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You may have been filling ice cube trays wrong your entire life

It turns out those little flat spots have a special purpose.
Ice Cube Tray
Is there really a wrong way to fill up an ice cube tray? Getty Images
/ Source: TODAY

Ice cube trays are a must-have item for many home kitchens, but did you ever stop to think about whether there's a right way to fill one?

It turns that many of us may have been unnecessarily splashing water all over the place for years.

One TikTok user recently showcased a revelation that may just change the ice-making game forever.

“Am I just dumb or did nobody else know this either?” TikTok user @4jmjcbitxh asked in a now-viral clip posted in May. “These little flat spots on ice cube trays are where you’re meant to fill in the water.”

In the video, she holds up a standard ice cube tray to the running faucet and, instead of moving the tray from side to side to fill up the wells, she lets the water stream run onto one of the flat areas of the tray. Instead of splashing all over the place, the water runs neatly (and evenly) into the four cube molds that it connects.

The video, which has since garnered over 460,000 views, has received plenty of stunned reactions from viewers.

“I was today years old when I learned this,” one follower wrote in the comments.

Added another, “I’m laughing so hard because WOW my mind is blown.”

One person joked, “I pay $40k a year for college, yet I learn so much more from TikTok.”

But many were quick to point out that they’ve known about this cool hack for years.

As evidenced by a YouTuber known as ChristysRandomVideos, the method isn't totally brand new.

“You’ve been filling your ice cube tray all wrong,” they wrote in 2015. “Do this instead.”

So is there really a correct way to fill up an ice cube tray?

Home organization companies OXO and Rubbermaid (both of which make plastic ice cube trays) were not immediately available for comment when asked about the best way to refill a tray — nor do they have specific instructions on their websites.

But if you've ever made an ice cube before and it turned out OK, you're probably doing just fine.