Use dry ice for frozen food, regular ice for drinks

Dry ice in a cooler is for keeping things frozen solid, not for keeping drinks cold. Regular ice is better for drinks. If you need to transport frozen meat for 12 hours, dry ice wins. If you’re tailgating, use regular ice.

The big difference: dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide at -109°F. It doesn’t melt — it sublimates, turning straight into gas. That gas is what keeps everything below freezing. Regular ice melts at 32°F and turns into water, which is actually good for drinks (cold water transfers heat way better than cold air). Dry ice surrounded by air pockets is surprisingly bad at cooling cans of soda. You need something conductive between the dry ice and your drinks, like a piece of cardboard, or the air gaps leave warm spots.

Safety rules are non-negotiable. Never handle dry ice with bare hands — it causes frostbite instantly. Use thick gloves or tongs. Never put it in a sealed cooler; the gas builds up pressure and the cooler can explode. Leave the drain plug open or crack the lid. And don’t use dry ice in a car’s cabin with the windows up — the CO2 displaces oxygen. Keep it in the trunk with the cooler and crack a window.

Dry ice is also heavy-duty. A 10-pound block in a good cooler will keep frozen food solid for two to three days, whereas regular ice will be melted mush in one. If you don’t need deep freeze, skip it. It’s a hassle to find, it’s expensive, and it’s genuinely dangerous if you’re careless.

One other thing: don’t put dry ice in glass containers or thermoses that seal tight. The cold shatters glass, and sealed bottles burst as the gas expands.

Dry ice is a specialty tool. Bring it when you need a deep freeze, leave it home for everything else.