5 Tips for Pre-Chilling a Cooler

Pre-chill everything the night before Stash the cooler, drinks, food, and ice packs in the fridge. A warm cooler melts ice fast, and room-temp drinks turn lukewarm by noon.

If the cooler won’t fit in the fridge, ice-water it Fill the empty cooler with ice water for 15 minutes, then dump it before packing. This chills the walls without wasting fridge space.

Pack heavy drinks on the bottom, perishables on top Place a layer of ice packs or block ice between them. Blocks last longer than cubes.

Fill every gap with ice or frozen water bottles Air is the enemy of cold. Stuff towels or extra ice into any empty space to keep temperatures low.

Use a separate cooler for drinks if you open it often Food stays cold when you aren’t constantly fishing for another beer. Your potato salad will thank you.