You approach the soda fountain at a new restaurant and slowly, hesitantly press your glass against the ice dispenser. Which shape are you hoping emerges?

Full cubes are more common in refrigerators than they are in the wild, but perhaps that familiarity is why they’re your favorite. Fully crushed cubes with no set shape are ubiquitous, but how well do they complement (or at least not distract from) the taste of your go-to beverage? Then there are the nuggets, the ones that are easier to chew and seem to go especially well with soda. Does their rarity appeal to you, or is this something you’ve even considered before? Crescent ice is supposed to better suit a glass, so maybe you want to avoid that last-sip moment when the cubes all come barrelling toward your face.