Article: The ice needs to be as cold and dry as possible to make really good crushed ice out of it. Any shape or size of ice will work.  Note that it will be easier to crush the ice if the cubes or pieces are all roughly the same size. You will need more ice than you think, since it will take more crushed ice to fill up a glass than it would take ice cubes. It's a good idea to use about twice as many ice cubes or pieces of ice as it would take to fill your glasses halfway. A Lewis bag is a canvas bag that is primarily used for crushing ice. Put the ice inside the bag as soon as you remove it from the freezer so that it doesn't start melting.  You can get a Lewis bag online or at a bartending supply store. They usually come with a wooden mallet for crushing the ice as well. What makes a Lewis bag so good for crushing ice is that the canvas absorbs any extra liquid. This way, you are left with dry pieces of crushed ice. Choose a surface that won't get damaged in any way while you hammer away at the ice in the bag. Use your non-dominant hand to hold the bag closed so that your dominant hand is free to crush away. You want to do this whole process as quickly as possible because the ice will start to melt as soon as you remove it from the freezer. Lewis bags often come with a wooden mallet to use for crushing the ice. Use another heavy kitchen utensil, such as a rolling pin or meat tenderizer, if you don't have a wooden mallet.  You can even use a regular hammer if you don't have any heavy kitchen utensils to use. It's possible to do this with ice in a plastic bag if you have no cloth bags or towels to put the ice in. Just keep in mind that a plastic bag won't absorb the excess water, and it's easy to smash a hole in the bag and make a mess. Open the bag to check the ice and see if there are any pieces bigger than 1⁄4–1⁄2 in (0.64–1.27 cm) in diameter. Roll the bag back up and keep smashing until there are no chunks bigger than that. The finer you smash the ice, the quicker it will melt in your drinks. With a little practice, you will find the best consistency of crushed ice.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Take the ice out of the freezer right before you are going to crush it. Place the ice in a Lewis bag right away and roll up the end. Place the Lewis bag on a hard surface and hold the end shut. Smash the ice inside the bag with a wooden mallet or other heavy object. Stop when there are no big pieces left.