Storage
There are a couple of things to remember when keeping foods and drinks cold by dry ice at -79ºC.
- If your product must not freeze, avoid placing it in direct contact with dry ice. You can insulate the product from dry ice using a piece of cardboard or cloth, for example.
- If possible, place the blocks of dry ice above the products to be cooled. Carbon dioxide evaporating from dry ice is heavier than air and thus carries the cooling effect downwards.
- You can slow down the rate of evaporation by filling any empty space in the dry ice container with Styrofoam or newspapers.
Serving
- Dry ice keeps ice cream and other frozen foods cold even in summer heat. Beverages stay cold as well.
- Served foods will keep cool for a long time, even outdoors, if you place them on dry ice blocks insulated with thick cloth.
- Dry ice can also be used to prevent water ice cubes for drinks from melting. However, do not put dry ice in drinks!
Decoration
- Dry ice is commonly used to create fog in theatres, for example. A bowl of hot water and a few pieces of dry ice will work wonders and will definitely attract attention.
- When creating fog, the water should be as warm as possible, even hot (+75-80ºC), and the ice should be added in small amounts so that the water does not cool down too quickly.