The melting period of small ice cubes is very short. That’s why it’s recommended to keep large ice blocks in the cooler. It doesn’t melt quickly and keeps your drinks and food cold for a longer duration.
If you don’t know how to make block ice at home, this guide will explain the step-by-step process.
Generally, people prefer to buy large block ice for coolers, but they can be easily made in your refrigerator.
You know the basics of ice making process. Ice blocks are nothing but frozen water. But, if you want the ice blocks for coolers, then your ultimate aim is to keep your foods and drinks cool for a longer duration.
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Why You Should Prefer Block Ice in Coolers?
Do you know- cloudy ice melts faster than clear ice? We have written a guide on this topic. Also, the small ice cubes are faster than larger ice blocks.
It’s because larger surface areas are exposed to surroundings. Due to which the heat transfer rate increases and smaller ice melt faster.
That’s why you should prefer clear ice blocks for coolers…
In this guide, you’re going to learn some DIY ice blocks tips and understand how to make ice blocks for coolers at home.
How To Make Block Ice At Home?
If you forgot to order ice cubes and you’ve planned for camping in the early morning, then the block ice can be frozen in your refrigerator. You can use household stuff to make block ice at home for coolers.
1. Use Baking Pan
A baking pan is a great option if you want to make block ice at home for a cooler. In ice industries, stainless steel containers are used to freeze the water into large ice blocks.
Go to your kitchen and look for a cake baking pan if you have one. Fill the pan with purified water and put it in your refrigerator. Stainless steel is a good conductor of heat. Hence, freezing time will be reduced, and you’ll get a large ice block within a few hours.
Note– Don’t fill the pan completely because freezing water expands its volume. So, fill 3/4th of the pan height.
2. Balloons
If the shape of the ice block doesn’t matter for you, then balloons will do the job. It takes very few hours compared to any plastic container. You can make ice blocks in bulk, and their size is also expandable.
You can use bigger balloons for large ice balls and smaller ones for small ice blocks. Fill the balloons with water and put them in your refrigerator for 24 hours.
Removing the balloons from ice blocks is also easy. Just cut the outer surface with a sharp knife and take the ice block off. You can put it inside your cooler without removing it. It will protect your cooler from becoming wet.
3. Ice Cream Container
Any empty ice cream container will help you make block ice for the cooler at home. It freezes the large size of ice blocks at home.
Just wash the ice cream container and fill it with water. Now put this container in your freezer for 18-20 hours. Once it freezes completely, take it out and remove the ice block from the container, and put it inside your ice cooler.
4. Plastic Bottles
If you want to make ice blocks at home, then plastic bottles can help you achieve your goal. You can make multiple ice blocks for coolers with the help of plastic bottles.
Fill the bottles with purified water and close the cap. Now place them in your refrigerator for a couple of hours. Once water freezes, you can put them in your cooler. It will not ruin any dry food packed in your cooler because bottle caps are tightened.
Once it meltdown, you can use it as drinking water.
Note– Do not fill the bottle completely because ice has less density than water. Hence, it requires more volume when water turns to ice.
5. Plastic Bags
You can use plastic bags to make ice blocks at home. Plastic bags come in different sizes. You can make ice blocks of different sizes for coolers.
Just fill the plastic bags with water and tie them or hand it inside your refrigerator. You can use carboards to give it the required shape of your choice.
Final Verdict
These are some simple hacks to make block ice at home. You can use these ice blocks for coolers because it melts slowly and keep your food safe for a longer time. I hope you enjoyed reading this article.
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