Electric cool box from the discounter or hardware store
The uncomfortable plastic cooler bags, in which a cool pack has to be placed, have given way to the electric cool boxes. These practical boxes are available for little money in almost every hardware store and sometimes in discount stores. However, so that you are also satisfied with the cool box, you should pay attention to a few essential features when buying and use them as effectively as possible.
With safety Do you remember the zippered plastic cooler bags? So that food and drinks could be kept cool in it, frozen ice packs were put in, which of course thawed after a few hours and were therefore useless. The result was warm drinks and an indefinable broth on the bottom of the bag. Electric cool boxes that you can buy in hardware stores or discounters are a sensible successor. For this you need a power source, but the boxes cool quite effectively and, above all, indefinitely - at least as long as they are connected to the power.
Electric cool box - advantages and disadvantages
- Most electric coolers have two power cables for different power connections. On the one hand, you can connect such boxes to a normal 230 volt socket, on the other hand they have a plug for cigarette lighter or car sockets with 12 volts. This has the advantage that you can keep the filled box cool at home and do not have to do without the effective cooling of the food and drinks during the subsequent drive.
- The outside of the box is relatively thick and mostly double-walled. This has an additional insulation effect that the original plastic cooler bags cannot match.
- Of course, good insulation also has disadvantages. Electric cool boxes are relatively heavy even when empty. They are therefore not really suitable for further hikes.
- As far as power consumption is concerned, manufacturers of electric coolers are now striving to keep this as low as possible. Since you normally don't use such a box as a replacement for your home refrigerator the relatively low energy consumption is probably only secondary.
Chilled drinks are particularly pleasant on hot days. It's not like that …
Buy a cool box in the discounter or hardware store - you should pay attention to this
- Electric cool boxes are available from just under 30 euros. However, more expensive models of around 60 to 100 euros are not uncommon. Before you buy, think about whether the cheap discount store bargain really meets your needs. Perhaps it makes more sense to examine and compare a larger selection of products, because there are definitely differences in the features.
- If you want to connect the box to your home socket, you should check whether it actually offers a connection for 230 volts. Some devices only have a 12-volt plug for the cigarette lighter.
- If you have to walk longer distances with the full cool box, it may be worthwhile to purchase a model with castors.
- Not all cool boxes offer enough space for tall bottles. If 1.5 or even 2 liter bottles are part of your standard repertoire, you should pay particular attention to the interior dimensions when choosing the suitable device.
How to use the cool box effectively
- If you hang up a closed electric cool box and reach into it after a while, you will hardly notice a difference in temperature. The box does not cool itself, but primarily its contents. There is therefore no need to pre-cool the box. It is sufficient if it is at room temperature when it is filled. Depending on the content, this is then reduced relatively quickly as soon as active cooling begins.
- How long the cold stays inside the electric cooler without a power supply also depends, of course, on its insulation. What is more important, however, is what and how much is in the box. Materials such as glass or porcelain that easily take on, store and release temperature are therefore more advantageous than plastics, cardboard or paper.
- Even the best electric cool box will warm up over time without active cooling. Therefore, avoid placing them in the sun, but look for a shady place for the box.
- If you want to use the cool box to transport your shopping home, the box should not be left in the warm car all day beforehand. The box can get very warm inside, especially when the lid is closed. Depending on the length of the journey and the time you go shopping, it is also not enough to plug in the box immediately before you leave. In this case, it is better not to repack the groceries you have bought or to bring the box into your home to cool down in good time before your shopping trip.
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