Can a Cooler Keep Food Warm? 3 Alternate Routes
In addition to being an excellent method to keep things cold, many people are unaware that a cooler can also be used to keep meals warm! If you are new to smoking meats, you may not have considered this as a possibility, but keeping meals warm in a cooler is a simple task that can be accomplished.
It is quite difficult to schedule other dishes to be ready at the same time when preparing low and slow cookers such as my favorite Boston butt recipe, ribs, and even brisket. To ensure that all of the dishes are done and ready to serve at the same time, a cooler with a warming element for the meat is the ideal solution.
The Towel Method is number one on the list.
Back in my rookie days, I’ve personally had a Boston butt cook too quickly over night, causing me to stress since supper was still 5 hours away from conclusion of the cook. Despite this, it was a valuable learning experience, and the following is the procedure that was used to preserve a lovely supper for around 5 hours.
Make a double layer of towels and place them in the bottom of the cooler.
Pull the meat and wrap it twice in heavy-duty tin foil to keep it fresh.
Place the meat that has just been wrapped in tin foil in the cooler on top of the towels as soon as it is finished.
Tender Smoked Ribs from BGE
Add a couple extra towels to the meat to keep it covered.
Close the cooler lid and do not open it again until you are ready to serve the food.
As previously said, this approach of keeping meals warm in a cooler has proven effective for me on several times, ranging from 30 minutes to 5 hours. Although it had been 5 hours, the Boston butt was still steaming hot, it had pulled flawlessly, and it was still incredibly wonderful!
This technique of keeping food warm in a cooler may be used for a variety of different crock pot foods, such as potatoes, baked beans, and the like.
The Brick Method is number two.
If you are going to be out in the cold for something like tailgating at a football game, you may want to consider adding some heat to the cooler to assist counteract the chilly air that is there. The approach described above is excellent for storing items at room temperature (around 68 degrees).
To do this, I suggest covering a few bricks in heavy-duty tin foil and baking them somewhere between 275 and 325 degrees for around 15-20 minutes.
Once they are finished, place them on a towel that has been placed in the bottom of the cooler. After that, lay another towel on top of the hot bricks and continue to add the meat or dish you’re attempting to keep warm to the oven.
Place a couple of more towels on top of the meal to help keep everything nice and warm after it’s finished cooking. Another excellent method for keeping food warm in a cooler for a lengthy period of time is to wrap it with aluminum foil.
Method No. 3 (Thermos)
When it comes to keeping tiny products like soups and dips warm in a cooler, this strategy is the most effective. While it is possible to place these goods in a pan or Tupperware container in a cooler, if the cooler is pushed too far and they spill, the situation may get nasty.
The best way to prevent this mess while still keeping the food warm in the cooler is to put the soup or dip in thermoses and then place them in the cooler with any other food you may be attempting to keep warm at the same time. Thermoses are fantastic since the tops are designed to seal and keep items like coffee fresh.
One aspect of all of these procedures that should be taken into consideration is food safety. Anything between 40 and 140 degrees should be refrigerated within 2 hours if it has been out longer than that.
My own experience with temperature control while keeping items warm in a cooler has been positive, but I strongly advise following the USDA’s guidelines on this topic. If you are still doubtful, just insert a thermometer into the container to ensure it is still safe to consume.
