Those mini usb coolers/fridges

waptext

Are Those mini usb coolers/fridges any good ? am going to the phillippines on holidays and taking my laptop with me also have a mains usb adaptor power supply i can use , do these mini coolers the size of a can work ? are they worth buying ?

London50

Hi

Reading reviews on these gadgets IMHO the answer is no they are not worthwhile, yes they will "chill" a can but it is not the same as a fridge as most of these only seem to have a fan that cool a plate in the bottom so the base of the drink cools {over time} but they are not powerful enough {nor have much if any insulation} so even if the can is chilled it would not stay like it for very long. Also {I do not know} but is it worth adding that weight to you travel allowance??

London50

waptext

saw this one on ebay , a bit expensive tho , think its bmw
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINI-Genuine-In-Car-Portable-Electric-Cool-Bag-Box-82290432493-DISCOUNTED/130832555735?_trksid=p2045573.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D16545%26meid%3D1251362747712186548%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D7839%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D130832555735%26

paddyrg

I had a powered (not USB ) one and it was rubbish. It may have slowed down the rate a chilled can from the fridge got warmer, but not by much. They use Pelletier modules which are clever but not that efficient.

A USB one will have to run on under 5v500mA which means it's maximum cooling potential is pretty negligible. My office air conditioner is 1000 times more powerful and it struggles, you may find it is at best a token effort/gimmick

DigForVictory

USB powered gadget vs. the Phillipino heat? No contest - save your money & buy chilled drinks there.

penrhyn

They work by exploiting the Peltier effect.
We made a milk cooler at work years ago out of an old copier paper box and a Peltier device from Radiospares.
If you reverse the polarity the heat flow across the device is reversed.

kwikbreaks

Wrapping a wet rag on a can will cool it - probably better and quicker than one of those and at zero cost. If you want proper chilled drinks either buy them chilled or put them in a fridge.

penrhyn

When out east never have ice in your drinks unless you are very sure where it has come from.

paddyrg

+1 for the wet rag - evaporative cooling! If you have a wet rag/loo roll/flannel surrounding the can and stand it before a deskfan, it'll cool down far faster than a <2.5W peltier could ever do. You can even trail the rag into more water to wick along it and keep it cool!

Anne_Marie_2

Wouldn't even consider wasting your money on a gadget that will certainly not cope with the heat and humidity in the Phillipines. Did you notice on that ebay link that it cools to approx 20C below the interior temperature? Room temp 40C, drinks temp 20C!
Buy chilled bottles of water while you are there, will be cheap as chips.

It's really hot where I am, and temps go up to mid 40's during July and August. I usually take a couple of frozen bottles of water, and another couple of chilled bottles in a cool bag if I am going to be out all day, rather than use the chill blocks, taking up unnecessary space.

penrhyn

The outdoor bars in Thailand serve the beer with a Koozie round it, keeps it nice and cool.