When packing a cooler, it’s commonplace to simply drop in the food and drinks, load it up with ice, and head to the beach or barbecue. However, there are a few science-backed reasons why you should put a little more thought into how you store and pack your cooler. For instance, to prevent the ice from melting quickly and spoiling your food, it’s a good idea to avoid storing your cooler in a hot place, like a shed with no ventilation or the trunk of your car.
The reason for this is, similar to pre-heating an oven before cooking, coolers should ideally be pre-cooled before being used to keep your food and drinks frosty. Tossing your consumables and ice in a steamy cooler will result in faster melting and food spoilage since the ice will have to first cool down the internal temperature of the cooler. Instead, follow an easy hack to keep the temperature down in your cooler: Store the cooler in a chilly location like your basement or a cool spot in your garage.
Alternatively, if the cooler is hot, add a bag of ice or two to the cooler a few hours before using it. That way, when it’s time to pack it, the cooler will already be cool and the ice will stay solid longer. Pre-chilling also works great for keeping your popsicles frozen in a cooler. For super cold drinks or frozen treats, consider storing a smaller cooler in the freezer or fridge before use.
More tips for keeping food/drinks colder longer in a cooler
Besides storing your cooler in a cool location, there are a few other tips that will help keep your consumables colder longer. To avoid food spoilage at your picnic, consider using two separate coolers for food and drinks. That way, you can keep the lid closed on the food cooler until you’re ready to serve it, while the drink cooler can be opened and closed throughout the day without food safety concerns.
When it’s time to pack the cooler, put a layer of ice down first, ideally a couple of inches thick. While bags of ice cubes are quick and easy, if possible, freeze larger blocks in containers ahead of time and/or use ice packs. Large chunks of ice melt slower than small ice cubes and will therefore keep your food colder longer. After loading in the ice, consider insulating the bottom layer by laying a piece of wood or cardboard on top of the ice to keep it frozen longer. This isn’t as important for soda and beer, but serves well to keep perishable foods cold and reduce the risk of bacteria growth.
Fill the rest of the cooler with ice, trying to reduce as much empty space as possible. When packing a full cooler, ideally one-third should be food and drinks while two-thirds should be ice. If you’re in a pinch, follow a guide on how to chill your beers without a fridge or cooler, and enjoy safer, tastier food and drinks on that next hot day.
