VonShef 28L Electric Cool Box
The VonShef 28L Electric Cool Box does everything well, but is let down by the noise when plugged in
Price: around £85
Contact: vonhaus.com
If you are off on a picnic or a trip to the beach, you don’t want to arrive with tepid drinks and wilting salad. An insulated bag or box will keep your comestibles cool for a little while, but a powered box should be able to add a little chill too, bringing down the temperature rather than just keeping the heat out.
The new 28L Cool Box from VonShef promises to keep its cool, or will even switch to keeping food warm – useful if you are a long way from the nearest takeaway.
The compartment can store up to 38 soft drink cans and the separator doubles up as a freezer block. To help move the box once you are out of the car, it has an extending handle and suitcase-style wheels, although they are too small for use on rough ground or a beach.
The VonShef is supplied with three cables, so it can be powered by a standard three-pin plug, a USB-C port or a 12V DC car connector. We tried it connected to a 12V socket for three hours, placing a small ice pack inside when the box was at room temperature. At the end of the test, the thermometer showed an impressive 8.4 degrees. The same block in an unpowered cool box showed 13.5 degrees.
The downside is that the box is quite noisy; the 54 decibels we recorded is enough to annoy anyone sitting next to it. It also uses 63W of power, which could put a dent in your car’s battery if left running with the ignition off.
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