Ok, I’ll be the first to admit it. I’ve been completely envious of those folk who have nice high-performance coolers for two reasons. Firstly, I am often completely enamored with most any high-end gear. I would imagine that you are too if you’re reading this. Many outdoorsmen seek to make the experience easier, rather than harder, particularly if it doesn’t cross one of the many imaginary lines that we set for ourselves in order to keep the challenge pure and fair. Secondly, they have become a status symbol. Sure, I know it’s vain and trivial, but it’s also honest.
Depending on how much of a gear junkie you are, what region of the country you reside in, or how well you understand the caste order of cooler manufacturers and owners, you may not know about Engel coolers. They pretty much pioneered the roto-molded cooler. Others may have marketed their products and lifestyles better, but the concepts and technology were conceived and birthed by Engel of South Florida.
It seems that thousands of manufacturers have jumped into the roto-molded cooler market. And, I’m sure that many of them have terrific products. With so many options on the market, the decision to jump into the high-performance cooler market was not one I took lightly. I work very hard for the money I spend on hunting, fishing, and other outdoor products. There are several factors I weighed before deciding on Engel.
Engel 80 Quart High Performance Cooler
Engel, the original high-performance roto-molded cooler was built for toughness and durability. Constructed with two full 2 inches of closed-cell foam insulation in the lid, on the sides, and the bottom, helping to retain cold and ice for up to 10 days. Engel’s all silicone gaskets create a near-airtight seal that is durable and will never lose its shape.
Retail: $354.99
- First and original high-performance cooler
- Airtight EVA Gasket Seal Recessed Ergonomic
- IGBC Certified Bear Resistant Container
- Dry ice compatible
- 10 Year Warranty
Engel 80-Quart Cooler Specifications
- Insulation – 2 inches in the lid, on the sides, and on the bottom
- Lid seal – silicone gaskets creates a near airtight seal
- “IGBC Certified Bear Resistant Container” – molded on rear lid of cooler
- Up to 10 days Ice Retention
- Dry ice compatible
- Durable seamless rotationally-molded construction
- 10 Year Warranty
- Dimensions
- Exterior 34.5”L x 16.5”W x 17.5”H
- Interior 28.25”L x 11.4”W x 13”H
- Weight – 32 lbs. empty
- Capacity
- 18.5 gallons or 74 quarts
- 75 cans, 100 lbs of ice
Putting the Engel 80 Quart Cooler to the Test
This thing is NICE! No, seriously. I’ve never owned a cooler like this. In fact, I’ve never used one for long enough to develop a strong opinion either way – good, bad, or indifferent.
I used this cooler first as part of a BBQ contest that some friends and I entered. We prepped a fair amount of meat that needed to be stored overnight in the refrigerator. We did not store the meat in the cooler, rather we stored my friend’s refrigerator stash overnight in the Engel in order to free room in the refrigerator for several of those large aluminum pans of chicken. It worked out great.
I then used the cooler on my Colorado archery antelope hunt. It was over an 11-hour drive for me in well over 90-degree heat as my cooler sat in my black truck bed. I packed my food and drinks with 20 pounds of ice inside the cooler. My items were easily still cold and unperished when I arrived. However, I experienced more ice melting than I expected. I didn’t harvest an antelope so I did not get to use the cooler to pack game meat back home.
I’ve used the cooler on several day trips and a couple of weekend-long hunting trips with food, drinks, and ice. I try to fill it with enough extra bags of ice so that when I harvest an animal, I can transfer my extra bags to my larger, standard cooler that I use to transport fresh game meat when only making a weekend trip. This keeps me from having to stop or find additional ice at an inopportune time or place.
I also used it to take some frozen game meat to a friend. The scenario is that I packed the cooler in the morning, it sat in my truck under the sun all day, and the meat was all still completely frozen by the time I passed the meat over to my friend, about 12 hours after I initially packed the cooler. This was my only experience with frozen meat/food
What I’ve Learned After Using the Engel 80 Quart Cooler
The Engel 80 quart cooler has performed very well in every situation thus far. That being said, I’ve learned a few things about setting myself up for success in using this cooler:
- Pre-chill the cooler. I usually use frozen gallon jugs from my home deep freezer, rather than a “sacrificial” bag of ice. This allows me to reuse the water jug for the next occasion.
- Close and latch the lid completely. I feel that the cooler performs best when the lid is fastened tightly. I mean, it fits nicely when it is simply closed shut, but I swear it must get an even better seal when you latch it down. My thought is that this minimizes the losses in the most vulnerable location, the seams between the lid and body.
- Keep the cooler in a shady place if possible. Granted, this can be tough on a boat or while driving down the road.
- Don’t drain water that may have formed. The melted water acts as an insulator for the surviving ice.
- Don’t peek inside unless you really need to go inside. A wise woman told me several times, “Close that door! Boy, make up your mind what you want before you open my refrigerator!” The same applies here, don’t waste your hard-earned cold air without conviction.
- White might be the most efficient choice for obvious thermodynamic reasons. The tan is just “cool” for hunting though, especially if I upgrade to a camo lid.
Questions to Ask Before Investing in a High-Performance Cooler.
How well-established is the manufacturer in the market?
This would suggest to me that the company would have a strong interest in customer service and support should there be any issue with their product.
Does the breath of accessory products offered by the manufacturer support the primary product?
I didn’t want “just a cooler”, rather a complement of accessories that would serve to round out the utility of the product. To a lesser degree, is the offering rounded out by lifestyle accessories and apparel. Some cooler companies seem to be more fashionable than they are practical. Their coolers have a built-in bottle opener. Of course, Engel offers seat cushions, compartment dividers, and wire baskets. I chose to use two-wire baskets and a compartment divider for mine. One basket will fit nicely while still allowing the cooler compartment divider to be used, which slides down into a pre-molded slot inside the cooler. You could actually use the divider with/without the baskets and vice versa.
Is there a cooler size or configuration that suits my need?
Above all, it needed to perform at a high level. Too big of a cooler and it’ll take up valuable space on the boat or in the truck. Weight should always be a factor as well. The bigger the cooler, the heavier it is. Especially when loaded down with ice or meat! I’m not a big guy, so I needed a cooler that I could manage alone. Rotomolded coolers are inherently heavy. It also needed to be small enough to be crammed into my overstuffed garage when not in use. Yet, it needed to be large enough to carry my typical cargo: food/drink for 3-5 days, a boned-out deer or two, 30-40 pounds of ice.
Engel 80 Quart Cooler Review Summary
After using this cooler, I feel comfortable saying it’s an excellent product and well worth the price tag. It’s a product you can instantly see and feel the quality of the materials. I know there are several good choices out there, but I’ve chosen the Engel 80 Quart Cooler and do not regret it! Simply put, this cooler is awesome!
Check out some of our reviews on Engel Coolers:
PROS:
CONS:
Ready to buy? You can get the Engel 80-Quart Cooler directly on the Engel website. Amazon, Cabela’s, and Bass Pro are always great places where you can find these coolers at a great price.
Thanks to Dan for writing this unpaid gear review and to Engel for providing a discounted unit. Hunting Gear Deals is funded by affiliate commissions. We may receive a small commission when you buy from our partners using the links provided. There is no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting us by using our links when making your purchases.
AUTHOR BIO
Dan Course Jr. grew up hunting and fishing in Mississippi but really took to bowhunting in the mid-90s. He has hunted deer in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Oklahoma. During that time, he has also been camping and backpacking with his sons and their scouting organizations. Dan is an “admitted” gear junkie, which is the first step, right?
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