Anker Everfrost 50 – Baby, it is cold inside (off-grid portable power fridge/freezer review)

The Anker Everfrost 50 is a portable, 53-litre, dual-zone fridge/freezer with a rechargeable battery. It is the ultimate camping accessory.

Although we warn you that at 86 x 43 x 48.7 cm x 27.5kg plus 50 litres of food and drink (50kg), it is not something you throw into the SUV for a quick weekend away.

I wanted to start with that because while this is an almost 10/10 device, you need to understand its main limitation – size and weight. It has two smaller versions – the 30 and 40, which are physically slightly smaller and weigh 22.2kg and 24kg – still the same issue.

Our testing panel loved the Anker Everfrost 50.

One has a large motorhome and felt it could be excellent as a spare fridge to place outside under the awning – except he and his partner could not lift it, especially with food and drink inside (although the fridge and freezer baskets lift out).

Another had a late model 10mm cabin cruiser and loved the idea, but again, it was too big to fit inside the cabin but perfect on the covered rear deck (need to check if it is salt air rated).

A tradie thought it excellent for building site use, and his Ute was large enough. Of all the panel, the 20+ hours of refrigeration, four-way recharge (mains, solar, car battery and USB-C) and capacity would be most beneficial to him.

Finally, a mobile coffee cart owner thought it wonderful, especially as it could store milk and frozen goods like ice cream for iced coffee.

The review combines the views of the five-user panel and the CyberShack reviewer.

Caveats to this review

We used a Kestrel DROP D3 Bluetooth Temperature, Humidity and Pressure data logger. It is perfect for measuring temperature, but Bluetooth kept dropping out when the Everfrost lid was closed (as it must be for testing). Our measurements are a combination of when we put the device in the fridge or freezer and frequent spot tests.

We also learned that the Everfrost cooling/freezing and holding efficiency depends on ‘food load’. For example, when empty and powered off, it returns to ambient temperature in a few hours. If the freezer or fridge section is full, it returns to ambient temperature much slower.

So, our measurements are part-guestimate and not necessarily accurate for all circumstances as it depends on food load, ambient temperature, and desired storage temperatures.

Note the 30/40/50 model rating refers to the imperial Quart capacity. The litre capacity is slightly more.

Australian review: Anker Everfrost 50 portable, rechargeable fridge freezer.

Website	Product range and product page and Support
Price	30 $1499.95 40 $1699.95 50 $1999.95 (this is the only dual zone model)
From	Anker online and specialist retailers
Warranty	2-year ACL
Made in	China
Company	Anker is a Chinese electronics company that produces mobile peripherals, including phone chargers, power banks, earbuds, headphones, speakers, data hubs, charging cables, torches, screen protectors, projectors, security cameras, portable power stations/refrigeration and more under multiple brands. Its primary markets are the US, Australia, and Europe, and it has privacy clouds in all locations.
More	CyberShack Anker webcam news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Passable (meets low expectations), Pass (meets expectations), Pass+ (near Exceed but not class-leading) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. You can click on most images for an enlargement.

First impression Anker Everfrost 50 – Pass+

If only I had this when I was an avid camper and had a truck! Yes, it is big. But it would have beaten the %$& out of my old super-sized 50L Esky for many reasons.

• I needed to put at least 10kg of ice in the Esky daily to keep things moderately cool.
• That means 10 litres less food in the cooler.
• Food became wet and soggy as the ice melted (yes, use more snap-seal plastic bags).
• Food spoiled in a few days because it was never at 5° ideal storage.
• And they were made of metal that sweat in the car.

There is nothing wrong with an Esky – just it is positively primitive compared to the Anker Everfrost 50.

It is well made from high-impact ABS, has large wheels and a fold-out handle that doubles as a table. The controls are on the top right side, and the battery and charging are underneath on the right side. It has a handy integrated bottle opener as well. Each compartment has a LED light strip. Thoughtful design.

Capacity – nominally 53 litres – Pass+

This has two compartments and two rear-opening lids. There are no stats for the individual capacity, but the fridge has about 1.5x the freezer capacity. By my reckoning, it is about 30L fridge and 20L freezer for 50L capacity.

The fridge basket is approx. 300 (W) x 270 (D) x 335 (H) mm. I could fit 9 x 2L Coke bottles (18 L), but it was a very tight squeeze – far better to use 1.25L bottles or 48 x 375mm cans.

The freezer has two compartments – 300 (W) x 110 (D) x 335 (full height) mm and 300 (W) x 140 (D) x 150 (half height) mm.

Charging – Pass+

The A170B battery is removable and replaceable. It is 14.4V/20.8A/299.52W. Yes, it is Lithium Ion, and you should take suitable precautions when charging. The risk factor of a 299W battery is low. Read Is there a safe way to charge Lithium-ion batteries? The main issue would be mishandling, dropping, or rain.

Although not stated, this battery should last at least 500 complete charge cycles and is easily replaceable. Pass-through power uses less of the battery charge cycles.

It has four-way charging (approximate times) and can be operated with and without the battery.

• 240V AC Plug pack GM95-145600-D (RCN–C-Tick approved) outputs 14.5V/6A/87W and goes into a dedicated charging port below the battery (inbox). About 4 hours
• 12V/5.5A/66W or 24V/2.5A/60W DC car utility plug – ditto. This depends on the voltage output if driving or stationery, and you can set the device to stop charging if the car voltage drops below 10.4/22.9V. Tested 5 hours.
• 100W, 11-30V solar panel (Anker 625). This plugs into the XT-60 cable adapter (orange inbox). Not tested, but at least 4 hours in good sun.
• USB-C plugs into the USB-C port on the battery. It can use 5V/3A/15W, 9V/3A/27W, 15V/3A/45W or 20V/3A/60W. The port also acts as a USB-C power bank. Use any 65W or higher PD or PPS charger. Tests 6.5 hours

This means you can power the device from mains or car while charging the battery from solar or USB-C. It also has 2 x USB-A 5V/2.4A/12W power bank ports.

Temperature range – Pass+

Both the fridge and freezer compartment can be set as low as -20°C, e.g., either or both can be fridge or freezer. Out tests were at 5° Fridge and -20° Freezer. We found 8/-15° was fine It uses less energy. Temperature accuracy between the Kestrel Drop and the App/readout is less than 2°C.

There was a slight temperature inconsistency in the freezer compartment. Water bottles in the 335mm deep section froze quicker than in the smaller section.

The temperature at the top of the fridge was approx. 2° higher than the base. This could be caused by opening the lid and passive cooling – the walls provide the cooling – it is not fan-forced. This variance is quite acceptable.

The App – Passable

All models can use the Bluetooth Anker Everfrost App from Google Play or Apple Store. It requires an Anker Australia account (and local cloud storage for privacy). Then, it is a simple matter to activate BT on the Everfrost and add the device.

The App is very basic – perhaps its best use is to update firmware. It shows the internal temperature of the compartments and allows you to set each individually. More importantly, turn off one side if you are not using it (you can do that manually, too).

The App could be way more useful (I hope you are listening, Anker) if it was also a data logger that showed temperature over time – essential to know when loading food. It would also be terrific if it showed the estimated time to ambient temperature if the battery is empty.

Endurance tests – Pass+

Tests over four weeks (Ambient outside 14-24° – no food load)

• Bring freezer to -20° and fridge to 5° Approximately 1 hour (evened out at -18.8°/5.5°)
• Bring fridge and freezer to -20° Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Battery charge (from 4 hours, depending on method)
• Battery life (depends on temperatures and loads) Approx. 20-25 hours.
• Power out/battery empty to return to ambient temperature: Approx 4 hours no food load. We expect around 10-12 hours with a full frozen food load.

Noise and environment – Pass

When the compressor and fan are running, it can reach 55dB at 1 metre. That is not something you want in a tent.  I noticed that the fan noise was lower with the latest firmware update, but that was after testing was completed.

 It is not IP-rated, and higher external ambient temperatures will affect battery life.

We recommend placing it under cover, away from sleeping areas.

CyberShack’s view – Anker Everfrost 50 is an excellent portable, rechargeable freezer, fridge, or both.

One of the panellists is a frequent camper and gave us many tips about use. These include:

• Pre-cool the empty unit
• Load frozen portion-controlled, stackable food in the reverse order you will use it
• Load pre-cooled drinks (don’t use the battery capacity to cool/freeze)
• Load unused space in the fridge and freezer with frozen water packs (place at the bottom)
• Limit lid opening – ambient air rushes in.
• Don’t leave it in a car that can reach 50° or more.
• Place under cover out of direct sunlight
• When restocking, add smaller amounts about 30-60 minutes apart to keep the temperature constant.

Would they buy it?

At $1999.95 and for what it does, those with a use for it are very positive. Those with only an occasional use will stick to an Esky and try to borrow an Anker Everfrost 50 from the panel members who buy one.

Ratings

With the caveat that we have not reviewed other portable, battery-operated fridge/freezers, we can only be subjective as we have no benchmarks.

• Features: 90 – fridge/freezer or both, battery operated, handle and wheels, and let’s not forget the bottle opener.
• Value: 90 – we are aware of the Ecoflow Glacier 39L dual zone at $1899 with battery, so Anker seems to be spot on for a larger capacity.
• Performance: 90 – if you follow the panellist’s tips, you will easily exceed specifications. If you use it indiscriminately, you may get shorter battery life.
• Ease of Use: 90 – Follow the panellist’s tips, and it is easy and efficient. Don’t treat is as an Esky.
• Design: 90 – thoughtful and maximised usable space.

Brought to you by CyberShack.com.au