TECHNI ICE

I thinks it's main advantage is the re-useable aspect, not sure it lasts longer than block ice. I use it a fair bit and it works fine. It has been handy when we are away as we can keep re-freezing it and transferring it to our smaller portable eskis.

Hi Murray,

We use Techni Ice sheets in our 'commercial' type esky (thick wall insulation). It would be about 40 ltr, same as yours.

We find it lasts longer than crushed ice, and is much more convenient to use... no wet packages etc.

Basically we use as many sheets as we can fit around the food and drinks, minimum 4 sheets, 6 is better.Lasts the best part of a week, with care taken not to overuse the lid of the esky.

When you first get them, you really must follow the instructions regarding immersing them in water, to swell the compartments. My wife worked long and hard at this, but with good results.

A friend of ours didn't like them, I suspect the initial 'swelling' process may not have been done to the letter......

Don't know how this bit works, but the longer you leave them in the freezer at home, before packing them in the esky, the longer they last.

Recommend? Sure. Bought ours off ebay, probably had them more than a year now.

Hope this helps, Dave

It does hold more "cold energy" than Ice Murray but we prefer not to use it because its lower initial temperature can actually harm some food in a mixed fridge.
We prefer just to freeze water in strong bottles.

The only time we use ours now is as a quick blanket to throw over drinks.

I think there rubbish myself. I can get 3 days out of 2 bags of crushed ice and one block in my 70 techni ice esky. And thats with adding hot drinks and 35+degree heat. When i used the supplied recommended number of sheets with one block of ice and same amount of tucker and drinks they had all melted by midday the next day and it was only the block ice keeping things cold. Might work down south in the cool but up here it stands no chance compared to good old ice. They even go slimy after a while. Alot cheaper then buying ice all the time, but nowhere near as reliable or effective.

Good morning Murray
Little Wes has your drawings and is doing his best. He will be here at my factory on Saturday having a good look.

Happy Techni Ice user here..

OT

I have about 10 sheets of tech ice & have used them for a few years..They are ok but they don't seem to last that long.. Someone once told me to fill icecream containers or 2 litre orange juice bottles with water & freeze.. Put these at the bottom of the escky & they keep stuff cool for days. Better than the tech ice sheets.

one word to describe my six sheets [which im glad i didnt pay for] CRAP!

I've used them and you can't go past block ice and then some crushed ice around your stubbies :) Lasts a few days compared to the 'slime sheets' :O

Leroy

Depends on the use. Block ice is of course much better but you can't compare the energy. Try making a block the same size of the techni ice and then compare. Yes they are slimy which I don't like. Easier to put in the engel freezer and over night they are frozen. Though won't last as long as if placed in a 240V freezer for a few days of course, again energy. Block ice is way better if you have the space and means to freeze. If not then a few techni ice are good value especially if free with one of their freezers.

I use them a heap, but not in the conventional way.

We are 'on the road' full time, now with a van (previously CT).
In addition to the 2 door fridge freezer in the van, we have two 40 litre Engels in the back of the ute - generally both on freeze (one with caught fish, the other for our meat). I keep a Techno Ice sheet on top of each freezer to separate the frozen stuff from the new unfrozen as it is added. Works very well.

Other big use is in the big esky we take in the boat when we go fishing (mostly in far North / NT). I put 5 or 6 sheets in the esky for each trip with our cold water and lunch. As we keep fish, I put the fish on the bottom and lay the sheets on top. Works great. Fish are cooled and kept very well without being in water. Also just toss live crabs in and put sheets on top - they are very quiet and easy to tie when we get home, but have damaged the sheets at times.

For keeping drinks (particularly beer) cold, you can't go past crushed ice. For general use, block ice is great, but it takes up a lot of space and produces water.
The advantage of Technie Ice is that it takes up little room, is flexible and stays dry.
Back when we used an esky for food, I used to fill a couple of 2 Litre milk bottles with water and freeze them. I'd put them at the bottom of the esky and pack stuff around / on them. I'd then lay Technie Ice sheets across the top, sometimes 2 thick. This worked very well and lasted at last 4 or 5 days - often more. But not great for adding hot beer to cool - for that you need a fridge or crushed ice.

If you buy them, do it via EBay. Techni Ice sells there (under a different name). Way cheaper and posted free. You can generally get them so cheap that it is worth giving them a go.

Hope this helps.

Norm C