As temperatures in Birmingham reach up to 36°C today (August 13), keeping drinks ice-cold is a priority. A simple kitchen hack can chill any beverage in just 10 minutes, far quicker than standard fridge or freezer methods.
The trick involves a common household item: a paper towel. Wet it under the tap, wring out excess water so it's damp but not dripping, then wrap it completely around your bottle or can. Place the wrapped drink in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. When you remove it, the drink will be significantly colder than if you had simply placed it in the freezer without the towel.
Why the Paper Towel Hack Works
The science behind this method lies in heat transfer. Air is a poor heat conductor, so when a warm bottle sits in a cold freezer, heat escapes slowly. The damp paper towel creates direct surface contact with the container. As the moisture in the towel freezes, it rapidly evaporates, pulling heat away from the bottle through evaporative cooling. This drastically accelerates the cooling rate.
It's crucial to monitor the time. Do not leave the drink in the freezer for more than 20 to 25 minutes. Glass bottles can explode, and aluminum cans can swell or rupture as the liquid expands during freezing.
Faster Alternative: Salt and Ice Bath
If 10 minutes still feels too long, an ice bath with salt can drop a room-temperature drink to ice-cold in under 5 minutes. Fill a bowl or cooler with equal parts ice and cold water, then add about 1/2 to 1 cup of table salt, depending on the bowl size. Place your drinks in the mixture and gently spin or stir them every minute.
This method works because water contacts 100% of the container's surface area, transferring heat much faster than freezer air. Adding salt lowers the freezing point of water below 0°C, often dropping the liquid mixture to around -9 to -12°C without turning to solid ice. Spinning the container rotates the warm liquid inside, bringing it to the edges faster for quicker cooling.
