Can I safely fill a big hard plastic "ice chest"-type cooler with near-boiling water?

[ArmenE]

@Balthisar

I’ve heard a lot about using coolers in homebrew circles, although I can’t remember exactly why (it didn’t interest me at the time). It definitely including boiling-hot wort, though. The coolers in question were designated for beverages, though. They’re the kind you see on construction sites for cold water in the summer.

I’d just like to point out that I’ve used regular rectangular (not cylindrical) beer/soda coolers for mashing (part of brewing) at 160 or so. No problems there.

[Balthisar]

@Duck Duck Goose

If I observed that you were using a cooler to dip water, whether hot or cold, out of a cooler to serve directly to folks, I would have hygiene issues with you, because, as Scarlett points out, I don’t know you, and I wouldn’t have any way of knowing where your cooler had been, or what it had had in it just before you decided to use it for my tea water.

Yeah, you both make good points in not knowing me. Quite honestly, I’d probably have the same concerns if I randomly saw some random dude doing the same thing. Mainly I was pointing out that it’s not necessarily unhygienic.

Also, merely exposing a surface to boiling water does not automatically destroy the staph bacteria on it.

Personally I’m a big user of bleach, except for stainless steel, in which case I use a commercial sanitizer (which unfortunately costs significantly more than bleach).

[Chrismoody]

Why not just get a coleman stove and a couple pots? I’m sure someone you know must have the stove… And who doesn’t have a couple pots sitting around?

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

A stove would have the advantage of giving you boiling water for tea. Tea made with water at anything less than a full rolling boil is sucky.

Unless of course you were planning on serving–[shudder]–instant tea, in which case I wash my hands of you.

[Resistance_is_Character-Formin]

There could also be issues with the air in the insulating space expanding due to the heat. This combined with plastic that is not made for high temperatures possibly softening could cause a leak.

[Cluricaun]

Not that it’s really important anymore, but I did just hear back from Coleman and the reply simply says:

Cluricaun,

Our coolers are only for cooling only, they are not for heating purposes, so we do not have a temp range.

Thank you,

Customer service person
Coleman Consumer Service

[Carson_O_Genic]

Thanks for getting back,Cluricaun.Perenially curious.