data says it all.

No Ice, Please

![](https://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/archive/images/article/magazine/1610/st_ice_f.jpg)

**Temperature**

40° F

**Volume of Liquid**

31 oz

**Cost per Degree of Chilling**

N/A

**Total Cost for Cold**

0¢

_**Verdict** Not fridge-frosty, but at 40 degrees you can't call it tepid._

Easy On The Cubes.

![](https://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/archive/images/article/magazine/1610/st_ice2_f.jpg)

**Temperature**

36° F

**Volume of Liquid**

28 oz

**Cost per Degree of Chilling**

9.8¢

**Total Cost for Cold**

39¢

_**Verdict** Sacrifice just 3 ounces of fizzy corn syrup for a nice, nippy temp. Sweet._

Ice, Ice, Baby!

![](https://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/archive/images/article/magazine/1610/st_ice3_f.jpg)

**Temperature**

33° F

**Volume of Liquid**

20 oz

**Cost per Degree of Chilling**

20.3¢

**Total Cost for Cold**

1.42¢

_**Verdict** Not worth it! Plus, sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia (brain freeze)._

_Photo illustration: Pixelgarten_

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