Non-electric simple food cooler (video)

Joel_BC

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Here's a video showing the making of a simple food cooler, from simple components and materials:

http://www.youtube.com/user/engineeringforchange#p/c/E652B36CF3825747/4/LfKgOpJc7Ps

Fun idea, eh? Practical idea.

Okay, one thing I think worth mentioning is that they chose to use fairly mid-size terra cotta pots. Larger ones seem to be available in most localities these days. Meaning, you could cool more food inside.
 

Dawn419

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Thanks for posting this, Joel! ;)

Will have to try this just out of curiosity. We have a dorm-sized fridge and I'm curious as to just how long will this keep produce good.

I'll post my findings as soon as I get this project together.
 

Joel_BC

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Dawn419 said:
Thanks for posting this, Joel! ;)

Will have to try this just out of curiosity. We have a dorm-sized fridge and I'm curious as to just how long will this keep produce good.

I'll post my findings as soon as I get this project together.
It's not going to be right for everyone. It's not going to be right for every situation. But it can be useful for some folks, in certain situations.;)
 

SSDreamin

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This reminds me of a show I watched on ancient Egypt. They used this same basic method to keep their water cool, in urns, after carrying it home. So, I wonder if you could use a terra cotta base, with maybe a pull knob attached somehow, for ease of lifting, as the 'lid' ? If it was smaller, as to sit in the rim of the smaller pot... hmmm... I really think I'm going to give this a try! Thanks Joel!
 

Dawn419

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Good thinking on the terra cotta base as a lid, SSD! :thumbsup Going to add that to my project materials list. ;)
 

usedteabag

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Oooh.. I really like this. I saw a CBC clip once of a young couple in PEI who live a fridgeless life. This looks like a similar method to one they used.
 

Trucker Bob

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I REALLY LIKE THIS POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously... we don't have a running refrigerator at the moment.
 

Neiklot

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Store it in a basement and it should work quite well and help considerably to keep a cool temperature.

Good idea, think I'm gonna try it out.

We have a earth cellar, and especially in the summertime it's get's pretty warm.
 

~gd

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Joel_BC said:
Here's a video showing the making of a simple food cooler, from simple components and materials:

http://www.youtube.com/user/engineeringforchange#p/c/E652B36CF3825747/4/LfKgOpJc7Ps

Fun idea, eh? Practical idea.

Okay, one thing I think worth mentioning is that they chose to use fairly mid-size terra cotta pots. Larger ones seem to be available in most localities these days. Meaning, you could cool more food inside.
Don't jump to conslusions This depends on evaporation from the outer surfaces so the more surface area you have the more total cooling you can get unless the volume grows by the same rate as the surface area the tempeture is going to be warmer. Hsve you ever seen the old blsnket canteens for carrying water in western films are made the same way. The amount of cooling is a factor of the relative humidity the lower the relative humidity the more cooling. they work better in dry deserts than wet jungles.
 
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