Electric Cooler Ice Chest

[katybugsmom]

Hey everyone!
Has anyone had any experience with an electric cooler?
We don't want to rent a refrig. while we are staying at ASM if we can buy an electric cooler cheaper nor do we want to haul ice each and every day!
Here is my biggest concern: Can an electric cooler that plugs into a car's 12V also be plugged into a wall socket in a hotel room? I didn't know if there was a conversion plug or something you could buy extra or is the cooler strickly for use in a car or boat?
Thanks for your help with this!!!!!

 

[aloha_lilo]

Remember, the thing about these electric coolers is that they only cool the food down by about 40 degrees less than the room temp. So if your room temp is about 75 degrees, then the inside of the cooler would not get any cooler than 35 degrees.

I don't have any experience with an electric cooler (part of the fun of being on vacation for me is digging through a pile of ice to get a coke and I've become a bit attached to my Coleman Xtreme) but maybe this one from Walmart is what you are looking for:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4810828

Hope this Helps!

 

[katybugsmom]

Thanks Aloha Lilo!
I really appreciate the link! I do understand about "digging around" in the ice! My family always camped while I was growing up so I'm very familiar with the "cold search for a can " too! I guess in my "old age" I want a little more convenience!!!! Have a great night and thanks again!

 

[Waggy182]

We had one and it was not a good alternative to either a fridge or ice chest. The interior was very small and aloha_lilo is correct about the temperature. More frustrating all the way around, really. We gave it to a trucker friend of ours who keeps it in his cab and is great for him as it is just the right size for him and in a constant climate. I don't recommend it for vaction or hotel room.

HTH!

 

[okeydokey]

We have one and use it all the time when we travel. It is much easier than ice and we don't have food swimming in water. It has always kept our stuff cold enough when plugged in indoors (40 degrees colder than the room). We do plug it in ahead of time to chill it and place cold food inside. It has a hard time cooling food, but is great to keep cold food cold. There is a converter for the wall outlet.

 

[aloha_lilo]

If the OP is trying to keep something like baby formula or milk cold, then she may want to consider looking at the budget boards and seeing if anyone has a fridge swap with her dates at ASM open. For milk products and baby formula, I'd be a bit nervous that the electric cooler wouldn't get cold enough to keep it safe to drink.

 

[cheerforchelsea]

OK - I went down in the garage to check this out for you --- I have an Igloo/Plenticool electric cooler that I have taken to Disney MANY times.....it plugs into a cigarette lighter and then has an separate cord to plug into a wall outlet. It is plenty large enough to hold several canned drinks, few bottles of water, quart of milk, cheese, lunch meat, dip (all at one time). It cools very well and sometimes you might get lucky enough for your cokes to have a tiny bit of ice in one (so wonderful on a really hot day). It opens from the top and has a handle that fold over to the side when not in use. I think it cost about $75 - but I have also had it 5-6 years.

 

[Christine9125]

Remember, the thing about these electric coolers is that they only cool the food down by about 40 degrees less than the room temp. So if your room temp is about 75 degrees, then the inside of the cooler would not get any cooler than 35 degrees.

I don't have any experience with an electric cooler (part of the fun of being on vacation for me is digging through a pile of ice to get a coke and I've become a bit attached to my Coleman Xtreme) but maybe this one from Walmart is what you are looking for:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4810828

Hope this Helps!

We have one of these coolers for camping. We are planning on taking it to Disney with us this summer. When we go camping we normally have our food frozen before we put it in the cooler and several days later still need to get the food out to thaw it out

 

[katybugsmom]

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions! I don't know how we ever planned a trip without our friends from DISboards in the past!!!!

 

[PlutoPony]

We've found these work well when you put things in that are cold to begin with, but not as good when cooling down from room temp or warmer. I had no problems keeping cold milk and beer at a nice temp, and just added a few smaller things at a time that needed to be chilled.

 

[swkmom]

We have the Coleman electric cooler and have used it many times traveling. We used it at Pop twice as our refrigerator. It has been great and have no problems with it. I do agree though that the food will stay cooler if you refrigerate it before putting it in the cooler, actually I believe the manual that comes with it suggests doing this.

 

[grlpwrd]

I have that Coleman cooler, too, and it has worked wonderfully for both in the car and when we use it in the room.

I have always prechilled the items and also added icepacks for things that I felt needed to be kept really cold.

GL!