Engel 20 vs 32 Ice Packs: What’s The Difference and Which is Better?

Engel sell two different high-performance ice packs. But what's the difference between the Engel 20 and the Engel 32 ice packs and which version is better?

Engel 20 ice packs are designed to turn from solid ice to a liquid at 20°F (-6.6°C) whereas Engel 32 ice packs turn into a liquid at 32°F (0°C). Engel 20's are better for keeping frozen food frozen and extending ice retention. Engel 32's are better if you're using ice packs instead of loose ice.

Different Melting Points

Engel 20 ice packs and Engel 32 ice packs have different ingredients which cause them to turn from a liquid into solid ice at different temperatures.

Engel 32 ice packs act just like water (maybe they are just water) and at 32°F (0°C) then turn from a liquid into solid ice. Visa versa when their temperature rises to above 32°F they will start to melt, just like ice would.

Engel 20 ice packs have a different formulation and DO NOT turn to solid ice at 32°F. In fact at 32°F it will stay in liquid form.

You need to lower the temperature of Engel 20 ice packs to at least 20°F (-6.6°C) for this ice pack to turn from a liquid into solid ice. Visa versa this ice pack will melt BEFORE regular water ice will, which can actually make ice last longer.

Is There a Price Difference?

Engel Cooler Pak's come in 2 difference sizes as well as the 2 different melting points.

You can either get a medium sized ice brick or a large sized ice brick.

Below you can see a price comparison of the two different types. Click the price links to see the products at Amazon:

Engel 20 Cooler Pak

Engel 20 Medium (2 lbs):

Engel 32 Cooler Pak

Engel 32 Medium (2 lbs):

Engel 32 Large (5 lbs):

Both Ice Packs Technically Get To The Same Coldness Level

Both the Engel 20 and Engel 32 ice packs when put in the freezer will lower to the temperature of your freezer.

In most cases this is 0°F (-18°C). The 20 and 32 do NOT relate to how cold the ice packs can get but to when they melt.

I think this is important because it means one ice pack isn't colder than they other. They are the same “coldness” but it's the way they melt that makes all the difference.

Both ice packs can get colder than their freezing temperature. It's the temperature of your freezer that will determine how cold the ice packs starts at and generally speaking the colder it is the longer the ice packs will stay frozen once taken out of the freezer.

Engel 20's Are Great For Making Ice Last Longer or Keeping Food Frozen Longer

Engel 20 Price:

When ice melts (turns from a liquid into a solid) it actually needs to take energy in the form of heat from it's surrounding environment in order to break the bonds making it a solid.

This is why Engel 20 ice packs are great for keeping ice longer or keeping food frozen longer.

When the temperature reaches 20°F the Engel 20 ice packs will begin to melt. In order to melt they have to pull heat from whatever is near it making that thing colder.

So if it is next to ice it will draw heat out of the ice making the ice colder and helping it to stay frozen longer.

If it is next to icecream or frozen food then it will draw heat out of the ice cream or frozen food helping it to stay frozen longer.

Once melted this effect wears off and the ice pack can be removed or ideally be replaced.

This is why Engel 20's are great for keeping things frozen longer and they are one of the best ice packs at doing this and are pretty highly reviewed.

To grab yourself some Engel 20 ice packs click the links below:

See the latest price of Engel 20 Freezer Pak at Amazon

Engel 32's Are Better Everyday Ice Packs

Engel 32 Price:

Reading the above info about the Engel 20 might make you think they are just all around better ice packs.

The problem with the Engel 20's is that once they melt (at 20°F) they then start to warm up faster. This is because heat can now move around more easily in the liquid through convection.

So Engel 20 ice packs are great if you have them right up against something you want to keep frozen. However, if you're looking for a long lasting ice pack that you'll be using by itself (eg. In a lunch box) then the Engel 32 Cooler Pak is the better choice as it will keep food cold longer.

Engel 32's will stay in solid ice form until 32°F (0°C). The Engel 32 is more likely to stay below 32°F for longer when compared to the Engel 20.

So if you're looking to just use ice packs in your cooler to keep items cold (no loose ice, no frozen foods) and if you don't need to keep things completely frozen then the Engel 32 is going to stay cooler longer overall when compared to the Engel 20.

The wide design of these ice packs means they freeze quickly when put in the freezer and it also covers a wide surface area helping you keep everything in your cooler cold.

Smaller ice bricks tend to isolate their cooling effect to just the single thing they are touching. Having a big wide thin ice pack means you can keep more items more evenly cool.

To grab a Engel 32 Cooler Pak for yourself click the link below to get them from Amazon:

See latest price of Engel 32 Cooler Pak at Amazon