How to Make a Pot in a Pot Refrigerator

Thứ bảy - 27/04/2024 01:10

Learn to make your very own pot-in-pot fridge with a few simple items In a community or situation without electricity, storage of food long-term can be tricky. One simple solution is to build your own pot-in-pot fridge, using basic pots,...

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In a community or situation without electricity, storage of food long-term can be tricky. One simple solution is to build your own pot-in-pot fridge, using basic pots, sand and water. An idea revived by Mohammed Bah Abba, this refrigerator is now being used by many farmers in warm climates who need to preserve their food for a longer time and keep the insects away.

Keeping the sand moist all the time enables evaporation to cool the produce kept inside the inner pot. This enables the storage of freshly grown vegetables to last much longer than usual in a hot climate. It is also great for using at a picnic or outdoor meal where there is no electricity outside but food or drinks need to be kept cool. Here is how to make your own.

Steps

One pot must be smaller than the other pot. Check that the smaller pot fits inside the larger and that there is a space around it of at least one centimetre, up to three centimetres.

Use clay, large pebbles, cork, a homemade paste - anything suitable to hand to fill the hole. If you leave the holes open, the water will enter the inner pot and will also run out of the larger pot, making the fridge ineffective.^{[1] X Research source}
Putty or duct tape can plug the hole.

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Fill about 2.5cm/1 inch deep, and only fill to a height that will ensure the smaller pot sits even in height with the larger pot.^{[2] X Research source}

Arrange its base flat on top of the lower layer of sand.

Fill it almost all the way, except for leaving a small gap at the top.

Do this until the sand is completely soaked and unable to take any more water. As you pour, do so gradually in order to give the water time to soak into the terracotta.^{[3] X Research source}

Place it over the top of the inner pot so that it covers it completely.^{[4] X Research source}
Wet hessian or similar fabric also works well.

If you have a thermometer, you can use this, otherwise test the temperature with your hands.

^{[5] X Research source}

^{[6] X Research source} You will need to keep checking regularly for the dampness of the sand. Pour in more water as it becomes drier to keep it well moistened. Usually this will need to be done twice a day.
You can add food or drinks to the pot-in-pot refrigerator if you're having an outdoor party or picnic. Make one for the drinks and one for the food if you have a lot of items.

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Warnings

Do not use glazed earthenware; only unglazed.

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Evaporative cooling works most effectively in dry heat and this pot-in-pot refrigerator is no different. In high humidity, you will find that this solution does not work.

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Things You'll Need

Two clay (terracotta) pots, unglazed, one larger than the other

Sand

Water

Cloth to cover the pots

Clay, cork or other material to plug holes in the pots if they have them