Okay, so, I was trying to figure out how to get a soda really cold, really fast, the other day. I mean, who doesn’t love a super chilled drink, especially when it’s scorching outside? I did some digging around and tried a few things out. Here’s what went down.
First, I grabbed a couple of cans of soda from the pantry – they were room temperature, not even remotely cold. I wanted to see how quickly I could get them icy. I remembered reading somewhere that the freezer is the fastest way to chill drinks, but I was always afraid the cans would explode. So, I did a little more research.
It turns out, it takes like 30 to 40 minutes to chill a soda in the freezer, but you gotta be careful not to leave it in too long, or boom, there goes your soda. I needed that soda chilled quicker, though.
I decided to try a little trick I found online:
- Wrapping the cans in wet paper towels.
Sounds weird, right? But the idea is that the water in the paper towel freezes faster and cools the can quicker. I don’t know the science behind it, maybe something to do with how your AC units work with heat exchange, but I was willing to give it a shot.
I grabbed two cans, wrapped them snugly in damp paper towels, and popped them in the freezer. I set a timer for 15 minutes. While waiting, I read that salt can lower the freezing point of water, so I was thinking maybe next time I’d add some salt to the wet paper towel, make it like a mini science experiment.
The Result
When the timer went off, I took the cans out. They were definitely colder than before, not ice cold, but a good start. I left them in for another 15 minutes, and bam, they were pretty darn chilled. The paper towel trick seemed to work! It’s not like instant ice, but definitely faster than just sticking them in the freezer. I guess you could even leave them in there for up to 30 minutes, as long as they’re wrapped up. I am so happy with this result!
So, next time you need a cold soda in a hurry, give the wet paper towel trick a try. It’s a neat little hack and might just save you on a hot summer day. And hey, maybe try the salt thing too, and let me know how it goes! I am still thinking about trying the salt thing out next time. Or adding salt into the ice when using a cooler. That might be another way to get drinks cold faster when outside.
