The Bottom Line
This is a tidy way to keep cold food chilled while serving outside or in a warm room.
Pros
- Keeps food approximately 10 degrees cooler than room for 4-6 hours.
- Protects food from dust, pets and other contamination.
- Easy to open when ready to serve.
- No messy ice is required.
- Cover is clear so that food is visible.
Cons
- Product is expensive.
- Unit can only accomodate small serving plates or trays.
- The visibility of the cooling pack and the foam pad is a bit of an eyesore.
Description
- A clear, plastic cover that contains a cooling environment for serving dishes.
- Includes a freezable gel pack that creates the cooling effect.
- Also includes a white foam pad to place under food dish or tray.
Guide Review - CoolCover
There may be cheaper solutions to presenting cold food on a hot day, but not many are as neat and tidy as the CoolCover is. There's no messy ice to refill and no danger of bugs, hair, dust or pets spoiling the cold food you serve at a party. When I tested the CoolCover, it kept my cut fruit sufficiently chilled so that it didn't spoil, even after 4 hours. While there was no way my cats could get at the food, it was very simple for my kids to tilt the cover back and help themselves. If you choose to leave your serving plates uncovered on a buffet while guests serve themselves, the CoolCover will tilt back and sit in a vertical position behind the food until you need to lower it again to protect the dishes. My two biggest problems are that you're limited in the size of your serving tray, and height of the food you serve, and it would be very expensive to buy these for a one time party. But if you're the kind of host that likes to entertain throughout the warm season, it might be worth it to stock up on several of these covers so that you'll be prepared for any event.
