Mammoth Coolers are extremely well insulated with premium foam sandwiched between heavy-duty roto-molded plastic. Combined with a thick rubber lid gasket, Mammoth Coolers consistently demonstrate industry-leading ice retention qualities.
TIPS TO GETTING OPTIMAL ICE RETENTION IN YOUR MAMMOTH COOLER
We have identified a few tricks that will help you get the most out of your Mammoth. Use the information below to maximize your Mammoth Cooler’s performance. There are many variables that affect ice retention, such as the outside environmental conditions, placement in direct sunlight/shade, frequency of lid openings, etc. Careful attention to these simple details can significantly extend ice retention.
1. PRE-CHILL (OR PRE-HEAT) YOUR MAMMOTH
The Mammoth is built to maintain a temperature. The cooler is very well insulated meaning, it will maintain the amount of heat energy (or lack of it) inside the cooler. If your cooler starts out with excessive heat absorbed into the walls from being in the sun or from being stored in a hot area, it will cause excessive ice melt while the cooler walls cool to equalize the temperature of the ice. In order to maximize the cold retention ability of your Mammoth, we recommend that you keep your Mammoth in a cool place before use (even a frozen environment is ok), or pre-chill it with ice or dry ice. The goal is to decrease the internal temperature of the cooler prior to adding your contents. The colder the inside walls of the cooler, the better. Starting off with a pre-chilled cooler will greatly help to extend the life of your ice. Believe it or not, some Mammoth users creatively use their Mammoth to maintain food warmth during a Bar-B-Q sessions or a tailgate party! In this case, pre-heating will give similar, positive results.
2. PRE-CHILL THE CONTENTS
The colder the contents are going in, the longer they will stay cool. Chilling or freezing the contents before they go into the Mammoth will lead to much longer ice retention.
3. USE THE COLDEST ICE POSSIBLE
Ice temperature can vary greatly depending on the source and type of ice. Water becomes ice at 32°F, but ice can get much colder. Block ice is typically the coldest type of ice that is readily available. We recommend using multiple types of ice for best results. Cover the bottom of the Mammoth with block ice, then pack the contents onto the blocks, and cover with cubed ice to fill empty spaces.
4. AIR IS THE ENEMY
Air will make your ice melt quickly. In order to keep air to minimum inside the Mammoth, we recommend that you fill it with as much contents or ice as possible. Large areas of air will cause ice to melt faster. Cold water is a solution to displace air, if your situation allows for that.
5. USE DRY ICE
Learn more about using dry ice here!
6. KEEP THE LID SHUT AND LATCHED
Mammoth Coolers are installed with a rubber gasket seal on the lid. The main purpose is to keep outside air out. (See #4 above) This seal is only beneficial when the lid is completely and securely latched down. Furthermore, frequent openings of the lid will decrease ice retention.