Have you ever heard of the ‘Coin in the Freezer’ trick? The idea is that a coin left on top of frozen water in your freezer should slowly sink as the freezer warms, thereby letting you know how long the freezer was off. Well, guess what! It DOES NOT work that way. I ran an experiment to test the trick; I left a coin on top of ice in a jar on my kitchen counter, and made a short video of its melting process:
To sum it up, the ‘Coin in the Freezer’ trick did not work as expected. Instead of sinking slowly as the ice melted, the coin stayed on top of the ice until all at once the coin fell directly to the bottom of the glass! Here is the link to a fact-checker site that describes in more detail why this trick does not work the way it is commonly believed.
So, here is an alternative ‘trick’ (which is also cuter!) – It is called the Penguin in the Freezer!
The Penguin in the Freezer is an easy-to-make DIY device that can give you an idea of whether and for how long your freezer failed.
For polar bear fans, I also designed a free template to make a Polar bear in the Freezer. Both versions are included in the downloadable template below.
Materials:
Here are the materials that you will need to make a Penguin in the Freezer.
- A small glass jar with a water-tight lid;
- A handful of cotton balls or a soft cloth (enough to temporarily fill the jar) ;
- Permanent markers, in black and orange;
- Muumade’s FREE Template for the Penguin in the Freezer. Please download the version for your paper size, and cut out the penguin’s (or the polar bear’s) template along its rectangular borders:
US Letter size:
Let’s begin!
1. Insert the penguin’s template into the jar. Hold it in place by stuffing the jar with cotton balls (or anything else that will help to hold the template in place).
2. Using a black permanent marker, trace the penguin’s outline onto the outside of the jar. Also draw in its eyes, as well as its beak (the latter in orange!).
But, DO NOT color in the penguin’s head or feet just yet!
3. Remove the cotton balls and the template from inside the jar. Now you should be able to clearly see the penguin that you have drawn.
4. Color in the penguin’s head, carefully leaving a thin white ring around each eye. Also color in its feet.
Ta-da! Your Penguin in the Freezer is finished!
How to Use the Penguin in the Freezer:
Now, after the 3 simple steps described below, your Penguin in the Freezer will be ready to help you detect whether your freezer was out of service during your absence!
1. Fill the jar halfway with water and securely tighten its lid.
2. Place the Penguin in the Freezer on its side in your freezer, with the penguin facing up.
Leave it there until the water freezes completely.
3. When the water is fully frozen, turn the Penguin in the Freezer upright in your freezer. Now the front half of your jar should be empty, while the back half should be solid ice.
Doesn’t it look as though your penguin is walking in front of a cliff of ice? 🐧
As shown in the image above, any accumulation of water (or a formation of ice) at the bottom of the jar is an indication that the ice cliff melted at one point or another; i.e. your freezer was not functioning properly at some time. Thus, even if your freezer is working at present, the Penguin in the Freezer can tell you whether your freezer was out of service; the thicker the sheet of ice (or puddle of water) is on the bottom of the jar, the longer your freezer was out of power!
⚠️ Please carefully consider the safety of the food inside your freezer if the Penguin in the Freezer suggests that there was a disruption of power. You may need to consider discarding the food depending on how long your freezer was out of power. Here is the link to a helpful site with recommendations on what to do with what types of food in your refrigerator and freezer to ensure food safety.
For penguin lovers, here is a downloadable sewing pattern to make this adorable penguin: The Little Felt Penguin.
