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The use of portable refrigerators is now increasingly being used because it has many advantages. When traveling far or doing outdoor activities such as camping, it is certainly more exciting and interesting if it is equipped with various foods and drinks. Not a few of us bring a variety of snacks or drinks when driving or outdoor activities.
You may be able to store snacks or other foods in a box or bag. Drinks can also be stored or placed in a bag. However, especially for food that needs to be served fresh, cold drinks such as juice or soda are a problem.
It is not uncommon for us to bring or use an ice box or cooler box to store and keep drinks cold. However, the use of this ice / cooler box is not entirely practical.
Ice boxes or cooler boxes are generally square or rectangular boxes of plastic material that are used to store drinks so they can be cold longer. Ice boxes are usually filled with ice cubes or crushed ice cubes to keep drinks cold.
However, there are also ice boxes or cooler boxes that use gel or cooler packs as a substitute for ice blocks. This ice pack or cooler pack is cooled first in the refrigerator when at home. After it is cold and will be used, this ice pack is then put into a cooler box as a substitute for ice blocks.
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There are several disadvantages of using an ice box or cooler box of this kind, including:
- You need lots of ice cubes to keep the temperature cool
- A large number of ice cubes will add weight to the cooler box
- If the ice has melted you need to find a replacement ice cube
- You need more than 1 ice pack to cool the temperature
- Even if it lasts a long time, if the ice pack is no longer cold, you need to re-cool it in the refrigerator
Because of these shortcomings and impracticality, a portable refrigerator or portable fridge is an attractive alternative.
A portable fridge is a mini fridge that is compact and portable and can be taken on the go. Available in various sizes and capacities, this refrigerator can cool food and drinks just like a regular refrigerator.
The use of a portable fridge is also quite practical because you don’t need to use ice cubes or ice packs to keep food and drinks cold. Portable refrigerators can use various energy sources to cool such as gas, electricity, up to 12V electricity.
Types of Portable Refrigerators
Portable fridges based on size and resources can be grouped into 3 types, namely 3 Way Fridge, Electric Cooler and Compressor Fridge.
3 Way Fridge generally has a larger capacity size and can use electricity, gas up to 12 V electricity for its power source. Electric coolers use gas or 12 V electricity to cool the contents of the refrigerator. The compressor fridge is a portable fridge that is quite compact and can use a 12 V power source to cool down to a temperature of -18 degrees.
What is meant by 12V electricity here is that you can use the power source in your car (the socket for the lighter) as a power source to power the refrigerator and cool the contents of the refrigerator. Some models also have capabilities and features such as a freezer for freezing drinks or making ice.
Some types of portable refrigerators even have the opposite function of cooling, namely keeping food warm.
How to Choose the Right Portable Fridge
There are several considerations and things to consider when choosing a portable fridge for optimal use:
- Choose a refrigerator according to the required capacity
- The large size of the refrigerator even though it has a large capacity will take up enough space in the car
- Pay attention to the noise level of the refrigerator compressor
- Make sure the refrigerator supports 12V power supply so that it can be used in the vehicle