Cooler With Constructed-In Lunchbox: Ninja FrostVault Overview

When my fridge went out the day earlier than Easter, I used to be in a pickle. I don’t often host vacation gatherings, however my accomplice assured me, “It’ll be enjoyable to have your mother and father over!”

With lower than 24 hours till Greg and Cindy arrived with armloads of meticulously crafted Easter brunch dishes, I used to be surprisingly desperate to sort out this problem. Whereas I’ve no scarcity of coolers to assist relieve a downed fridge state of affairs, I noticed the Easter fiasco as an ideal probability to attempt the newest cooler innovation from Ninja.

Properly-known for its tremendous blenders, Ninja dove into the cooler fray with a novel resolution to a purported drawback: A slide-out drawer to separate and defend some objects from the icy chaos in the primary chamber. Not fairly certain what to anticipate, I gave my mother the inexperienced mild to whip up her patented deviled eggs, assured they’d assist affirm whether or not the “FrostVault” characteristic actually had benefit.

Briefly: The 30-quart Ninja FrostVault cooler is a wonderfully sized possibility for picnics, tailgating, or days on the boat. The FrostVault tray provides dry storage for snacks that helps forestall smushing and wetness from the primary compartment. Of us who’ve been pissed off by discovering objects in a sea of ice and cans may even see probably the most worth on this $200 cooler versus extra inexpensive options.

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Ninja FrostVault Cooler Overview

Just like the cooler itself on Easter Sunday, I gained’t spoil the shock. My mother’s deviled eggs nestled completely into the Dry Zone tray and saved for the two days that it took to complete them.

By itself, that’s a convincing win for Ninja and its design. I had some brut and orange juice wedged into the almost 20 kilos of ice in the primary compartment above, after which delicately positioned the eggs and few mild snacks within the dry storage drawer. Some ice remained in the primary compartment after 48 hours as properly.

After all, a 30-quart cooler can’t shoulder the burden of a fridge’s price of cooling. I additionally deployed a battery of different big-name, burly coolers to tackle different meals and liquids. For prolonged days or huge teams of individuals, a bigger possibility could be vital (Ninja makes a 50-quart FrostVault as properly).

Relative to the opposite coolers, the Ninja misplaced ice slightly extra rapidly. Nevertheless, it had a smaller quantity of ice, which performs closely into total ice retention, and we needed to entry the coolers all through the day. Total, the Ninja’s ice retention is aggressive and on par with different high-end coolers.

That stated, the FrostVault is just not an hermetic cooler, and that’s by design. A tiny little bit of air leakage prevents the Ninja cooler from making a vacuum, which, as anybody who’s yanked on a caught lid can attest, will be irritating.

Measurement, Portability

I opted to check the 30-quart FrostVault as a substitute of the 50-quart, and I’m glad I did. This proved an ideal mix of capability and portability. Particularly as a part of the dry storage system, this measurement cooler is right for single-day exploits. It’s going to maintain a case of 12-ounce cans and loads of ice, which can be vital to chill the Dry Zone drawer.

At about 20 kilos empty, the 30-quart FrostVault is mild and sufficiently small for one individual to maneuver round. It additionally matches in a small backseat and gained’t take up an obscene quantity of space for storing when not in use.

However as soon as packed, it’s simply heavy sufficient that you simply’d need two. I feel the scale and design would profit from a collapsible deal with and wheels, and in its FAQ section, Ninja hinted a future iteration may obtain that improve.

The FrostVault doesn’t make use of twin latches like most main coolers today. As an alternative, it has a center-mounted, snap-shut latch. It’s a tossup whether or not you discover this less complicated or extra advanced. In testing, it proved dependably safe.

FrostVault Cooler With ‘Dry Zone’ Drawer

The DryZone drawer — the hallmark of the FrostVault cooler — has some upsides and a few potential drawbacks. Let’s begin with the professionals.

At about 10x11x3 inches, it’s simply sufficiently big to carry quite a lot of objects. At one level, I managed to squeeze in a container of strawberries, some hummus, a roll of summer season sausage, and a wedge of cheese. It’s no mighty meal, but it surely’s nothing to sneeze at snack-wise.

What’s extra, the drawer can lock shut simply, to forestall any potential mishaps when in transit. And just like the cabinets in your fridge, the drawer will slide out all the best way for cleansing (extra on this under). Total, it’s a easy and well-executed design.

If there’s a draw back, it’s that the drawer works nearly too properly. All that summer season sausage, cheese, and hummus I discussed — properly, all of it spoiled after I forgot to take it out. If you happen to use the Dry Zone drawer, DO NOT neglect to empty the Dry Zone drawer!

It’s a small however vital level to recollect with this novel characteristic. Everybody is aware of to empty and drain the primary compartment, but it surely is perhaps simple to miss what’s hiding in that drawer. And in the event you do neglect objects there that spoil, you’ll want to tug out the drawer and utterly sanitize the compartment. Ninja makes this very accessible, but it surely’s yet one more factor to handle.

Who It’s For, Sturdiness

If you mix the options, specs, and value, the FrostVault seems to be focusing on people who like the thought of a extra premium cooler, however don’t want absolutely the grizzly-proof bombast of premium rotomolded choices.

I strapped this cooler onto a hitch-mounted cargo tray and drove throughout 4 states. It’s lots sturdy for the common camper’s wants. Of us who want a severely rough-and-tumble cooler for lengthy fishing expeditions, or who count on to pull, drop, and abuse the heck out of a cooler, might wish to take a look at spending extra for a purpose-built backcountry possibility.

It is a higher match for individuals who wish to pack their cooler into an SUV, plop it on the campsite, and perhaps use it as a bench across the campfire.

Ultimate Verdict

It’s cool to see some actual design innovation in a class that’s past saturated by look-alikes and rebadged options. The Ninjac FrostVault takes a swing at including actual utility to the cooler world.

As a debut into the class, Ninja comes out with a strong providing. The FrostVault cooler provides a characteristic that some people will definitely admire — particularly, those that wish to pack snacks or lunch together with some drinks for a day exterior.

It’s competitively priced at $200, if not squarely within the finances class. So give it a glance in order for you slightly greater than the usual cooler and aren’t involved with the big-name choices.