Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

:bump2:

Darell,

It's summer again.

Did you ever find or build that R50 per inch super cooler?

 

Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

BTW, I just looked at the Frigid website that Pat Sparks and Phumpher linked above. Frigid's least expensive cooler is $485. They have some for over a $1000.

 

For that kind of money, it would be cheaper to have the pizza and beer delivered. Unless you need something cryogenically frozen at your campsite.

 

Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

I'll have to check out that Max Cold.

Coleman claims that its Xtreme Cooler keeps ice cold for 5 days, and that its Ultimate Extreme Cooler keeps ice cold for 6 days.

Coolers | Ice Chests | Thermoelectric Coolers | Marine Coolers

 

Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

Waiting for cold beer, especially on a hot day, does not sound logical or reasonable to me! :nono:

Wildkow

 

Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

The Powerboat-reports.com December 2005 issue tested the then $445 Frigid Rigid, the then $68 Coleman Ultimate Xtreme Marine, plus comparably sized coolers from Igloo, Icey-Tek and Rubbermaid.

The report found that the $68 Coleman Ultimate Xtreme Marine tied the $445 Frigid for best ice retention (slowest melt rate).

I think I'll try the Coleman cooler, either the Ultimate Xtreme Marine or the plain Ultimate Xtreme which costs even less and which Coleman also rates at 6 day ice retention.

 

Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

Following up on the Powerboat report there was one done last year by the same publisher ...Engel vs. Yeti vs. Coleman.
In summary Engel coolers won quite easily. Coleman was second and Yeti was third.There is a link to the original article on Engel USA website.

Engel also make the most efficient and vibration resistant AC/DC powered coolers that some of you were asking after.

 

Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

This summer I bought a Coleman Ultimate Xtreme 50 qt ice chest. It is supposed to 'keep ice" for up to 6 days at 90 degrees.
I got it on sale for around $50. it is a little big to tote around in the back of the Prius with 6 days worth of gear and the family.
It doesn't even come near 6 days, usually by 4 days all the ice is melted. If I paid the sticker price of $75 I would be pissed.
I am still glad I bought it , my old cooler the ice would not even last a day on the beach.

 

Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

Thanks gramps. The Coleman Ultimate Xtreme still sounds like the best cooler for the money. I'm going to pick up one before next summer when I hope to be taking a road trip or two.

 

Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

Thanks pkabalin for the heads-up. Here's the link to the cooler test report you referenced:

http://www.engel-usa.com/PS0908_BigCoolers_reprint0808_WEB.pdf

 

The Engel's $265 is a lotta shekels for a cooler. Think how much beer that is! With some sheets of foam, epoxy resin, and fibreglass cloth, a handy person could make something just as good or better for far less money. And everybody knows the stuff you put in should already be cold. Heck, we usually put in frozen stuff and it works great. OK, maybe not so great with beer.

 

Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

Not my wife. She puts warm stuff into the ice box, then complains that we didn't use enough ice. She compensates for this behavior by starting with too much ice. Left to her own devices, the ice box on our boat can carry zero food, since it is completely filled with ice. Of course this obviates the need for the ice, since there is no food to keep cool. We could compromise by leaving the ice box empty, but we haven't tried that.

Our ice box is made exactly as you describe: 4" of closed cell foam, fiberglass, and epoxy. A drain with an air trap removes melt water. For loading, we start with a block of ice at the bottom, load the food, and pour loose ice over the top. Using this approach, and adding a bag or two of loose ice during the week, most of the block will still be there after nine or ten days of sailing.

Tom

 

RE: Toys with built in ice boxes, I'm thinking perhaps ripping off the cover of the built in and replacing it with the 'works' from one of those plug-in coolers. I considered a cold plate and even an automatic ice maker from an old fridge, but both require a compressor and all the works which takes up valuable space. Anyone tried that?

 

Re: Help me find the best ice chest/cooler ever!

Yes, I have a thermo-electric cooler top for my boat icebox. For cruising we stick with ice, but in the marina we switch tops and use electrical refrigeration.

In my case I built the cooler from the ground up, using a peltier cooler module, a couple of heat sinks, and a muffin fan. The unit plugs into a 12V socket above the counter.

Practical Sailor has contracted with me to write a "how to" article about this topic, so look for it sometime this winter.

Tom