Traveling with a HOTLOGIC^® in your vehicle on a road trip means having hot meals ready to eat whenever you are. The size and low energy requirement makes it highly portable and easy to use in a vehicle. When you are traveling by car, you may also have room for a cooler or portable refrigerator/freezer. This will provide you with cold food for several days of travel.

Which HOTLOGIC^® Model Do I Choose?

The model you choose to use depends on what you have available or where you primarily use your HOTLOGIC^®. The HOTLOGIC^® Mini 12V already has the correct plug for a vehicle. If you want to use it inside a hotel room at night, you will need to get a converter. A HOTLOGIC^® Mini 110V will work in a car with an inverter rated for a minimum of 45 watts. The HOTLOGIC^® MAX/Family 110V requires an inverter rated for a minimum of 100 watts.

For more information on selecting the correct adapter, click here.

Can My HOTLOGIC^® Stay Plugged in When the Car Is Off?

If you have a 12V plug that has power flowing through it when the car is turned off, then yes. But do you want this power drain? If your battery is in good shape and the time will be short, you should not have issues. Some people report having the HOTLOGIC^® operating for four hours with the car off and are still able to start their car. To be on the safe side, it is better to use a power device. Plug a power pack or power station into the vehicle’s 12V plug which shuts off, and plug the HOTLOGIC^® into that device. When the car is off, the power comes from the power bank or station.

For more information on selecting the correct power supply for your needs, click here.

How Do I Keep My HOTLOGIC^® From Spilling?

The next question you may have, is where you can place your HOTLOGIC^® in your vehicle while driving. Delivery drivers in the Facebook group HotLogic Recipes say they have no problems with placing their HOTLOGIC^® Mini on the floor while driving. However, there are some drivers that feel safer using a “Stupid Car Tray” to secure their HOTLOGIC^®.

How Do I Store Cold Food?

Travelling by car means there is usually room for a cooler or portable refrigerator/freezer. You have the choice of using ice, frozen cold packs or electricity to keep your food cold. There are many options to choose from: hard or soft sided coolers, “portable refrigerator” that costs below $100 and portable refrigerator/freezers that cost above $140.

The best soft sided cooler which I have heard of is the Mojecto Extra Large Cooler Bag for 3-4 Days Trip. This is the one favored by flight crew. It uses ice packs and not ice.

I have not had success using a “portable refrigerator” that costs below $100. They typically use a fan and only cool the interior of the appliance down 20-40°F from the outside temperature. This means if your car’s interior gets above 80°F, your food will not maintain a food safe temperature.

For myself, I picked up an Alpicool Y16T Portable Fridge. Beside using it for car trips, I use it when I have too many groceries to fit in my refrigerator. I really like it and find the Bluetooth app to be convenient to use. I am able to plug it in to my power station with my HOTLOGIC^® when I travel.

For more information on selecting portable refrigeration options, click here.