Do you enjoy car camping or tailgating, but hate soggy food inside the ice chest? We do too! Unless you are reheating dehydrated meals, an ice chest or cooler is essential camping gear to keep food cool and at a safe temperature. Ice is often used to keep food cool, but as ice melts, it can creak into packaging and containers making food water logged and soggy. I recently tried a new-to-me product called a Cooler Insert and found that it was a great product to prevent soggy food inside the ice chest. I was sent one to try out and share a review here with you.
The Cooler Insert is a molded plastic container designed to fit inside your ice chest. The container is hollow to allow you to fill it with ice and top off with water. Once filled, the Cooler Insert is placed inside your cooler and keeps everything cold.
Keep Food Cold
When initially filled, the container holds a 12 pound bag of ice. I found that as I added water to the fill line, it helps to shake the container to remove any air. I was warned that air pockets would reduce the effectiveness. So I wanted to remove as much of it as possible. Shaking or giggling did the trick. Then I could add the lid and start loading.
How do I pack the ice cooler:
- Against the back of the Cooler Insert: beverages
- Bottom: Meat and dairy (The insert has ridges on the surface. So I like to start with meats or rigid bottom containers at the bottom.)
- Middle: starchy vegetables, fruit, sliced cheese (Things that can’t be crushed easily)
- Top: Leafy greens, bread, eggs, chocolate
Cooler Insert Specifics:
- Keeps cooler cold for 5 days in a standard cooler or up to 14 days in a premium cooler
- Recommended for coolers up to 65 quarts.
- Dimensions: 11.75” H x 10” W x 19.5” L (equivalent to a 20 pound bag of ice)
- Can be frozen solid in freezer
- Made in the USA
- Dishwasher Safe
- Lifetime Warranty
- Retail Price: $44.95
How to Keep Ice From Melting
I tested this with our 75 quart ORCA Cooler {* Purchase through our affiliate links and we receive a small commission without any extra expense to you!} because our 26 quart ORCA Cooler was too small for the insert. These coolers are really well insulated. It's one way I can way how to keep ice from melting. This insulation does a great job at keeping items cold and as a result ice melts more slowly. I tested the insert in my big 70 quart cooler without food. I left it closed for 12 days. When I opened it up on the 12th day, the interior temperature was still cold and there was still ice inside the insert floating in the melted water.
On a camping trip, we would be in/out of the cooler more often, so the ice will melt more rapidly as cold air escapes from the cooler. There is no way to prevent ice from melting, but with the Cooler Insert, the water doesn't come in contact with your food. As the ice melts, the resulting water stays inside the container and can be siphoned off via an included tube. Once water is siphoned off, more ice can be added to keep the cooler cold. I also really like that I don’t have to remove the insert to drain the water. You can drain the water with items on top of the insert.
Overall, I really liked the Cooler Insert to keep food cold. Because food doesn’t come in contact with ice and water, you avoid soggy food in the ice cooler which is always preferred to the alternative. When not in use, the insert (once completely dry) can be stored inside the cooler.
If you enjoy car camping and/or tailgating as such as we do, visit CoolerInsert.com. There you’ll find more information and order your own. With this insert, you can forever avoid soggy food in your ice chest and have a great outdoor adventure.
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