CoolBot Press

Cape Cod Times: Inner Technology a Cool Process

August 29, 2017 – Teresa Martin from the Cape Cod Times discusses the creation and versatility of the CoolBot.

“I love that this was created to fill a need. But even more, I love the way others have picked up on this basic element, done their own tinkering and carried it into more communities.”

Read the Article

Colorado Coolers: Custom 2017 Refrigerated Draft Trailer by Colorado Coolers

April 2017 – Kelly Olson from Colorado Coolers leads a video tour of a custom draft trailer which uses a CoolBot to keep the kegs cold.

“The window air conditioner is powered by a CoolBot, which is a really cool feature. It saved me about $3,000 on the trailer.”

Read the Article

Innovation Excellence: Why Sustainability is Your Next Big Innovation Opportunity

July 10, 2017 – Sustainability challenges can be a source for business innovation and growth, and the CoolBot plays a part in the solution by helping reduce food waste.

“Coolbot provides a simple and inexpensive solution for developing world farmers to store produce for longer, helping reduce food losses early-on.”

Read the Article

Salvationist: Cooler Brings Healthy Choices to French Creek

May 12, 2017 – A Salvation Army food bank in British Columbia launched a food reclamation project which enabled them to repurpose thousands of dollars in produce and dairy after they found their cold storage solution.

“We built our own 20-by-12-foot cooler using a high-powered air conditioning unit and a CoolBot device to regulate the temperature.”

Read the Article

Farmer to Farmer Podcast: Susan and Harley Soltes of Bow Hill Blueberries on Organic Berry Production and Adding Value to Products, Farm, and People

April 20, 2017 – Farm to Farmer Podcast Episode 115 features Harley and Susan Soltes and how they turned their heirloom blueberry farm into a booming business that includes clients such as Microsoft and the Seattle Seahawks.

“You have to get your produce cold. The difference between then and now is that now there’s CoolBot. You can build an affordable walk-in cooler powered by a CoolBot and a window air-conditioning unit.”

Read the Article

A Better Whey: Using a CoolBot in Your Cheese Cave

March 25, 2017 – Jeri Case from A Better Whey goes through the steps for a DIY cheese cave using a CoolBot.

“For those of you who make a lot of cheese, there is an easy, inexpensive solution – using a CoolBot along with an air conditioner (or mini-split) to chill a room sized cave.”

Read the Article

Sweet Potato Kitchen: Small Maine produce farmers press on even in the winter months

March 20, 2017 – Bethany Mathieu from the Sweet Potato Kitchen blog discovers how one farm in Maine grows produce year-round.

“With [a CoolBot], Kyffin said that it costs a fraction of what it used to cost to refrigerate produce, making business much more feasible for small-scale farms like theirs.”

Read the Article

Chasin’ Whitetails: Coolbot – Revolutionizing Home Processing

March 26, 2017 – Steve Sheetz from the Chasin’ Whitetails hunting blog begins his series on how the CoolBot transformed his home processing.

“I get a lot of questions about home processing and why I hang big game for so long. After a year of using the CoolBot, I am comfortable to say that this is best thing I ever did.”

Read the Article

Feed the Future: American Innovators Bring Agricultural Technologies to Global Markets

January 31, 2017 – American innovations are boosting agricultural productivity around the world. This article discusses several technologies, including the CoolBot, that help farmers globally.

“With Partnering for Innovation’s support, Store It Cold is introducing the CoolBot to Central America, where companies that market fruit, vegetables and other fresh products in the region and for export to the United States often lack access to reliable and affordable cold storage.”

Read the Article

The Survival Podcast: Episode 1938 – The CoolBot as a Walk In Cooler Solution

January 25, 2017 – This episode of the Survival Podcast features Store It Cold sales VP John Bergher talking about the CoolBot.

“With this technology homesteaders, farmers, and anyone in need of cold storage can build a large walk in cooler for thousands of dollars less than buying one. Since 2006 over 35,000 CoolBots have been deployed all over the world.”

Listen to the Podcast

National Farmers Union: Access to Markets: Growing for a Farmers Market

January 10, 2017 – The National Farmers Union’s blog publishes regular content to help farmers succeed. This article provides advice and resources for how to make farmers markets profitable. The CoolBot is mentioned in the section “Grow for Quality.”

“Consider building a mobile cooler to maintain the quality of your goods, even through sweltering heat and humidity. A few structural insulated panels, a window air conditioner, and a CoolBot mounted on a trailer can be a worthy investment.”

Read the Article

Mother Earth News: Build a More Resilient Homestead

January 2017 – Energy and resilience expert Alex Wilson provides advice on how to make your homestead resilient to disaster, including flooding, wind, food supply vulnerabilities, and more.

“At our home, we put up dozens of quarts of canned tomatoes, along with smaller jars of jam, pickled peppers, and beets. We also store fresh vegetables and fruits for months. We don’t have a root cellar, but we’re planning to build a CoolBot—a relatively new type of walk-in cooler that uses a specialized controller that allows an off-the-shelf window air conditioner to maintain temperatures close to 32 degrees.”

Read the Article

Homegrown Liberty: E0043 | CoolBot DIY Walk-In Cooler Technology

October 2016 – Our sales VP, John Bergher, joins Nick Ferguson and the Homegrown Liberty gang in this podcast about affordable cold storage.

“I’m interested in this one particularly because with our soils, we can’t afford to build a root cellar just yet. But it’s a whole lot more affordable to insulate and close in our breezeway, and use a CoolBot to keep the room around 55 degrees. That’s perfect cellar temps and if it costs us $2000 instead of $12,000 to build a nice sized root cellar with excavating, pouring concrete and all that. Man, talk about a time saver!”

Listen to the Podcast

Common Sense Homesteading: Build Your Own Walk In Cooler with a CoolBot Controller and A/C Unit

October 2016 – This is an excellent guide! Pretty much everything you need to know about using the CoolBot.

“A CoolBot and a regular household window A/C unit lets you turn any well insulated room into a walk-in cooler. Instead of paying over $5000 for a small commercial walk in cooler, you can save thousands with this DIY cooler option.”

Read the Article

Devex: How Universities Are Sowing the Seeds to Feed the Future

October 2016 – Five of the 24 Feed the Future Innovation Labs are at UC Davis. Learn how they’re using the CoolBot and other technologies to end world hunger.

“‘We do research and adapt and modify technologies to make them more feasible for resource poor farmers who farm on a small scale in the developing world,’ said Elizabeth Mitcham, director of the Horticulture Innovation Lab at UC Davis.”

Read the Article

Mountain Xpress: Learn to Build a Mobile Walk-In Cooler

October 2016 – Join Chris Link of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy for a two-part workshop on how to build a mobile walk-in cooler.

“Using the CoolBot, a tool that overrides air conditioner temperature sensors to cool a space to as low as 38 degrees, Link says farmers, market gardeners and others can build an efficient and affordable cooler for use on the farm, for transport to market or other purposes.”

Read the Article

Come and Brew It Radio: Episode 59 – The CoolBot Controller

September 2016 – John Bergher, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Store It Cold, talks cold storage and beer with the guys from Texas Brewing Inc.

“Right out of the box, the CoolBot is an easy solution to everyone who has issues with storing their finished or fermented products. But since most of us can’t afford a $10k walk-in system, we need another solution. And for a minimal price in comparison, this new controller is the answer to your brewing cooler dreams.”

Listen to the Podcast

Farm Show: Mobile Cooler Keeps Flowers Fresh

September 2016 – When Raindrop Farms needed more storage for their fresh flower business, they used a CoolBot to turn a cargo trailer into a mobile cooler.

“We realized that if we put a cooler on a trailer, we could use it for deliveries too….CoolBots are a godsend to those of us without the space or financial ability to buy a large production-level cooler.”

Read the Article

IN FOCUS – Walk-In Cooler on a Budget

September 2016 – A great video from Urban Farmer Curtis Stone on how to set up a walk-in cooler using a CoolBot

“You effectively have a compressor that’s worth a couple thousand dollars for maybe $500.”

Watch the Video

The New Paltz Oracle: Farm Fresh Food – Family of New Paltz Looks to Reduce Food Waste

September 2016 – Food pantry Family of New Paltz is planning to build a cooler using a CoolBot to help keep food fresh so it can be distributed to people in need.

“Local food pantries are open for a limited time each week. Currently, much of the food goes bad before it can be distributed. ‘With this source, we will put food away in proper storage and give to people as they need it,’ [executive director Michael Berg] said.”

Read the Article

GoOutdoorsNE.com: Summer Heat Doesn’t Keep Hunter Indoors

September 2016 – A profile about how avid hunter Al Hastings beats the summer heat.

“Because the meat tastes better the longer the deer hang, Hastings built a cooler a few years ago in the shop outside his home some 20 miles southeast of North Platte. A piece of equipment called a CoolBot that he ordered online fools the air conditioning into running as low as 40 degrees.”

Read the Article

The Decorah Newspapers: Patchwork Green Farm Field Day is Sunday

September 2016 – Erik Sessions and Sara Peterson of Patchwork Green Farm used a CoolBot to upgrade their root cellar.

“Our root cellar is insulated concrete construction, with a washable interior. We installed a CoolBot system to cool it down and maintain temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees in fall and winter. Last winter, we were able to keep potatoes in good, saleable condition until they were sold out in late March.”

Read the Article

Fox 31 Denver: Gadget Converts A/C Unit into Cooler for Brewers, Farmers and Businesses

August 2016 – An awesome TV spot about how the CoolBot can help restaurants and bars.

“Walk-in coolers are a staple for restaurants and bars. Problem is, they’re expensive! Usually $10,000 and up and the maintenance costs can add up fast. CoolBot is a little computer that can turn an off-the-shelf air conditioner into a DIY walk-in cooler…Typically the entire setup with the CoolBot, an A/C unit and construction of an insulated room will cost about $3,000.”

Read the Article

Lancaster Farming: Mass. Farmer Talks Wintertime Storage Options

August 2016 – This article summarizes Chuck Currie of Freedom Food Farm’s recent workshop on how to store vegetables for winter sales.

“One of Currie’s top tips was to purchase a ‘CoolBot,’ which he said saves money on energy while still cooling the room to appropriate temperature.”

Read the Article

The Huffington Post: Innovative Technologies for Reducing Food Waste

August 2016 – Lisa Kitinoja, founder of The Postharvest Education Foundation (PEF), reviews the top cost-effective technologies small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) and small agri-businesses can use to reduce food waste. The CoolBot gets a mention!

“Cold chain management is a complex topic, but there are many small-scale methods and simple cooling/cold storage equipment that can be used by retailers and home use to reduce food waste.”

Read the Article

1808 Greensboro: Piedmont Foodways – Simple Tomatoes

July 2016 – If you’re a fan of heirloom tomatoes, you’ll definitely want to check out this article!

“We all know that vegetables don’t wait until Friday to ripen in time for sale at the farmers’ market on Saturday, so what happens to all of the rest of the wonderfully delicious tomatoes that ripen during the week? Farmers used to hold them and hope they would keep, and the tomato-buying consumer would engage in a game of chance. The CoolBot has changed all of that.”

Read the Article

Parksville Qualicum Beach News: Parksville Qualicum Beach Food Bank Finding News Ways

July 2016 – Yet another food bank looking to use a CoolBot to keep food fresh until it can be distributed.

“While all types of people frequent the food bank and other related local services to help them make ends meet, Jiggins said ‘A lot are university educated people in their 50s who are just not able to buy food because something has happened in their lives.'”

Read the Article

Lake County News-Sun: Lake County Churches Growing Produce for Local Food Pantries

June 2016 – Churches in Lake County are growing food to stock the local food pantries, and using a CoolBot to keep that food fresh!

“Congregation member Russell Weiler, who built an outdoor storage shed for the gardening equipment, is insulating the room and will use a CoolBot Walk In Cooler system, which runs a standard window air conditioner to regulate the temperature in an insulated room.”

Read the Article

Technically Baltimore: This Old Shipping Container Holds the Future of Farming

May 2016 – What a great idea for repurposing an old shipping container – a microgreens farm. They are using some amazing new technology, including the CoolBot.

“‘We want to redefine what farm to fork means in this urban environment,’ said Urban Pastoral’s J.J. Reidy.”

Read the Article

Khmer Times: Helping Farmers Keep Their Cool

April 2016 – This article describes how the CoolBot is helping Cambodian farmers.

“One of a farmer’s greatest enemies is heat. As many as 50 percent of the fruit and vegetables harvested in Cambodia are lost because of heat – lettuce wilts, onions become slimy, tomatoes turn to mush.”

Read the Article

University of California: How One Farmer’s Invention is Reducing Postharvest Losses Around the World

March 2016 – This article describes the Horticulture Innovation Lab projects using CoolBots to help farmers around the world, including in Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Thailand, Cambodia, Bangladesh, India, and Honduras.

“In many developing countries, more than half of all fruits and vegetables are never eaten, but instead are lost, damaged or spoiled after harvest. These ‘postharvest’ losses can mean that farmers need to sell their fresh produce as soon as it is harvested for whatever price they can get, before they lose the crops that represent investments of labor, water, and agricultural inputs.”

Read the Article

Food Tank Farmer Spotlight: Bethanee Wright Farms Sustainably to Feed the World

January 2016 – In this edition of Farmer Spotlight, we meet organic vegetable farmer Bethanee Wright of Winterfell Acres. She shares many ideas and farming tips, including about her use of the CoolBot.

“I am reducing post-harvest losses by CoolBot!”

Read the Article

BusinessDen: Investment Startup Plugs in First Deal

November 2015 – A startup private equity firm run by childhood friends Michael Dworkis and Ryan Berk has invested in Store It Cold and the CoolBot. Learn more about their plans.

“Founders Michael Dworkis and Ryan Berk, who grew up together in Dallas and both worked as investment bankers in New York City until moving to Denver in December, said Store It Cold fits their investment strategy to a T.”

Read the Article

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs: Tackling Post-Harvest Loss

February 2015 – The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is an international organization that was launched by the UN in 2002 to tackle human suffering caused by malnutrition. They are exploring options for cooling and improving post-harvest quality, including the CoolBot.

“Because post-harvest also is key to maintaining nutrients, strengthening it improves health as well as economic outcomes. The challenge is that power for cooling often is too costly or simply unavailable.”

Read the Article

TEDxNairobi 2014: CoolBot Technology- Tackling Post-Harvest Loss

January 2015 – Dr. Jane Ambuko is exploring options for tackling post-harvest loss including cooling options and solutions.

“We’re so excited to finally get to see this video! Dr. Jane Ambuko is doing some incredible work and we are so excited to be a part of it.”

Watch the Video

Farm Show: CoolBot Controller Makes Jury-Rigged Cooler Work

January 2015 – Our second appearance in Farm Show! We were nominated as a best buy by market gardener Mark Wittman.

“The cooler is a nice size for our operation and lets us store produce in the insulated coolers that we take back and forth to farmers markets….We end up with better quality merchandise and less work.”

Read the Article

Colorado Springs Independent: Storybook Beer and a Superhero Sandwich Shop

December 2014 – Colorado Springs microbrewery Storybook Brewing uses a CoolBot to cool their walk-in!

“Brewer and owner Pete Kilman…brings 17 years of experience to Storybook. He brews on an all-electric, three-barrel system that he says is slightly more energy-efficient than common gas kettles, and has also constructed a more eco-friendly walk-in cooler via a gadget called a CoolBot.”

Read the Article

The Sunrise: CoolBot, A New Magic Tool for Farmers

November 2014 – It’s pretty cool being called “magic.” 🙂

“The magic tool is known as a CoolBot, a handy gadget that is attached to an air conditioner to bring down temperatures in a confined space.”

Read the Article

R. Shea Brewing: Keg / Draft Walk-in Cooler are ONLINE

November 2014 – With help from kids and Dad, the cooler at R. Shea brewing is up and running, and it’s a beautiful one at that.

“Finally, after 16 weeks, we have one brewery system fully functional and online. This may not be exciting to most of you, but it’s one of the most important features to the taproom. Cold beer is a must.”

Read the Article

Examiner.com: Cost-Effective Walk-In Coolers

November 2014 – Here’s a great follow-up article of a workshop where attendees learned about CoolBot-controlled walk-in coolers at a NOFA/RI CRAFT Workshop.

“CoolBot cooler systems cost significantly less up front than conventional compressor-cooled walk-in refrigerators or coolers. Conventional coolers use more electricity, have higher repair bills and tend to dry out greens and vegetables.”

Read the Article

UC Davis: New Grant Aims to Build Global Food Security Through Produce Research

October 2014 – UC Davis was recently awarded another grant to continue their research programs hard work, which includes sharing innovations, such as the CoolBot, and techniques with farmers in more than 30 countries.

“The Horticulture Innovation Lab has tested the CoolBot with farmers in Honduras, Uganda, Kenya, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and elsewhere — including at the UC Davis Student Farm.”

Read the Article

San Antonio Current: Filling Station Tap Room’s No-Frills Shop

October 2014 – New tap room features 25 “craft-happy” taps with kegs housed in a walk-in cooler cooled by (you guessed it!) a CoolBot.

“Cooled using an air-conditioning window unit and a CoolBot, which turns the AC into a cooler compressor, the roughly five-by-six-foot, closed-off space houses 19 of the kegs, all varying in sizes from full to half, quarter and eighth barrels.”

Read the Article

Broadfork Farm: Our 5 Favourite Market Gardening Tools

September 2014 – The second time we’ve been mentioned on this awesome blog! They made a list of their favorite gadgets and tools for farming, and we made the list!

“What would we do without you, little CoolBot? We would spend a lot more money to get a good storage temperature for our crops.”

Read the Article

Jewish Telegraphic Agency: This Week in Jewish Farming – Meeting the Neighbors

August 2014 – In this series, Ben Harris chronicles his life as a farmer. Here, he talks about building a community and also a CoolBot-powered walk-in cooler.

“Back in the spring, I struggled to figure out a good cold storage solution for the farm. I settled on the idea of buying a used cargo trailer and converting it into a refrigerator, which isn’t quite as crazy as it sounds.”

Read the Article

Morning Ag Clips: FSMA-Compliant Produce Handling and Building a Cooler with a CoolBot

August 2014 – This fall NOFA-RI is hosting a variety of free workshops open to the public! And on October 2 they will be discussing CoolBots with Wishing Stone Farm who has just set up their second CoolBot cooler!

“Learn about CoolBot specs, budget and permitting process. CoolBots override an air conditioner’s temperature gauge and turns an insulated room and standard household air conditioner into a walk-in cooler.”

Read the Article

JOC.com: Researchers Target Ways for World’s Farmers to Stem Food Loss

August 2014 – Here’s a neat article on how our CoolBot controllers are helping with a global problem.

“Ending world hunger has been a goal of governments, charities and charitable businesses and people for as long as there have been hungry people. Efforts have ranged from producing or donating massive amounts of food to reducing food waste and food loss.”

Read the Article

USAID Frontlines: Kenya’s Crop of Innovators Moving the Needle on Food Security

July/August 2014 – Featured in this article on farming innovations in Kenya, the CoolBot is being used by Dr. Ambuko and her team at University of Nairobi.

“The CoolBot not only has the potential to raise the incomes of farmers, it also gives them a central place to bulk their mangoes and allows them to diversify and venture into other high-value perishables like French beans, tomatoes and leafy green vegetables like kale.”

Read the Article

Brewers Union: In Praise of CoolBot

July 2014 – A nice write up and picture of Brewers Union Blog 180’s CoolBot cooler.

“This device is ingenious. It turns a normal, everyday, working air conditioner into a refrigeration unit without messing with the electronics. How does it do this? It has a little heater that is attached to the temperature sensor of the unit with a piece of foil. This fools the unit into thinking that it is warmer than it really is. Brilliant.”

Read the Article

Hobby Farms: 6 Tools to Keep Vegetables Fresh Through Market Day

July 2014 – We made the top of the list!

“Quickly cooling down produce is often the key to its longevity. Because most beginning farmers don’t have luxuries like walk-in coolers to cool veggies rapidly, Eric Wooldridge from Bells Bend Farm in Nashville, recommends a handy device called the CoolBot…”

Read the Article

Crawling Towards Sustainability – A Homesteader’s Journey: Root Cellar Upgrade

April 2014 – Up in Maine, Mal Stephens has used the CoolBot to add a modern twist to the classic root cellar. With tips and photos and one of the most beautiful doors we’ve seen, this is a lovely blog we’re glad to be featured in.

“If I have any wisdom to impart with all of this, it’s if you ever build a house, design it around your heating system and your root cellar.”

Read the Article

The Postharvest Education Foundation: Use of Cold Chains for Reducing Food Losses in Developing Countries

December 2013 – The CoolBot is one of the cost effective cold storage systems discussed in this white paper by Lisa Kitinoja.

“The use of ‘cold’ handling and storage systems as an investment to prevent perishable food losses is widely used in developed countries and can be highly cost effective compared to continually increasing production to meet increasing demands for these foods.”

Read the Article

New Farmer Webinar: Postharvest Storage

October 2013 – In this webinar, Chris Callahan of UVM Extension Ag Engineering talks about what happens after to the produce after its picked and the importance of good post harvest practices.

“Postharvest Basics: Stored crops are still alive, metabolism continues after harvest (respiration), and it is highly dependent on temperature.”

View the Slides

The Gathering of Southeast Wisconsin: CoolBot Cooler Room Construction Almost Completed!

September 2013 – In Milwaukee, WI, students from the university’s class Practical Approaches to a Sustainable Future paired up with The Gathering, who donate food to the hungry, to build a cooler to help preserve produce donations. A wonderful program doing great things!

“Through this grant, The Gathering is partnering with UWM professor Dr. Phillips and her undergraduate class entitled “Practical Approaches to a Sustainable Future.” The class is growing their own produce in ten garden beds…As an added bonus, the class will be working with The Gathering’s Fresh Produce Preservation Project to learn how to safely preserve the produce they have grown.”

Read the Article

Market Farming Success: The Business of Growing and Selling Local Food

September 2013 – An invaluable piece of work by Lynn Byzinski for any that have dreamed to start their own business gardening and farming. Addressing topics from before there is even a seedling, this book gives you all the tools you need. CoolBots get a great mention in here.

“An insider’s guide to market gardening and farming for those in the business of growing and selling food, flowers, herbs, or plants.”

Buy the Book on Amazon

The Magazine: Hoe Down – Small-Scale Farmers Have Turned to High Tech to Invent the Tools They Need

August 2013 – The CoolBot was included in this great article on inventions, invented by farmers to solve big issues on small farms.

“Ron Khosla left the technology industry to farm with his wife in New Paltz, New York. He focused on solving inefficiencies in an effort to compete as much as possible with conventional growers. Khosla approached day-to-day farm problems with a ‘better living through technology’ philosophy. One early success was the CoolBot…”

Read the Article

Wildfire Fellowship Farm: Wildfire Farm Tech – The CoolBot

August 2013 – Here’s a nice write up about this farm in Maine and their experience with the CoolBot.

“Even without the added foam the cooler has performed very well during summer weather in the 90 degree range.”

Read the Article

Sullivan Center for Sustainable Agriculture: Chilling Out

July 2013 – These farmers were very thoughtful of where they placed their cooler and settled on inside a pre-existing building; foundation and electric all ready taken care of, out of direct sunlight and close by the pick-up, can’t beat that.

“Hooking up the CoolBot was easier than cabling up a new computer.”

Read the Article

Taproot Farm & Fruit: Second Task – Walk-In Refrigerator

July 2013 – A Wisconsin farmer shares his build of his beautifully designed and executed walk-in cooler.

“If you want to be able to deliver the freshest produce you can, as well as being able to save some for yourself, then a walk-in refrigerator is a necessity. “

Read the Article

Food Blog: Hot Days, Cool Rooms, Tasty Vegetables

July 2013 – From UC Davis comes this article that mentions not only the benefit CoolBot brings to small scale farmers, but also smallholder farmers in other countries.

“Temperature management, or cold chain, is the single most important factor in maintaining postharvest quality in fruits and vegetables.”

Read the Article

UC Davis: Horticulture CRSP Launches Third Regional Center of Innovation

June 2013 – HortCRSP just opened their third Regional Center of Innovation at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute. They celebrated the opening with an event which included a technology fair which included the CoolBot and many other innovations!

“Among the horticultural technologies on display were seed-drying beads, postharvest tools, the CoolBot, pest-exclusion nets, a solar dryer, a banana ripening chamber, vermicompost and garden kits, a plant diagnostic clinic, and others.”

Read the Article

Our Shared Ground: The Dough Lair!

May 2013 – This is so cool! Our Shared Ground is a non-profit organization whose emphasis is in providing education and inspiration to families about nutrition through agriculture. These guys used a refurbished shipping container and a CoolBot to build their “dough lair”! They include some great pictures and designs.

“The more patient you are with letting the dough rise in a temperature controlled space, the more delicious your bread will be.”

Read the Article

Colorado Farm to Table: Precooling Colorado Crops

Before the produce even gets to the cooler, there are even more tips on how to have extend and improve the qualities of crops post harvest and precooling.

“The term precooling refers to the removal of heat energy from crops, known as field heat, after they are harvested. Precooling is ideally done immediately after harvest, as many crops begin to degrade rapidly after harvest if kept at high temperatures.”

Read the Article

Modern Farmer: How a Farmer Hacks Big Ag

April 2013 – This great article tells of Ron and Kate Khosla’s ideals behind creating more accessible technologies and systems for small farms. The best thing, Ron says, is open communication among farmers.

“When Ron Khosla and his wife, Kate, started farming 14 years ago in upstate New York, they wanted to do things differently. ‘We were committed to the idea of doing local, organic, and supercheap,’ Khosla said. ‘And that forced us to look at our techniques or else we would die.'”

Read the Article

Stonewall Farm: Small Farming Technology – CoolBot

April 2013 – Small-scale farm Stonewall in Keene, NH, writes up a nice article about the CoolBot. They also include a link to their SIP plans.

“Any farmer, of produce or dairy, will tell you that a primary challenge for their business is cold storage. Veggies quickly wilt in the heat of the summer sun and we all know that dairy products don’t stand a chance without some substantially cool temperatures. Yet too often, cold storage systems are prohibitively expensive for new business owners.”

Read the Article

UVM Extension AgEngineering: CoolBots – Inexpensive Cold Storage

March 2013 -This is a great article on CoolBots. There are two corrections I would make however. One is that there seems to have been a misunderstanding that if there is a power failure CoolBot coolers can’t restart on their own. CoolBots restart on their own (and remember their settings) and MOST brands of air conditioners restart on their own as well after a power failure. So… if you live in a power-failure prone area, then stick with one of the big brands of air conditioners we recommend like HAIER or GE. A few brands (including SAMSUNG and FRIGIDAIRE) don’t restart automatically after the power goes out, and I think that’s what might have been confused in the article. Also they reference an old 2009 analysis on efficiency of the Coolbot compared to new systems, and that was done with a CoolBot attached to a whole-house air conditioner NOT one of the new air conditioners (made after 2012 with better refrigerant and NOT a window air conditioner with one fan… it was a whole house a/c unit with MULTIPLE fans). Still this is a good article.

“Demand for on-farm cold storage of produce and other Vermont agricultural products is increasing as local markets for these goods expand.”

Read the Article

Butchery and Sausage-Making For Dummies

March 2013 – We made it into a “Book For DUMMIES”! Tia Harrison recommends using a CoolBot to control temperature conditions in a curing room.

“Creating your own curing room is possible with the help of a brilliant product called a CoolBot. The CoolBot turns window air conditioners into cooling machines.”

Buy the Book on Amazon

Big Rip Brewing: Making of a Cold Room Part 1

December 2012 – This budding brewery in Kansas City, MO took pictures of their cooler build under way. We look forward to the sequel. 🙂

“Some people have been asking us how we are building our cold room, or cooler, for the brewery. We are going a different route than a lot of breweries because we wanted to maximize our space but minimize the hit on our budget.”

Read the Article

ACORN Conference: Off-Grid Farm Infrastructure

December 2012 – At Waxwing Farm in Nova Scotia, they experimented with energy-efficient projects including a wood-heated thermal mass seedling bench, a solar hot air food dehydrator, and a photovoltaic system to power a cooler using CoolBot!

“Cost: $800 for CoolBot and air conditioner.”

View the Slides

Standard Brewing: Small Victory Today

November 2012 – Eyes brimming with tears of joy, this brewery out of Seattle, WA, hooked up a CoolBot to a free AC he found on Craigslist.

“For hunters and homebrewers, a regular old refrigerator just won’t cut it on volume. They need a small room size to store five deer carcasses, or the last 8 brews in corny kegs, but who wants to shell out a few grand for a proper walk in cooler?”

Read the Article

Eighth Day Farm: We’ve Accomplished Our Goal

November 2012 – With their successful kickstarter, the Eighth Day Farm in Holland, MI was able to fund many of their goals including the construction of a walk-in cooler powered by a CoolBot system!

“The CoolBot will not only save us on installation and repair costs, it will also save electricity, reducing our operating costs when combined with our Energy Star air conditioning unit.”

Read the Article

APPPA Grit: Building Cold Storage

September/October 2012 – Here’s an article on cooler construction by Ron Khosla.

“We built the CoolBot because we couldn’t afford a real walk-in cooler compressor. We couldn’t afford a real walk-in cooler box either, so we built our own there, too.”

Read the Article

Ottawa Citizen: Root Cellar Revival – Construction Options for Building Classic Food Storage Area

They’re making a come back! Included on the list of different types of root cellars are electrically assisted ones that use the CoolBot system.

“If you like good food, if you’re interested in taking greater responsibility for your food supply, and if you like the idea of lightening your personal environmental burden on the planet, then you’re probably ready for a root cellar.”

Read the Article

Tom’s Gardens: Building a Walk-In Cooler

July 2012 – Here is nicely chronicled cooler build complete with pictures from Tom, a gardner who is all about homemade and DIY.

“The small black box you see below the AC unit is a device called a CoolBot controller. It controls the AC so that the temperature inside the cooler can get much colder than the AC could normally get it, and also keeps ice from building up on the AC unit.”

Read the Article

Broadfork Farm: Harvest Morning

June 2012 – On Broadfork Farm in Nova Scotia, harvest starts before dawn in the fields. After picking their vegetables with care, they wash the produce and put it away into their cooler until market time.

“Harvest mornings (and market days) are the culmination of our week’s work. This is the day we see our vegetables as food (rather than beautiful plants we’re trying to keep healthy and alive) and we get excited to share that food with others.”

Read the Article

Botanical Brouhaha: Working Designer Wednesday – Mixed Bag

June 2012 – CoolBot made number 1 on the list! And we get some pretty nice comments to boot.

“We are a little cut flower farm. Our CoolBot is in a little insulated shed that runs continuously year round. We have had it for 7 years and had to replace the air conditioner once because it was undersized. It works great holding our flowers and bulbs at a constant 35-38 degrees. Highly recommended, great support and info from the CoolBot folks.”

Read the Article

Cornell University: CoolBot Enables Small Farmers to Build Do-It-Yourself Coolers

June 2012 – From a small scale farmer in Ithaca who took a chance with the CoolBot, to the history of it’s creation, to the creator himself, this article gives a great overview of the CoolBot.

“Like many small-scale vegetable growers, Anton Burkett couldn’t afford a large, expensive walk-in cooler compressor to cool his produce before market. Then he found the CoolBot.”

Read the Article

Morning Sentinel: Somerset County Farmers Receive Grants

May 2012 – Heart of Maine, a non-profit organization, backed a program, with the help of the Walmart foundation, to match funds with small farmers to help finance the construction on walk-in coolers using CoolBots.

“The system allows small farmers to create their own efficient cold storage rooms for a fraction of the cost of conventional refrigeration. efficient and cost effective.”

Read the Article

The Mushroom Maestros Blog: What’s Happening at the Farm – Truck Grow Hut

May 2012 – These guys are using the CoolBot and included an audio recording of the builder explaining the retrofit from an old beer delivery truck to a cooler for their mushrooms. Very cool!

“Ray called in with a special report about a unique feature of the Mushroom Maestros homestead in Lake County. He and Juan Diego are reclaiming a box from an old beer delivery truck for use on the farm.”

Read the Article

2012 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention: Low Cost Cold Room Using CoolBot for Refrigeration

2012 – Here is a presentation from John Wilhoit, Extension Specialist at the Ag Engineering Department University of Kentucky, on the CoolBot including different types of construction and ways to improve the shelf life of produce.

“CoolBot control unit overcomes limitations of using air conditioner for refrigeration.”

View the Presentation

Stones Throw Urban Farm: Vacant Lots to Vibrant Urban Farms

April 2012 – A mobile cooling unit using a CoolBot was the goal of this Minneapolis farm, and they did it!

“We, revolutionary urban vegetable growers in the Twin Cities, need to convert 10 new vacant lots into vibrant, productive micro-farms.”

Read the Article

Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Urban Bioshelters in New England

April 2012 – This article explores alternatives to high-cost systems used for heating greenhouses and cooling coolers. The CoolBot is one of the technologies they discuss.

“Bioshelters focus on energy efficiency, renewable resources, and appropriate technologies. They balance high tech energy saving designs with passive low cost systems in order to create an indoor ecosystem rather than a typical greenhouse.”

Read the Article

Cherry Tree House Mushrooms: Ready for Mushroom Spawn!

February 2012 – Here’s a great blog from Cherry Tree House Mushrooms about building their walk in cooler powered by a CoolBot!

“Last year I acquired a half dozen refrigerators in order to store spawn and fresh mushrooms. I decided a walk-in cooler would be more efficient and convenient, so I decided to make our root cellar also work as a walk-in cooler.”

Read the Article

Special Fruits: Use of CoolBot Technology for Construction of Low Cost – Low Capacity Cold Storages on Farms

December 2011 – A paper by Dr. Neeru Dubey, Assistant Professor, Amity International Centre for Post Harvest Technology and Cold Chain Management, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida

“Our main focus was to develop a prototype low-cost storage structure for the small and marginal farmers from locally available insulating material and to test the effectiveness of the CoolBot/room air conditioner combination.”

Read the Article

Tiny Farm Gear: CoolBot – Inexpensive Walk-In Cooler

December 2011 – Featured here in this blog written by a farmer based out of Ontario, geared towards the 5 acre and smaller farms, CoolBot made the list!

“Combined with a $300-500 air conditioner, CoolBot promises to deliver the performance of a commercial cooler compressor that would cost at least $3,000. It also saves around 60% on electricity bills. Installation is incredibly easy: tape a CoolBot sensor to the A/C unit’s temperature sensor.”

Read the Article

Shared Legacy Farm: What’s a CoolBot?

July 2011 – Shared Legacy Farms based out of Ohio wrote about using the CoolBot to store produce for their CSA and how their parents got one themselves for their sweet corn after seeing the CoolBot at work!

“A nicely cooled space that saves us lots of money on equipment (only needed to buy an AC unit), installation (did it ourselves), electricity ($60/month), and repairs. And at a price of $300, that’s not a bad deal!”

Read the Article

D-Lab, UC Davis: CoolBot Coolrooms: D-Lab Demo Site in Uganda

May 2011 – At UCDavis they are doing amazing things for spreading and developing ideas on sustainable renewable energy solutions with a focus on agriculture. One of the projects they have been working on is the CoolBot Coolroom!

“Refrigeration is key to the successful marketing of perishable items. The fresh produce and floriculture industries of the developing world depend on low temperatures to reduce water loss, slow the development and incidence of postharvest diseases, and limit responses to ethylene and other metabolic changes which reduce shelf-life.”

Read the Article

The Devine Happenings of Jacob and Beth: Our Walk-In Cooler Works!!!

March 2011 – This awesome couple are missionaries in Papau New Guinea and used a CoolBot system to replace their broken compressor in their walk-in cooler!

“Our walk-in cooler broke down at the end of our January Interface team… a very sad day. An even sadder day came when we found out the price to get it fixed. But then there was hope… the CoolBot!”

Read the Article

Food Safety News: Cut Salad Greens – How Cold is Cold Enough?

September 2010 – Cut greens are a favorite at Farmers Markets, and recently there has been discussion about the proper temperature to maintain not only for quality but for safety reasons. CoolBot coolers are a low-cost answer to keep those requirements.

“Khosla’s system costs about $800, which includes the cost of air conditioner and the CoolBot…Parsons describes it as a perfect system for farmers because it’s affordable, easy to install, and an efficient way to cool produce.”

Read the Article

University of Connecticut: Lower Your Electric Bill With CoolBot

This is a neat write-up by Jude Boucher from the University of Connecticut. He’s a touch generous with the abilities of CoolBot to work with any A/C, please see our list of recommended brands.

“CoolBot will not only save you on installation and repair costs, it will also help you save electrically, reducing your operating costs when combined with new Energy Star air conditioning units engineered to much stricter environmental standards than standard walk-in cooler compressors.”

Read the Article

Horticulture Collaborative Research Support Program: Small-Scale Coolrooms & Cool Transport for Limited Resource Farmers

May 2010 – A collection of all the wonderful information from building materials, strategies and techniques for using the system and alternative power options explored by HortCRSP and UC Davis.

“Low temperatures reduce metabolic changes, reduce water loss, slow the spread of post-harvest diseases and limit responses to ethylene. In the developed world, refrigeration is universally recognized key to successful marketing of perishables.”

View the Poster

Heinennellie: CoolBot and CoolBot Continued

May 2010 – This Brooklyn cheese crafter built his own cave using a CoolBot.

“The CoolBot is working, hurrah. It turns out to be the little miracle device I had thought it would be.”

Read the Article

SPIN-Farming: DIY Coolbot Walk-in Cooler Tips

April 2010 – This article from SPIN offers some tips on DIY coolers. There’s also a link to a PDF that contains helpful suggestions on cooler construction.

“Here’s a few quick thoughts about walk-in cooler design, largely based on what my appropriate technology group used to recommend for village small-scale DIY walk-in cooler systems.”

Read the Article

The Complete Root Cellar Book: Building Plans, Uses and 100 Recipes

April 2010 – A great book that goes into detail about actually building several styles of insulated (above and below-ground) root cellars. The book talks about the CoolBot as the most cost-effective way to maintain the temperatures (and it’s even in illustrations!). It’s a neat book to buy even if you don’t get a CoolBot.

“This book takes a fresh look at the art, science and romance of building and stocking a root cellar. There are detailed illustrated construction guides for making four different kinds of root cellars that are functional and attractive. These include never-before-seen models for apartment and condo dwellers and home owners without a basement.”

Buy the Book on Amazon

APPPA Grit: Building a Simple Cold Storage Unit

January/February 2010 – This is an article on Kosher poultry processing from the newsletter for the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association (a great organization). The reporter uses a CoolBot and writes very positively about it and goes into some nice detail about cooler construction as well.

“After careful consideration of the options I elected to use an air conditioner and a Cool-Bot. The advantages of this setup are a low capital expense, readily available components, a good warranty, energy efficiency, and that it is user installable.”

Read the Article

Silvery Moon Creamery: Current Options in Cheese Aging Caves: An Evaluation, Comparison, and Feasibility Study

GREAT detailed report, especially for people doing cheese caves.

“[The CoolBot] is the rising star of this list of temperature control options! It is a relatively new device that several cheesemakers are utilizing with success.”

Read the Article

Horticulture Collaborative Research Support Program: Coolrooms and Cool Transport for Small-Scale Farmers

January 2010 to September 2011 – A breakdown of an incredible program that UC Davis backed using the CoolBot to provide affordable and accessible cold room storage solutions. Projects include testing different insulating materials, the CoolBot’s performance, and “the use of photovoltaic panels to power the system.”

“Very few smallholder farmers have access to cooling or cool storage facilities, and even refrigerated transportation is a rarity. The unreliability of local electricity supplies, the expense of conventional coolers, and the lack of technical expertise for the installation and maintenance all have led to the search for alternative solutions such as evaporative cooling systems.”

Read the Article

NYSERDA, Energy Innovation and Business Development: Evaluation of the CoolBot Controller for Small Farm Walk-in-Coolers(ST10563-1)

January 2010 – Here is the summary for the research project NYSERDA conducted with Store It Cold.

“The COOLbot™ approach makes on-site refrigeration more accessible to farmers, resulting in more income and productivity. GHG emissions are decreased overall because less produce must be transported from farm to consumer.”

Read the Article

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation: Cool Storage Reduces Produce Losses

November 2009 – After visiting a farm in Oklahoma using a CoolBot, this writer shares on the importance of post-harvest care and the effects it can have on the shelf life and quality of produce.

“There is a rule of thumb for perishable crops: every hour lost before cooling to proper storage temperature results in a loss of one day of shelf life. The bottom line is that cool storage extends the market window for produce and reduces loss due to spoilage – both contributing factors to a grower’s profitability.”

Read the Article

Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, SATOP Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program: CoolBot Ice Sensor Makes It Possible To Build a Do-It-Yourself Walk-In Cooler

This is a great article about the CoolBot and its development over time and SATOP’s involvement in creating durable sensors.

“Many times an invention has worldwide implications, which make it possible for people to lead better lives. CoolBot has done just that.”

Read the Article

University of Kentucky College of Agriculture: Low-Cost Cold Storage Room for Market Growers

June 2009 – This is a GREAT free publication with info on building your own cooler! I like their design! What’s terrific about this is that they use a hybrid design with fiberglass batt insulation and rigid foam insulation to save money. If you read my cooler design article from Growing For Market, I talk about how we’ve seen fiberglass insulation get rot and black mold, so we tell everyone to use rigid foam insulation. But this Kentucky design uses just a little rigid foam insulation in the right place to stop condensation on the outside. If rigid foam insulation is expensive in your area, then this could be a terrific solution, especially if you are more comfortable doing stick-frame construction.

I would STRONGLY recommend that you use 1.5 inches of rigid foam instead of the 3/4 inches that is recommended because I think it pays off in electricity savings. Hundreds, if not thousands, of our customers have used this design by now because we actively recommend it on the phone to people with minimal construction experience.

“Fresh fruits and vegetables start to deteriorate as soon as they are harvested because they are cut off from their source of water and nutrition. They lose weight, texture, flavor, nutritive value, and appeal. Cooling significantly slows down the rate of deterioration, thereby increasing the storage life of the produce.”

Read the Article

The Atlantic Chapter of the Sierra Club: Hudson Valley Veganic Farm Attracting Worldwide Attention

Spring 2009 – Long article focuses on Ron and Kate at the farm, but devotes a nice big section to the CoolBot technology.

“Among the impressive list of Ron’s innovations are a solar electric tractor (instructions are on their website), a radiant heating system for their greenhouse and the CoolBot, a system to run their walk-in cooler using a standard air conditioner.”

Read the Article

HortCRSP and USAID: The CoolBot – Appropriate Cooling Technology

HortCRSP and USAID do a concise write-up on the use and benefits of the CoolBot.

“In much of the developing world, postharvest losses are as high as 80% and the cold‐storage chain is virtually non‐existent due to the high cost of equipment and spotty electricity. Because fresh produce can perish in a matter of days under ambient temperatures, temperature control alone can extend the shelf life by weeks or even months.”

Read the Article

Pure Petals: CoolBot – An Affordable Cooler for Flower Growers

August 2008 – A very lovely article that mentions the affordability and energy efficiency of the CoolBot system.

“Having a cooler is an important part of business planning because it allows flower growers to harvest their flowers at the peak time, and store them until market days. For example, if your sunflowers are fully open on a Tuesday, and you won’t need them until Friday’s market, a cooler allows you to hold the sunflowers until you can sell them rather than having them start to wither outside.”

Read the Article

International Potato Center: Innovative Potato Storage for Smallholder Farmer Households in Bangladesh

A really great article on an incredible project. In Bangladesh, the introduction of the CoolBot allows farmers to store not only their crops but their seed potatoes as well!

“Potato storage can be a challenge in a country like Bangladesh. The USAID Horticulture Project with CIP and AVRDC is working with communities to find the best options.”

Read the Article

Growing for Market: Flower Farming

From Lynn Bycznski, the “godmother of the organic flower movement,” comes this book which is a wealth of information and a necessary resource for anyone growing flowers for market. We are honored to be mentioned in her book that is available for sale at Growing for Market.

“Cut flowers are one of the most profitable crops you can grow, with growers across the United States reporting sales of $25,000 to $30,000 per acre. This book contains all the essential information you need — planting, tending, harvesting, pricing, and selling flowers.”

Read the Article

Times Herald-Record: Farmer’s Cool Invention Turns Profitable

May 2007 – One of the first articles written about the CoolBot and the man behind it.

“For anyone who’s not a farmer, a compressor-condensor-evaporator may not sound like something you’d want to spend much time building a better one of. But Ron and Kate Khosla are farmers, and it had always bothered them that it could cost $3,000 or more to have such a huge and heavy contraption installed to create a walk-in cooler room, cool enough to store their harvest in.”

Read the Article