Insulated lunch bags in iceboxes

[ancientone51]

I have to wonder at some of the people at work.

They pack their lunch in an insulated lunch bag and then put it in the refrigurerator. Isn't this counterproductive? If the bag is ment to keep to keep things hot or cold once they are inside the bag...then where the bag is kept should no effect the contents.

I have one, but I put an ice pack in it and keep in in my classroom until lunch. I've had 20 ounce bottles of water stay cold all day.

And the bags also take up so much room on the shelves. Not to mention that there are several people who have the ones that are logoed with the school name so they all look the same.

Would a bunch of meals, hot or cold, in insulated bags with thermometers make a good science experiment for kids, see how long the meal stays in at desired temperature in various environments?

Just a rendom thought I've wanted to discuss. What are you pet questions about work or thoughts on this topic?

 

[SeerSGB]

I have to wonder at some of the people at work.

They pack their lunch in an insulated lunch bag and then put it in the refrigurerator. Isn't this counterproductive? If the bag is ment to keep to keep things hot or cold once they are inside the bag...then where the bag is kept should no effect the contents.

I have one, but I put an ice pack in it and keep in in my classroom until lunch. I've had 20 ounce bottles of water stay cold all day.

And the bags also take up so much room on the shelves. Not to mention that there are several people who have the ones that are logoed with the school name so they all look the same.

Would a bunch of meals, hot or cold, in insulated bags with thermometers make a good science experiment for kids, see how long the meal stays in at desired temperature in various environments?

Just a rendom thought I've wanted to discuss. What are you pet questions about work or thoughts on this topic?

My wife does this, mainly cause the bag is insulated but still not as good as a cooler. In the summer the employee locker-room/break-room gets extermely hot and an insulated lunch-bag just isn't going to keep sandwiches, fruit cups, etc, cold and/or safe. But at the same time they're not allowed to put personal food in the fridge in a plain brown bag, shopping bag, or covered dish, so enter the compromise.

 

[ancientone51]

At least there are some rules in place that make it a reasonable thing to do.

 

[Amaris]

I did, because my lunch time was 7 hours from when I came in to work.


J.

 

[ancientone51]

7 hours!! that's just

how long are you at work?

 

[Mallory]

Seems to me that an insulated bag in a refrigerator would warm up slower than one that isn't. Also, it'll never get warmer than the temperature in the fridge.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

I noticed that at my new job, and wondered WTF those people were doing.

 

[Kryton]

Heh..."icebox".

[Scotty] "How QUAINT!" [/Scotty]

 

[Amaris]

7 hours!! that's just

how long are you at work?

When I worked for Dell, 13 hours.


J.

 

[AstroSmurf]

The folks at work do this too. You open the break room fridge and it is sometimes packed two deep on every shelf with lunch bags. However, some chick was complaining the other day that there had to be something wrong with the fridge because her sandwich was warm. She actually asked me to call a repair guy to come out and take a look at it. Needless to say she felt very stupid when I explained that an insulated lunch bag is going to keep the cold out just like it would keep the cold in.

We now have a sign on the fridge that says, "To keep your food cold, be sure to leave your lunch bags open when they are in the fridge."

And I use a lunch bag but I keep mine in a drawer in my office. I have never had a problem with the bag keeping things cold. Even my yogurt is chilled when I take it out.

 

[ancientone51]

^thanks, I think you have answered my original question.

As I said, a cold pack is all I need. But if I do decide to use the fridge I now know to keep it unzipped.

 

[Holdfast]

We now have a sign on the fridge that says, "To keep your food cold, be sure to leave your lunch bags open when they are in the fridge."

Too funny.

 

[Smiley]

My bag must not be too insulated, then, because the contents are cooler at lunch than at the time of preparation.

 

[Mr Awe]

Cold things will still warm up in an insulated bag. The greater the difference in temperature between the inside and outside the insulated bag, the faster the temperature change inside the bag. So, minimizing that difference will help.

However, if it's in the fridge I'm not sure if there is much point to the insulated bag? It's not counterproductive but it may not be necessary (which are different concepts). I suppose the insulated bag could help protect the contents during transport.

Mr Awe (who just eats his lunch at home)

 

[Scout101]

I have an insulated lunch box in the fridge right now. Not a lot of uninsulated ones, other than paper bags. I just unzip the top of it, it stays partially open, and works just fine...